Kathmanblu returns in Sweetest Chant
The May 6 Kentucky Oaks (G1) remains a target for the Kenny McPeek-trained filly KATHMANBLU (Bluegrass Cat), who demonstrated a clear fondness for the Churchill Downs strip last time when romping home an 8 1/2-length winner of the Golden Rod S. (G2). She'll take an untraditional route to get the Oaks when returning to turf for her first prep in Saturday's $100,000 Sweetest Chant S., at Gulfstream Park over one mile.
A non-entity in her debut on dirt last summer, Kathmanblu's future looked to be on turf when breaking her maiden over that surface at Ellis Park in her second start. She improved rapidly enough to finish second in the P.G. Johnson S. at Saratoga next out and then won the Jessamine S. at Keeneland by four lengths. The latter heat set her up well for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2), and the filly responded with an encouraging performance at 7-1, rallying from 11th to finish third by two lengths despite a troubled trip.
The door on a dirt career can not be completely closed with a filly of Kathmanblu's caliber, so the Golden Rod was used to re-test her dirt ability. The bay passed with flying colors as the 6-5 favorite, dominating her opposition and completing the 1 1/16 miles in faster time than juvenile males ran in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) later in the program.
Julian Leparoux, who's ridden Kathmanblu since the Jessmine, retains the mount in the Sweetest Chant.