“That’s Not Her Game”: After Winning Popular Grade 3 Stakes, Equestrian Trainer Worth $110,058,398 Goes Candid on Horse’s Future

Horses are the focal point of equestrian competitions. In competition, they gain notoriety and financial rewards from wagers, providing a bountiful harvest for their jockeys and trainers. The Indiana Oaks, a Grade 3 event, was one of several held in the United States on Saturday. Defining Purpose, a three-year-old filly, won this $200,000 race and stunned everybody, as she was also the winner of the Ashland Stakes (Gr.1) on April 7, 2023. Trainer Kenneth McPeek believes in the horse’s potential; therefore, this is a major win.

Kenneth McPeek is a household name in the horse racing industry thanks to his $110,315,825 in lifetime profits as a trainer. The filly’s performance was precisely what her trainer was hoping for in this type of competition, which is why he enjoys it so much. With this victory, her trainer has indicated that the horse will have additional opportunities to compete in races.

A nail-biting equestrian race

On Saturday, at Horseshoe Indianapolis, the Indiana Oaks race was a nail-biter. Even though it was just a Grade 3 event, several horses used it as a test of their mettle. As the field rounded the first bend of the 1 1/16-mile course, the 54-1 longshot Sandra D was in the lead, while Cloak of Mercy fell to third as Defining Purpose picked up the pace and battled Flamand for second. Defining Purpose passed Sandra D for the lead on the last bend and sped on to the finish line, leaving the other horses in her dust. Defining Purpose finished the 1 1/16-mile run in 1:43.83, making trainer Kenneth McPeek the most delighted spectator.

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In a report by Paulick Report, following his second victory in the Indiana Oaks at Horseshoe Indianapolis, trainer Kenny McPeek said, “I think the spacing is a big deal for her.” Since the Kentucky Oaks on May 5, the horse has been in training instead of competing. McPeek, a veteran trainer, thinks this is a major reason why she was so successful in the Grade 3 event. McPeek also said that “running” is his favorite activity for his horses, but that “that’s not her game” for the three-year-old filly. The trainer is “impressed with her” performance and is eager to run the horse in a Grade 1 stakes race.

The filly’s latest success means she will be trained for Grade 1 races in the future, adding to her already impressive resume.

More to come from an already successful career

The three-year-old filly won the Maiden Special Weight race for the first time in 2022. Next, on the final day of 2022, she triumphed in the Year’s End Stakes (Black Type). She ran poorly in the 2023 Honeybee Stakes (Gr. 3) and ended up in sixth place. But on May 5 at Keeneland’s Central Bank Ashland Stakes (Gr. 1), the filly showed her mettle and won the prestigious event.

After finishing seventh in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (Gr. 1) at Churchill Downs, she was put on a training schedule that excluded her from several events. That preparation and recovery, however, led to her victory in the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks race, expanding the horse’s future prospects.

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