Bluegrass Cat gets stakes winner with Kathmanblu

Kathmanblu earned a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IIT) when she came from off the pace to post a decisive four-length victory in the $150,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes Oct. 14 at Keeneland.
The 2-year-old daughter of Bluegrass Cat rallied from ninth after three-quarters, made her winning six-wide move rounding the turn, and drew off in the upper stretch en route to her win as the 2-1 favorite in a field of 11. Julien Leparoux rode the winner for trainer Ken McPeek, who won his second consecutive Jessamine.
The final time for 1 1/16 miles on firm turf was 1:44.01.
Kathmanblu is owned by Five D Thoroughbreds and Wind River Stables. She was bred in Kentucky by Five D Thoroughbreds and is out of the Devil’s Bag Abba Gold. The bay filly entered the race off a runner-up finish in the P. G. Johnson Stakes Sept. 1 at Saratoga. She broke her maiden at second asking July 17 on the Ellis Park turf course.
Kathmanblu has earned $122,206 from her four starts.
Lauren Byrd, with Garrett Gomez in the irons, finished second in the Jessamine, 2 1/4 lengths better than Cloneylass.
Accept set the pace under Victor Lebron, posting splits of :23.16, :47.92, and 1:13.81 before tiring to finish 10th.
Kathmanblu paid $6.60, $3.40, and $2.80. The exacta (11-10) returned $23, and the trifecta (11-10-1) was $227.20.