Finishing fourth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) last out when missing third by just a neck, BLAME’s Explora made her first start back a winning one in Sunday’s Leslie’s Lady S. at Churchill Downs.
Racing as the second choice in the seven furlong dirt race, Explora was second out of the gate but quickly went to the lead. She was pressured throughout by Brooklyn Blonde but by the time they hit the stretch, that one started to retreat.
Race favorite On Time Girl made a late run to try and get to the winner but Explora proved too good and won by 1 ¼ lengths with the third placed Shilling 6 ¼ lengths behind Explora at the line.
This was the fifth win in nine starts for Explora, who has finished in the top two in eight of her nine starts for $1,259,415 in earnings. Trained by Bob Baffert for Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, Explora has also won the Oak Leaf S. (G2) and Honeybee S. (G3) among her four stakes wins with seconds in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Del Mar Debutante (G1).
Explora is one of five winners from five to race out of Collections Choice, who saw two of her other runners finish fourth in stakes. A winning Bernardini mare, Collections Choice is one of four winners out of the stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Model as well.
Bred by Mesingw Farm, Explora was a $350,000 purchase at last May’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale.
BLAME has had a strong year both in the sales ring and on the track with a runner in the Kentucky Oaks and two of his daughters having Preakness S. (G1) runners as well. BLAME has also seen his juveniles sell up for $400,000 in 2026.