Magdalena Racing, Colette Marie Vanmatre, and James Ball's Defining Purpose, winner of Friday's Central Bank Ashland (G1), is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Monday or Tuesday to prepare for her next start in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 5.
Trainer Kenny McPeek said Defining Purpose will have her next timed workout there in a “couple of weeks.”
The daughter of Cross Traffic was bred by Vanmatre and offered as a newly turned yearling at the 2021 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale. When she did not bring Vanmatre's minimum appraisal, the breeder opted to keep the filly to race.
“Defining Purpose came to us in late spring last year,” McPeek said. “She is the first horse I have received from Collete Vanmatre. She told me to see what I thought of her and we put her in our program. From the beginning, she was always very forward. Very enthusiastic and liked her job. She did everything we ever asked.”
McPeek, who won the Ashland in 2002 with Take Charge Lady and 2014 with Rosalind, was quick to thank his team.
“I am like an orchestra conductor, and they play the music,” he said.
McPeek gave a special shoutout to assistant Kevin Glodowski, who has overseen Defining Purpose at Keeneland the past six weeks; Ray Bryner, who heads the crew at Oaklawn Park, where Defining Purpose wintered; and Alan Shell at McPeek's Magdalena Farm in Lexington. At Churchill, the filly will be under the care of key assistant Greg Geier.
The victory in the Ashland, the year's first Grade 1 race for sophomore fillies, is worth 100 qualifying points toward starting eligibility in the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) to be run May 5 at Churchill Downs. Defining Purpose has 107 points and is third on the Oaks leaderboard with three points races remaining until the Run for the Lilies. The Oaks is limited to the top 14 point earners that pass the entry box.
Regarding the other top finishers in the Ashland:
Gary and Mary West's runner-up Punchbowl is scheduled to ship to Churchill on Sunday, according to Blake Cox, assistant to his father Brad.
Now it is a waiting game to see if Punchbowl can make the field for the Kentucky .
“She may not get in,” Cox said of Punchbowl, who picked up 40 points with her runner-up finish Friday, a total that is good for 16th in the standings with two 200-point races scheduled today.
Stonestreet Stables' Julia Shining is in a slightly better position for the Oaks than Punchbowl with 46 points that include the 30 she picked up Friday for finishing third, a neck behind Punchbowl. Julia Shining is 14th in the standings.
Amelia Green, assistant to Todd Pletcher, said Julia Shining came out of the race fine and would ship to Churchill on April 16. That is the day Pletcher is scheduled to ship Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders Forte and Kingsbarns to Louisville from their winter base at Palm Beach Downs in Florida.
Trainer Mark Casse said D. J. Stable's champion Wonder Wheel, who finished sixth in the Ashland, would head to Churchill on Sunday. Wonder Wheel has 48 points toward the Kentucky Oaks, good for 12th on the leaderboard.
“She's good this morning, but yesterday, it just wasn't her day,” Casse said. “We'll take her to Churchill and see how she trains, but she may not get in (the Oaks).”
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