LEA’s biggest crop to date continues to impress after 2-year-old Poppy Flower ran away with a Belmont Park Maiden Special Weight against males on Sunday.
The Wesley Ward-trained filly shot straight to the lead in the six furlong turf race and opened up a length on her stablemate Riot House. As they entered the midpoint on the turn, Riot House made a move to challenge but Poppy Flower fended him off for a furlong before starting to pull away.
In the final eighth, she waved good-bye to Riot House and merrily galloped away to a two length victory after a pair of seconds to kick off her career.
Poppy Flower is owned by Arnmore Thoroughbreds and was bred by Brenda Harding and Megan Jones out of the stakes-placed Nisharora. That mare is a granddaughter of Prix de Diane (G1) winner Lypharita, whose has multiple stakes producers under her name.
This is also the family of world traveling Group 2 winner Dandino and Prix du Conseil de Paris (G2) winner Blushing Risk.
LEA now has 75% winners from 2-year-old starters with Kavod leading the charge after his close second in the Tremont S. earlier this month. His biggest crop and one of his best-bred crops, LEA has 89 juveniles to represent him this year.
With 75% of his juvenile runners finishing in the money this season, LEA also has the second highest average juvenile earnings of any Kentucky stallion with more than one runner behind only Speightstown.