Purely a Dream prevails in Bourbonette Oaks

Mar 25, 2017 Jennifer Caldwell/Brisnet.com

Living the Dream Racing 2015 LLC’s Purely a Dream was making her stakes bow in Saturday’s $100,000 Bourbonette Oaks (G3) at Turfway Park and proved best by two lengths under jockey Robby Albarado.

Trained by Kenny McPeek, the chestnut daughter earned 50 points toward a starting berth in the May 5 Kentucky Oaks (G1) but is currently not nominated to the 1 1/8-mile race.

The Bourbonette Oaks is part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series of points races and awaded 50-20-10-5 points the respective top four.

Awesome Boss just broke her maiden by 7 1/2 lengths last out in her seventh try and was also trying stakes rivals for the first time in this spot for McPeek. The bay miss rallied from last to complete the exacta for her trainer while taking home 20 points toward a starting berth in the Oaks. However, like her stablemate she is not nominated to the Oaks.

Darkwingsoverdubai followed in third to earn 10 points but suffered her first loss here after breaking her maiden and taking an allowance/optional claimer at Golden Gate Fields. She debuted in 19th on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard.

It was another 4 1/4 lengths back to Gilded Lily in fourth, who likewise saw the first blemish on her record after romping at Turfway in a maiden and allowance/optional claimer previously. She was awarded five points but is not nominated to the Oaks.

Purely a Dream improved her overall record to read 4-2-1-0 and has banked $105,952 in lifetime earnings. The Pure Prize filly finished second in her debut over Keeneland’s main track last October, than returned 20 days later to break her maiden by a neck on Keeneland’s turf course. The chestnut miss closed out her juvenile campaign with a well-beaten eighth going a mile on Churchill Downs’ dirt a month later, and was making her seasonal bow in the Bourbonette Oaks.

Bred in Kentucky by James Bredin, Purely a Dream is the first registered stakes winner out of the Bachelor Duke mare Yorksters Girl and comes from the same black-type rich female family as English and Irish highweight Alflora.

BOURBONETTE OAKS QUOTES

Robby Albarado, jockey Purely the Dream, winner

“She was a little hot in the post parade, which was a concern – she had been off a while. She galloped along the first turn, squeezed into contention and then made the lead. I just kept on going at that point. She held off some nice fillies. It’s funny how she was foaled on this day, the 25th (of March 2014).”

Jason Barkley, assistant trainer Delphinia, 11th as 9-5 favorite

“She got a lot of pressure from the horse on the outside (I’mluckysgirl), and they went too fast early. It was just a little too fast for her first time around two turns.”