Munnings’ Kimari Wins Purple Martin Stakes
Munnings’ dual-stakes winner Kimari (3f Munnings x Cozze Up Lady, by Cozzene) added a third stakes victory to her resume on Saturday with a win in the Purple Martin Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Breaking well in the six furlong affair, the Wesley Ward trainee settled in midpack behind Competitive Edge’s Edgeway, who was setting the pace a few lengths ahead of most of the field. While no one seemed overly keen to go after the leaders around the far turn, Kimari had no such qualms as she switched out a few paths to close the margin.
Kimari had plenty to do to reach the dueling leaders but found another gear down the stretch to fly past them in the final sixteenth and win by 1 3/4 lengths with Edgeway in third.
“I was really, really super confident going into this race,” Ward said. “I'm kind of a positive guy, anyways, but after seeing those two works (in March at Gulfstream Park West), I knew it would take a really, really tough filly to beat her. Take nothing away from the others in there, but I was really confident."
The third winner on the day at Oaklawn Park for Munnings, Kimari extended her record to four wins in six career starts with a close fourth in the Grade II Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint to American Pharoah’s Four Wheel Drive her only off-the-board finish.
Kimari has raced exclusively in stakes races since breaking her maiden at Keeneland on debut with a second place finish in the Group II Queen Mary in her second start kicking off her run. Returning to the United States after that finish, she followed it up with victories in the Listed Bolton Landing Stakes and Indian Summer Stakes.
A $152,000 purchase by Eaton Bloodstock from the Bluewater Sales consignment at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale, Kimari races for Ten Broeck Farm. A China Horse Club-bred, the filly is the second foal out of Grade III winner and Grade II-placed Cozze Up Lady. Cozze Up Lady herself is out of a winning half-sister to the dam of Group I winner Giant Killing and Group II winner Ganges.
Kimari is one of 39 stakes winners for her sire with Munnings siring seven stakes winners and 10 stakes horses in 2020, led by a trio of Grade II winning fillies.