Cross Traffic’s Defining Purpose draws post 11 in Kentucky Oaks 149
May 3, 2023
Grade 1 Ashland S. winner Defining Purpose was assigned post 11 when entries were drawn for Friday’s $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs.
The gray/roan daughter of Cross Traffic is coming into the 1 1/8-mile Oaks in peak form off her April 7th Ashland win, where she stalked the pace then took over in upper stretch and dug in gamely to get her first graded stakes victory.
Defining Purpose is familiar with Churchill Downs, having broken her maiden there in November by some six lengths. She wintered at Oaklawn Park, where she was a dominant winner of the Years End S. and was third in the Martha Washington S. Owned by Magdalena Racing, Collette Vanmatre and J. Ball, she has earned $543,688.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in (jockey) Brian Hernadez’s ability” said trainer Kenny McPeek after the draw. “He knows this filly. You can over coach these things and overthink them. We’re not going to do that. We’re just going to let it happen and I trust Brian’s judgement.”
Defining Purpose, bred by Vanmatre, is one of five stakes winners this year for Cross Traffic. His 3-year-old fillies Jill Jitterbug and Blind Spot ran 1-2 in last weekend’s Star Shoot S. at Woodbine.
The Oaks is race 11 on Friday, with a scheduled post time of 5:51 p.m. ET.