Defining Purpose (20-1) wins Ashland; Kentucky Oaks is next

Lexington, Ky.

Kenny McPeek shifted Defining Purpose from Oaklawn to Keeneland in part to avoid Brad Cox’s flashy filly Wet Paint. Come Friday’s Grade 1 Ashland Stakes, the trainer and his filly ran into another of Cox’s up-and-coming female runners in 6-5 favorite Punchbowl.

Facing a field that included that favorite, champion Malathaat’s full sister Julia Shining and reigning champion juvenile filly Wonder Wheel, Defining Purpose pulled the upset.

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The 3-year-old Cross Traffic filly held off the charging duo of Punchbowl and Julia Shining. Defining Purpose covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.31, returning $42.68 on a $2 bet as a 20-1 long shot.

Defining Purpose's reserve of $14,000 was not attained at a Keeneland sale in 2021. Now she has collected the winner’s share of the Ashland’s $600,000 purse and earned herself a spot in the starting gates for the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1).

“This is another one of those examples where you never know where a good horse comes from,” McPeek said. “Today, she ran a banger.”

Defining Purpose’s three starts prior to the Ashland all came at Oaklawn. She was third in January’s Martha Washington and then sixth Feb. 25 in the Honeybee Stakes (G3), two races won by Kentucky Oaks points leader Wet Paint.

“I think it flatters Wet Paint,” McPeek said. “I actually was in a mindset of avoiding Wet Paint because she whipped us a couple of times at Oaklawn. This was a shorter field and the one opportunity for a Grade 1.”

Effortlesslyelgant took the Ashland field through fractions of 23.62 seconds and 47.25 seconds through the first quarter-mile and half-mile. Defining Purpose stalked from second under jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.

Defining Purpose cleared the pace setter and turned from home with Punchbowl and Julia Shining (5-1) rallying behind her. The winner hit the wire – which was at the 16th pole due to the race’s 1 1/16-mile distance – a half-length clear of runner-up Punchbowl, who was a neck ahead of Julia Shining.

“She was there for me the whole way and she traveled like a winner the whole way around,” Hernandez said.

“I knew when I got to the quarter-pole on my own terms and my filly switched leads and she picked it up again, I knew it would be hard for them to run her down in the short stretch like that.”

McPeek’s wife, Sherri McPeek, campaigns Defining Purpose under the Magdalena Racing banner along with co-owners Collette Vanmatre and James Ball. Vanmatre also bred the filly.

Kenny McPeek has now won the Ashland Stakes three times. He previously scored in the race with Rosalind (2014) and Take Charge Lady (2002).

A race that McPeek has not won is the Kentucky Oaks. His champion Swiss Skydiver’s second-place finish in the 2020 Oaks – postponed four months due to COVID’s effects on the racing calendar – was sandwiched by wins in the Alabama Stakes (G1) and Preakness Stakes.

“I’d love to think we have a big chance,” McPeek said of the May 5 event. “I’ve had a case of Ricky Bobby at the Kentucky Oaks, second three times, which is a little frustrating.

“You can’t hit anything if you’re not in it. I think we’ve got a real chance. I think she’s going to come into it just right, fingers crossed.”

Second-through-fifth place finishers Punchbowl, Julia Shining, Guns n’ Graces and Effortlesslyelgant earned 40, 30, 20 and 10 points, respectively, toward the Kentucky Oaks starting gates.

Of those runners, only Julia Shining (46 points) for trainer Todd Pletcher would make the Oaks field. However, the full sister to champion mare Malathaat is 14th on the leaderboard, putting her on the bubble heading into a Saturday that includes major Oaks preps at Aqueduct and Santa Anita.

Punchbowl made her Oaks trail debut in the Ashland and is 16th on the leaderboard, putting her on the outside looking in.

“Unfortunately she had to wait to get out (of traffic),” jockey Flavien Prat said. “I couldn’t go by the winner. She made a good run.”

Wonder Wheel (12th place, 48 points) did not add to her Oaks points tally Friday, instead settling for sixth in the seven-horse field. She never threatened over a Keeneland track where she won the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last fall.