Defining Purpose gets her way in Indiana Oaks

Defining Purpose turned a perfect trip pressing a dawdling pace into a 1 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $200,000 Indiana Oaks on Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Sitting second as 54-1 shot Sandra D strolled through a half-mile in a pedestrian 49.06 seconds, Defining Purpose proceeded to throw down negative splits, going her fourth quarter mile in 23.82 seconds, and proved uncatchable. Odds-on favorite Taxed, suffering through a miserable trip, ran hard and closed well for second, but had much too much to do coming from last at the five-sixteenths pole.

“She got to the three-eighths on her own terms, and she was going to be tough to beat,” said winning rider Brian Hernandez.

Defining Purpose upset the Grade 1 Ashland on April 7 at Keeneland but came back less than four weeks later to finish seventh in the Kentucky Oaks. This was her first start since.

“If you space her races a little more, she does a little better doing that,” said Kenny McPeek, who trains Defining Purpose for Northern Farm.

Hernandez let Sandra D tow him into the far turn, Defining Purpose easily overtaking the leader after a tiny nudge from her rider. Defining Purpose came into the short Horseshoe Indianapolis homestretch still having barely been asked for run and responded with a good kick when Hernandez set her down. She ran 1 1/16 miles on a “good” track in 1:43.83 and paid $6.40 to win.

Taxed, the 4-5 favorite, was in trouble from the start, where Merlazza veered left leaving the gate, bumping Taxed, who was last into the first turn. Rafael Bejarano briefly sought a way out going into the bend, but was hemmed inside, and after racing several paths off the rail for much of the backstretch, Bejarano took Taxed back down to the fence going into the far turn. That meant Taxed once again had to come wide to find any room to operate, and with Defining Purpose finishing as fast as she did, Taxed had no chance. She finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of Lily Poo, who was third by a head over Merlazza.

Defining Purpose now is four-time winner from nine starts. Bred in Kentucky by Collette Marie VanMatre, the filly is by Cross Traffic out of Defining Hope, by Strong Hope.

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