Meaning and Brooklyn Blonde are both headed to Churchill Downs for potential starts in the May 1st Kentucky Oaks (G1) after their one-two finish in Saturday’s Santa Anita Oaks (G2).
The two Gun Runner fillies were nearly 14 lengths clear of the rest of the field on Saturday, with Meaning getting the best of her stablemate by two lengths.
With French Blue carving out the early fractions, Meaning, on the inside, and Brooklyn Blonde raced side-by-side down the backstretch. Going into the final turn, Brooklyn Blonde had clear run at the leaders and surged to the front with a quarter-mile to run. Meanwhile, Meaning had to check midway on the turn and ultimately went four-wide coming into the stretch. Meaning’s experience and class prevailed in the final furlong as she edged away from a very game Brooklyn Blonde.
“I’m proud of both of these fillies. I felt good in the stretch, but I felt a lot better after crossing the line,” said trainer Mike McCarthy. “I was thinking about the demanding side of this track today. We’ll get them both to Churchill (for the Oaks) and prepare from there.”
Owned by Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Meaning is 3-0-0 in four starts and has earned $307,000. Bred in Kentucky by Stonehaven Steadings, Meaning is the first foal out of stakes-placed Figure of Speech.
Meaning’s owners purchased her for $440,000 out of the 2024 Keeneland September sale.
