Three Year-old Season
At age three in France, Blushing John won the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau at Longchamp over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile) in April. He then duplicated that feat when he stepped up in class and won the Group One Poule d'Essai des Poulains, sometimes referred to as the French 2,000 Guineas. The Guineas, held in may was also at Longchamp over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile).
In the late summer of 1988 he was then sent to the United States to prepare for the first Saturday of November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Paulson opted to compete in the 1988 Breeders' Cup Mile. With his regular jockey Freddy Head riding stablemate Miesque, Blushing John was ridden by American jockey Pat Day. As a coupled entry Mesque and Blushing John went off at post time as the even money favorite. As the gates opened John was forced back into ninth in a field of twelve. At the halfway point in the race he was completely taken out of his game as an up close stalker and was placed in the back of the back. Around the far turn and into the stretch he was never in contention, the colt finished a very disappointing tenth place. Following the Breeders' Cup, Blushing John was freshened for the winter.
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