Kimari Invades New York Again for Gallant Bloom

Kimari will seek to double up on graded stakes scores this season when shipping back to New York for the 29th running of the $250,000 Gallant Bloom Stakes (G2) Sept. 25 for fillies and mares sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet. Owned by Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith, and Michael B. Tabor, Kimari was last seen capturing the Honorable Miss Handicap (G2) July 27 at Saratoga Race Course, where she collared 2020 Gallant Bloom winner Frank's Rockette to win by a half-length. Kimari, a 5-year-old Munnings chestnut trained by Wesley Ward, has displayed versatility in her 15 starts, including stakes triumphs over dirt and turf. Last year in her highest-level achievement, Kimari won the Madison Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. Initially targeting the Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) Oct. 8 at Keeneland, where Kimari is based, Ward decided to instead return to the Empire State for the Gallant Bloom, which provides more spacing leading into the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Keeneland. Ward spoke of his confidence heading into the Honorable Miss and added that jockey Joel Rosario appears to be the perfect pilot for his eight-time winning mare. "The filly was training great, and that's the thing with her, because she's so big. She was training so well, I was confident going into the race, especially with Rosario," Ward said. "That's who she seems to run the best for, and he rides her the best of anyone. He gives her a little break the first part of the race and eases her out with that big stride and lets the race come to him. I just thought she was going to run really big and it would take a good one to beat her and luckily, she got to the outside, did exactly what he wanted, and won it. She came out of the race really, really well so I'm looking forward to it." Rosario, a four-time winner aboard Kimari, will retain the mount from post 5. Kimari's field-best earnings lie just shy of the million-dollar mark with a bankroll of $981,327. Along with her eight victories, she has two seconds and two thirds. Frank Fletcher Racing Operations and Ten Strike Racing's Lady Rocket will return to the Big A for the first time since taking the Go for Wand Handicap (G3) in December for trainer Brad Cox. Second in last year's Gallant Bloom, the dual graded stakes-winning daughter of Tale of the Cat won the Chicago Stakes (G3) June 25 at Churchill Downs two starts back before an uncharacteristic sixth, beaten 13 lengths, in the Ballerina Handicap (G1) Aug. 28 at Saratoga. Finishing in the money in 12 of 15 starts, Lady Rocket has banked $707,088 in earnings. Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride from post 1. Other entrants in the short field include Mark T. Anderson's graded stakes-placed stakes winner Sterling Silver, Sanford Goldfarb, Alan Kahn, and Jorge Casal's restricted stakes winner Remain Anonymous, and Carlos Saavedra's Chilean-bred speedster Cheetara (CHI).