Two Eight Racing, Berry Family Racing and Kaleta Racing’s Flying Mohawk surged past favored Smokey Mandate passing the sixteenth pole to post a neck victory in the $140,000 Blandford Stud Purse for 4-year-olds and up Thursday afternoon at Keeneland. (Click here for a video of the race.)

Trained by Whit Beckman and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Flying Mohawk completed the 1 1/16 miles on a firm turf course in 1:41.60.

A Keeneland sales graduate, Flying Mohawk is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Karakontie (JPN) out of the Twirling Candy mare Bonbons Fleur. Flying Mohawk improved his record to 12-4-2-0 with all four victories coming on the grass. His earnings now total $416,645.

Flying Mohawk returned $24.28, $9.50 and $4.20. Anglophile rallied for second under Javier Castellano, returned $4.54 and $2.94 and finished a nose in front of Smokey Mandate, who paid $2.96 to show under Juan Hernandez.

Flying Mohawk and another starter in today’s featured race, Tiztastic, both raced in the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve.

Earlier on the Thursday program, 2024 Kentucky Derby starter Just a Touch made his grass debut a winning one by taking the fifth race for Qatar Racing and Marc Detampel. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., he is trained by Brad Cox.

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Racing continues Friday with a 10-race program highlighted by the $400,000 Baird Doubledogdare (G2) for fillies and mares going a mile and a sixteenth on the main track. First post time is 1 p.m. with the Baird Doubledogdare going as the ninth race with a 5:16 p.m. post time.