Blowout

2nd-Aqueduct, $84,000, Alw (NW2$X), Opt. Clm ($62,500), 4-21, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.02, fm, 1 length. YUKATA (IRE) (f, 4, Galileo {Ire}--Blue Kimono {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}), victorious in a Deauville all-weather maiden at first asking for Jean-Claude Rouget in November 2021, took a conditions race on the turf at ParisLongchamp last April before finishing third as the favorite in the Listed Prix Finlande at the same venue May 19. Well-beaten when last seen in the G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) last June, she was part of a...

Peter Brant owns some of the best mares in the world, some of which he keeps in Europe--at Coolmore in Ireland and Haras des Capucines in France--and some in America, at Claiborne Farm. We spent a fascinating half-hour on the phone with Brant going through his 2022 matings for some of his best mares. "I spend a lot of time doing this," he said. It shows. UNI (GB) (m, 8, More Than Ready--Unaided {GB}), by Dansili {GB}), to be bred to Frankel (GB) Uni is in foal to Kingman (GB),...

Peter Brant's Blowout (GB) (Dansili {GB} gave trainer Chad Brown his fourth consecutive victory in Keeneland's GI First Lady S., leading every step of the way to just stave off a final-furlong rally from the commonly owned 'TDN Rising Star' Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) to punch her ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar Nov. 6. Empress Josephine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire} x Lillie Langtry {Ire}) ran with merit to be third. Blowout was kicked straight into the lead by Flavien Prat from an outside...

The contingent behind MGISW Got Stormy (Get Stormy) has been carefully monitoring the weather this week as the 6-year-old turf specialist prepares for her third appearance in Saratoga's GI Fourstardave H. Possible scattered overnight thunderstorms leading up to Saturday's card could soften the turf more than the fan-favorite mare would prefer. "For a horse named Got Stormy, she doesn't like much rain," her recently inducted Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said. "If the turf gets soft on Saturday, a mile is stretching her distance ability. We'll see what happens,...

Chad Brown has won the last four renewals of Belmont's GI Longines Just a Game S. and has four chances to take him home his fifth Saturday. Leading the quartet is last out GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile heroine Blowout (GB) (Dansili {GB}). Prior to that victory, the bay missed by a neck in to Sweet Bye and Bye (Sky Mesa) in a Saratoga optional claimer last August and came up a neck short again in Belmont's GIII Noble Damsel S. in Septemer. She was defeated by a nose in...

After four straight tough beats, speedster Blowout opened up a big lead early and dug down late to belatedly make the grade. A two-time listed winner at three, Blowout was also either second or third that year--always beaten less than a length--in the GIII Florida Oaks, GIII Lake George S., GII Lake Placid S. and GIII Valley View S. Second again in a Saratoga allowance last August, the bay was beaten that margin by stablemate Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) in Belmont's GIII Noble Damsel S. Sept. 26, and by...

Tamahere (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) looks to become the first 3-year-old filly since Better Lucky (Ghostzapper) in 2012 to defeat older turf distaffers in what appears to be a loaded renewal of the GI Matriarch S. Sunday at Del Mar. One of three in the race for trainer Chad Brown--who won this in 2017 and 2018--the bay filly was twice a winner in seven French runs for Francois Rohaut, including a listed event at La Teste in June. She made an enormous impression when making her stateside debut in the...