The gray sat a dream trip in a stalking second behind a longshot leader through fractions of :23.62 and :47.25. She turned up the heat rounding the far turn, gained command at the top of the stretch, and, after enjoying a clear lead down the lane, held the rallying duo of previously unbeaten and favored Punchbowl (Uncle Mo) and 'TDN Rising Star' Julia Shining (Curlin) safe by a diminishing half-length. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine and champion 2-year-old filly Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) never factored while sixth.

Defining Purpose posted a six-length maiden win going two turns at Churchill Downs at second asking in an auction-restricted maiden special weight Nov. 17. Fifth at 22-1 in the GII Golden Rod S. Nov. 26, she concluded her juvenile campaign with a strong win with first-time Lasix in Oaklawn's Year's End S. Dec. 31. She made two previous starts at Oaklawn this term–both against potential GI Kentucky Oaks favorite Wet Paint (Blame)–finishing third as the favorite after leading in the stretch in the Martha Washington S. Jan. 28 and a flat sixth in the slop in the GIII Honeybee S. last time Feb. 25.

Defining Purpose's Ashland win was good for 100 Kentucky Oaks points.

“I'm not overly surprised,” said winning trainer Ken McPeek, who also won this race in 2002 with Take Charge Lady and in 2014 with Rosalind. “She had a couple of reasons why–she fell off a little bit of form in her last two. She hooked a couple of muddy racetracks. The last trip she had was really wide and wider.”

Winning rider Brian Hernandez, Jr. added, “[Her early position] was great. When she went around the first turn and got her position so nice and smoothly and settled into a nice rhythm, going down the backside I was just thinking to myself, 'Be patient, just wait and wait and let her travel well.' And that's what she did. When she turned for home she kicked on, and with the short stretch to the sixteenth pole, I was pretty confident in her.”

Pedigree Notes:

Defining Purpose, a $14,000 KEEJAN RNA as a short yearling, becomes the second graded winner, both at the highest level, for Cross Traffic, who is also represented by champion Jaywalk. The 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine was third in this same race the following season. She becomes the third graded winner for broodmare sire Strong Hope.

The Indiana-bred Defining Hope, a three-time stakes-winning homebred for Colette M. Vanmatre, is also represented by the 2-year-old filly Defining Joy (Runhappy) and a Csaba filly of this year.

Friday, Keeneland
CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND S.-GI, $600,000, Keeneland, 4-7, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:43.31, ft.
1–DEFINING PURPOSE, 121, f, 3, by Cross Traffic
                1st Dam: Defining Hope (MSW, $306,238), by Strong Hope
                2nd Dam: On the Point, by Point Given
                3rd Dam: Longingtobeme, by Belong to Me
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($14,000 RNA
Ylg '21 KEEJAN). O-Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek), Colette
Marie VanMatre and James Ball; B-Colette Marie VanMatre
(KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
$362,700. Lifetime Record: 7-3-0-1, $543,688. Werk Nick
Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Punchbowl, 121, f, 3, by Uncle Mo
                1st Dam: Devilish Lady (GSW, $400,318), by Sweetsouthernsaint
                2nd Dam: Devilish Brunette, by Diablo
                3rd Dam: Appealing Brunette, by Valid Appeal
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. O/B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.
$117,000.
3–Julia Shining, 121, f, 3, by Curlin
                1st Dam: Dreaming of Julia (GISW, $874,500), by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Dream Rush, by Wild Rush
                3rd Dam: Turbo Dream, by Unbridled
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Stonestreet
Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $58,500.
Margins: HF, NK, 3 1/4. Odds: 20.34, 1.26, 5.21.
Also Ran: Guns n' Graces, Effortlesslyelgant, Wonder Wheel, Pride of the Nile.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Prescott, Indiana's all-time leading jockey, was a winner in the afternoon's opening race, guiding Serena's Hope to victory in a near gate to wire performance in the five-furlong sprint. Once the five-year-old daughter by Strong Hope was on the lead, she continued to open up on the field, winning by more than seven lengths to give Prescott another milestone in his already stellar riding career.

“This mare (Serena's Hope) had the winter off, and I actually rode her mom (Serena's Reward) for the same owners,” said Prescott. “I've been breezing her in the mornings and she's been breezing well. She broke well today, and she likes to be out front. That is the perfect scenario for her. She really finished well today too, and winning in that time (:59.16), that's pretty quick for this track.”

“It's nice to get a milestone like this on a horse trained by Kim (Hammond),” said Prescott. “She is the winningest female trainer in history. The past few years, we have done well together, so this was a nice horse to get this win on.”

Later in the card, Prescott connected for another win aboard Flat Meadow in a five-furlong turf allowance optional claimer, giving him a riding double for the day.

Prescott now has 3,869 Thoroughbred wins and 132 Quarter Horse wins. Of those total wins, 1,143 of them have been recorded at Indiana Grand. Prescott has competed in all 26 years of pari-mutuel racing held in the state of Indiana, dating back to the inaugural season at Hoosier Park in 1995. Prescott is a three-time leading jockey at Indiana Grand, winning the title in 2004, 2005 and 2018. He also shares the title for most wins recorded in one program, winning six races in 2013. Prescott has also won 28 Thoroughbred stakes races at Indiana Grand.

Prescott is also ranked fourth on the list of all-time leading Quarter Horse jockeys. He has 12 career Quarter Horse stakes victories at the track, bringing his combined Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse stakes win total to 40 at Indiana Grand.

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