Dansili's daughter Blowout proves the First Lady at Keeneland

Blowout, another pricey European import for Peter Brant's White Birch Farm, put a few famous names back in lights with her front-running victory in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday.

Trained by Chad Brown, the five-year-old was the second highest priced of an illustrious dispersal by the Wildenstein family at Goffs in 2016, when she was sold as a foal for €450,000.

Brant had also invested heavily in the Wildenstein breeding stock offered that year and bought Blowout's dam, the French Guineas winner Beauty Parlour, for €1,600,000.

Blowout was the Deep Impact mare's first stakes scorer and rose to Grade 2 company in May when taking the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes. She dug deep here for Flavien Prat to repel another Brant and Brown trainee Regal Glory (a $925,000 signing at Keeneland in January from a dispersal by the late Paul Pompa) by half a length.

Aidan O'Brien's Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Empress Josephine was third, with regular Godolphin visitor Althiqa coming from a tricky passage for fourth.

The winner is another reminder of the talent of her sire, Dansili, who was pensioned by Juddmonte in 2018 after producing a string of stars such as Harbinger, The Fugue and Flintshire.

“As usual she showed a lot of speed out of the gate, and I was able to get myself comfortable on the lead where I didn’t have too much pressure," said Prat.

"She relaxed well down the backside. She fought really hard down the lane because she lost the lead for a little bit, but she dug in and fought back and really made a great stretch run.”

Baldo Hernandez, Brown's assistant, added: “She’s a really special filly for us, for my boss, Chad Brown. She does everything we ask. She’s improving a lot.

"She came here to Keeneland and gave a really good performance. She’s as good as she can be. She tries every time she runs.”

Over at Belmont, Brown also provided Coolmore stalwart Holy Roman Emperor with a 14th worldwide Group or Grade 1 winner in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

Bred by Haras du Mezeray, Rockemperor was once bought at the Arqana breeze-up for just €12,000 by Simone Brogi, who ran him in the 2019 Prix du Jockey Club before a private transfer to America. Another of Brant and Brown's European recruits, the Kingman entire Serve The King, was second.

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