Kathmanblu takes flight in Sweetest Chant

KATHMANBLU (Bluegrass Cat) burst onto the radar last year with a

four-length romp in the grassy Jessamine S. at Keeneland, then found

herself in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) spotlight when dominating the Golden

Rod S. (G2) under the Twin Spires by 8 1/2 lengths. On Saturday, the

Kenny McPeek trainee gave notice she's carried her two-year-old form

into the New Year when recording a 1 1/4-length victory in the $100,000

Sweetest Chant S. at Gulfstream Park.

Kathmanblu returned to the turf for her three-year-old bow, and found

herself racing over ground rated as good at the Hallandale, Florida,

venue. The bay lass settled in midpack as War Prospector (War Front)

drew off by as much as eight lengths on the backstretch while posting

fractions of :23 1/5, :47 1/5 and 1:13. Jockey Julien Leparoux never

panicked on the heavy 1-2 favorite, instead allowing his mount to find

her own way before angling her out for the stretch run.

Coming three wide round the turn, Kathmanblu hooked up with Excited

(Giant's Causeway) at the head of the lane. The pair duked it out for a

moment before Kathmanblu asserted her class and began drawing off.

While Excited easily beat out the dead-heating pair of Nina Fever

(Borrego) and Holidaysatthefarm (Smarty Jones) by 10 3/4 lengths, she

was no match for the winner, who crossed under the wire 1 1/4 lengths

clear in a final time of 1:39 for the mile test.

Bellaridge (Cactus Ridge) was a length behind the dead-heating duo and next

came War Prospector and Michelle's Trip (Trippi), who also finished in tandem on

the wire. Tiger Girl (Hold That Tiger) brought up the rear of the field with

Greatest Dream (Greatness) withdrawing as a main-track only entrant.

In addition to taking the Golden Rod and Jessamine, Kathmanblu also ran third

in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2) and P. G. Johnson S.

While she began her racing career on the dirt at Churchill Downs, the filly

didn't actually break her maiden until trying the turf next out at Ellis Park.

Her turf line now reads 5-3-1-1, and her overall record stands at 7-4-1-1,

$380,731.

"That's the last time you'll see her on turf for a while at least,"

McPeek said while discussing his charge's upcoming schedule. "I want to run her in

a two-turn (dirt) race sometime in February someplace.

"Unfortunately,

there isn't a race for her at Gulfstream on that schedule, so we'll

probably look at a race at Oaklawn or Fair Grounds. We'll nominate to

the (April 2) Gulfstream Oaks (G2), but several of the owners are from

Lexington (Kentucky), so the (April 9) Ashland (G1) at Keeneland is

another option for her final race before the (Kentucky) Oaks (G1)."