Saturday’s $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland has drawn an overflow field for its 90th renewal with all entrants hoping to earn a place in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3.
The Blue Grass is worth 170 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby, with 100 points to the winner.
Bobby's Kitten, the third Derby hopeful for Ken and Sarah Ramsey this year, is the morning line favourite. Ramsey also has Louisiana Derby winner Vicar's In Trouble and Spiral Stakes winner We Miss Artie already on the Derby leaderboard.
"We've got a dirt horse, a synthetic horse, and a turf horse," Ramsey said.
"So hopefully whatever conditions develop at Churchill Downs on Derby day, one of them will like it and win."
Bobby's Kitten, a 3-year-old son of Kitten's Joy , comes off a one-mile turf allowance win going wire-to-wire March 8 at Tampa Bay Downs.
It was the colt's first start for trainer Chad Brown since a third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Park.
The 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass will be his Polytrack debut after making all five of his previous starts on grass. Javier Castellano gets the mount from post 5.
"I'd like him to settle down and try to be behind a couple horses. We can't win the Kentucky Derby on the front end, so he needs to get some dirt kicked in his face," Ramsey said.
"Hopefully we'll run first or second so we get enough points to get in the Derby."
Trainer Dale Romans goes old school with Spendthrift Farm's recent Transylvania Stakes winner Medal Count, who aced an off-the-turf edition of that 1 1/16-mile test April 4 with a brilliant rail-skimming move under Robby Albarado.
That rider returns from the 13 hole aboard the son of Dynaformer, the second choice on the morning line.
"He ran well, he had an easy trip, he really only ran the last quarter of a mile," Romans said of Medal Count's effort in the Transylvania.
"He was really impressive and I've been a big fan of this horse since the beginning.
“He's always had the natural ability, but mentally he needed to put it together. He started coming around in Florida and the race we saw the other day was what we've been waiting for. “
“I think he'll run all day.”
California shipper Dance With Fate drew post 8. The son of Two Step Salsa was second to Tamarando in the El Camino Real Derby last time out and earlier in his career finished second in both the Del Mar Futurity and the Front Runner Stakes.
"I think a lot of good, good horses are coming out of California," said Peter Eurton, who trains Dance With Fate.
”The Blue Grass has always been part of the plan because he's run so well on synthetic."
John Oxley's Coastline broke his maiden at Keeneland going seven furlongs on the Polytrack last October, and returned to a Polytrack surface for the first time since then with a tough-beat third in the Spiral at Turfway Park behind Blue Grass contender Harry's Holiday.
Earlier this year he ran third in the Smarty Jones Stakes and fourth in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
"That 's one of the reasons we're here," trainer Mark Casse said of the Speightstown colt's preference for the synthetic track.
"I thought his Spiral race was good, and in the last couple weeks I think he's gotten better and better.
"He's one for one at this racetrack and hopefully we'll make it two for two.”
Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Vinceremos will make his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher since his second to Ring Weekend in the Tampa Bay Derby.
The son of Pioneerof the Nile tries a synthetic track for the first time from post 12 under Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado.
Also in the field are Asserting Bear and Big Bazinga, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Spiral last out; Delta Jackpot and Hopeful Stakes runner-up Casiguapo; Tampa Bay Derby ninth Coltimus Prime; and Laurel Park stakes winner Extrasexyhippzster, eighth in the Gotham Stakes in his most recent start.
Rounding out the group are Palm Beach Stakes winner Gala Award; allowance winner Pablo Del Monte coming off a third in the Hutcheson Stakes; minor stakes winner So Lonesome; and Divine Oath.
$750,000 Blue Grass Stakes
1 1/8 miles; All weather trackPP, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds
1. Asserting Bear, E. Wilson, R Baker, 15-12. Extrasexyhippzster, J. Pimentel, M Trombetta, 15-1
3. Pablo Del Monte, V. Espinoza, W A Ward, 12-14. Harry's Holiday, R. Napravnik, M Maker, 10-1
5. Bobby's Kitten, J. Castellano, C C Brown, 3-16. Coltimus Prime, A. Garcia, J Nixon, 20-1
7. Casiguapo, R. Maragh, M Morales, 30-18. Dance With Fate, C. Nakatani, P Eurton, 12-1
9. Big Bazinga, B. Hernandez, Jr., K Vassilieva, 20-110. So Lonesome, J.Rocco, Jr., T M Bush, 50-1
11. Coastline, S. Elliott, M E Casse, 8-112. Vinceremos, E. Prado, T A Pletcher, 8-1
13. Medal Count, R. Albarado, D L Romans, 9-214. Gala Award, J. Velazquez, T A Pletcher, 5-1
AE Divine Oath, J. Leparoux, T A Pletcher, 12-1All assigned 123 pounds.
