Kimari Rallies to Take Purple Martin Stakes
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Photo: Coady Photography
Kimari wins the Purple Martin Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Ten Broeck Farm's Kimari returned to the dirt April 4 at Oaklawn Park and rallied to take the $100,000 Purple Martin Stakes on a sloppy (sealed) track.
The 3-year-old Munnings filly last raced Nov. 1, finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T). That effort followed victories in the Indian Summer Stakes and the Bolton Landing Stakes. In her only other dirt start, she was a 15-length winner on debut a year ago at Keeneland. That effort led her to a runner-up finish, beaten only a head, in the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot.
Kimari began working on the dirt in early March, breezing two bullets at Gulfstream Park West, before she returned to Kentucky and worked on Turfway Park's synthetic track. She turned in another bullet on Keeneland's main track five days before the Purple Martin.
"I was really, really super confident going into this race," trainer Wesley Ward said. "I'm kind of a positive guy anyways, but after seeing those two works (at Gulfstream Park West), I knew it would take a really, really tough filly to beat her. Take nothing away from the others in there, but I was really confident."
Kimari broke from the rail in the six-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies and was off as the 5-2 third choice behind stakes winner and multiple grade 1-placed Frank's Rockette and last-out Oaklawn winner Edgeway. She first settled sixth of nine under jockey Channing Hill. Edgeway and jockey Tyler Baze led through fractions of :21.63 and :45.26, with Frank's Rockette, guided by Martin Garcia, following in second.
Frank's Rockette, only a head behind at the quarter pole, grabbed the lead in the stretch. Kimari, who was taken four wide by Hill, came splashing down the lane and continued to a 1 3/4-length win. The final time was 1:10.57.
"I'll be honest with you, at the top of the lane, I wasn't 100% sure how much horse I had, especially compared to how much (Garcia) had because Martin hadn't gotten after (Frank's Rockette) yet," Hill said. "Once I started reeling her in, and once my filly got to her, it was over from there. This filly has a lot of class. Obviously, she's got a ton of talent, but she also has the class to match."
"The owner (David Mowat of Ten Broeck Farm) and Ben McElroy, who bought her and manages her, they were a little apprehensive when we drew the one hole because she always gets away just a little slow," Ward said. "I kind of laid it all out there and assured them, 'Don't worry about anything.' I was a little nervous that I might have stuck my foot in my mouth, but thank God I didn't."
Frank's Rockette was second by a neck over Edgeway in third.
Kimari, a $152,000 Eaton Bloodstock purchase from Bluewater Sales in 2018 at The July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky yearling sale, has earned $351,646. She is the fourth 3-year-old by Munnings to win a stakes this year, following Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopefuls Bonny South, Finite, and Venetian Harbor. She was bred in Kentucky by China Horse Club International and is the second foal out of the grade 3-winning Cozzene mare Cozze Up Lady, who also has a 2-year-old colt by Exaggerator and a yearling colt by Quality Road .