Defining Purpose

Defining Purpose did not show much in her career debut when unplaced at Keeneland in October 2022, but it proved a good learning experience as she romped by six lengths as the heavy favorite four weeks later in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs.

The gray or roan filly by Cross Traffic next made her stakes debut in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill nine days later and ran fifth. She closed her juvenile season with a 5 ¼-length win as the 2-1 favorite in the Year’s End Stakes at one mile at Oaklawn Park.

Defining Purpose made her next two starts on “off” tracks in key stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn. She finished third on a wet-fast track in the Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 28 and then ran sixth, beaten by five lengths, in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes Feb. 25.

The main track was dry and fast in the Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes April 7 on opening day of the Keeneland spring meet for Defining Purpose’s next race and it proved a recipe for success as she stalked the pace from third, opened a clear lead in the stretch, and held-off  favorite Punchbowl by a half-length to punch her ticket to the Longines Kentucky Oaks with a 20-1 upset. in her subsequent start, Defining Purpose finished seventh in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 5.

Defining Purpose made her next start two months later when she resurfaced in the Grade 3 $200,000 Indiana Oaks at Horseshoe Indianapolis on July 8 where she came out on top of a field of seven 3-year-old fillies to win by 1 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:43.83 for the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track.

Multiple stakes winner Defining Hope, by Strong Hope, is the dam (mother) of Defining Purpose.