Blowout may not have blown the field away, but she did have plenty of gas for a gate-to-wire win in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., earning a spot in the starting gate for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
The Chad Brown-trained mare broke from post nine and jetted out to the lead in the opening strides of the one-mile stakes, drawing out to a two-length advantage entering the first turn. La Signare and Regal Glory trailed her within striking distance down the backstretch, but Blowout was able to run easily on the lead, setting fractions of :23.76 for the first quarter and :47.75 for the half mile.
Around the far turn, jockey Jose Ortiz made a bold move with Regal Glory, sending her zipping up on Blowout's outside, nearly on even terms entering the stretch. On the good Keeneland turf, the two entered the stretch dueling, with Ortiz and Regal Glory trying to get past Blowout in the race's final furlong. Under jockey Flavien Prat, Blowout was able to hold on, winning the G1 First Lady by a half-length. Empress Josephine was third. The final time for the one-mile stakes was 1:34.86.
Blowout paid $12.60, $6.40, and $4.80. Regal Glory paid $7.40 and $5.00. Empress Josephine paid $8.20.
The First Lady Stakes is a part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. Winners receive a fees-paid, guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding Breeders' Cup race, to be held Nov. 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.
“She's a really special filly for us, for my boss, Chad Brown. She does everything we ask. She's improving a lot. She came here to Keeneland and gave a really good performance. She's as good as she can be. She tries every time she runs,” assistant trainer Baldo Hernandez said after the First Lady.
“As usual she showed a lot of speed out of the gate, and I was able to get myself comfortable on the lead where I didn't have too much pressure. She relaxed well down the backside. She fought really hard down the lane because she lost the lead for a little bit, but she dug in and fought back and really made a great stretch run,” jockey Flavien Prat told the Keeneland Communications Office after the race.
Bred in England by Dayton Investments Ltd., Blowout is a 5-year-old mare by Dansili (GB) out of the Deep Impact (JPN) mare Beauty Parlour (GB), winner of the 2012 French One Thousand Guineas. She is owned by Peter Brant and trained by Chad Brown. Blowout was consigned by The Castlebridge Consignment and sold for $481,095 to Whitebirch at the 2016 Goffs November Foals Sale. With her win in the G1 First Lady, she has two wins in three starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in 14 starts and career earnings of $988,600.
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