'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Explora (Blame) returned to her winning ways on Sunday with a confident victory in the Leslie's Lady Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Off here at even-money, Explora found herself in a familiar position at the head of affairs, but had persistent company in Brooklyn Blonde (Gun Runner) through an opening quarter in :22.72 and a half-mile in :45.07. Turning that one away heading for home, Explora dug deep to fend off an oncoming rush from On Time Girl, but kept her at bay by a length. Shilling came on late to claim third.
Baffert said after the race that Explora's likely next target would be the GI Test Stakes.
After earning a Rising Star victory at Del Mar last summer, Explora returned to finish second behind stablemate Bottle of Rouge (Vino Rosso) in the GI Del Mar Debutante in September. A 4 1/2-length winner GII Oak Leaf at Santa Anita on Oct. 4, she came up just 3/4 of a length short in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on Oct. 31.
In her seasonal opener, she ran off to a convincing 5 1/4-length score in the seven-furlong Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita before coming up 1 1/2 lengths short to Meaning (Gun Runner) in the one-mile Las Virgenes Stakes on Feb. 8. Back on top in Oaklawn's GIII Honeybee Stakes on Mar. 1, she showed early speed but ultimately finished 2 1/2 lengths behind winner Always a Runner (Gun Runner) in the GI Kentucky Oaks.
With Explora in utero, Mesingw Farm secured Collections Choice for $24,000 at Keeneland November in 2022 before selling the mare–in foal to a colt by Beau Liam–for $24,000 at that venue in 2024. A $22,000 Keeneland September yearling, Explora flourished into a $350,000 Fasig-Tipton spring juvenile.
LESLIE'S LADY S., $225,000, Churchill Downs, 6-7, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:21.16, ft.
1–EXPLORA, 122, f, 3, by Blame
1st Dam: Collections Choice, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Model, by Giant's Causeway
3rd Dam: Snowfire (GB), by Machiavellian
TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard ($22,000 Ylg '24
KEESEP; $350,000 2yo '25 EASMAY). O-Pegram, Michael E.,
Watson, Karl and Weitman, Paul; B-Mesingw Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Bob Baffert; J-Florent Geroux. $137,415. Lifetime Record:
9-5-3-0, $1,259,415.
2–On Time Girl, 122, f, 3, Not This Time–Girl Daddy, by Uncle
Mo. ($375,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family Stables,
LLC; B-Albaugh Family Stables LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $44,650.
3–Shilling, 118, f, 3, Global Campaign–Pounds to Pennies, by
Exchange Rate. ($105,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Fern Circle
Stables; B-Joe B. Mulholland Jr. & John P. Mulholland (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $22,325.
Margins: 1 1/4, 5, 2HF. Odds: 1.03, 0.96, 48.43.
Also Ran: Brooklyn Blonde, A Fine Chardonnay, Have Faith. Scratched: Sneaky Good.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
digs in down the lane to turn back the challenge by ON TIME GIRL to win the Leslie's Lady Stakes @ChurchillDowns
Jockey @flothejock was up for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/ybexvvTNC8
— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) June 7, 2026
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