Todd Pletcher’s bolter Danza sent shock waves through the big crowd at Oaklawn Park when he rolled to victory at odds of 41-1 in the $1 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday.

Pletcher sent the son of Street Boss from Florida for just the colt's fourth lifetime start for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

The victory qualifies Danza for a slot in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May as he now ranks sixth on the qualifying leaderboard with 100 points.

Jockey Joe Bravo had Danza prominently placed saving ground and the winner responded when asked to exploit an opening along the inside at the top of the lane.

Danza drew clear through the long Oaklawn stretch as neither of the favorites Bayern or Tapiture could raise a challenge.

The previously unbeaten Bayern, who led most of the way before relinquishing the advantage to Danza, was tagged late for second by Ride On Curlin.

The well-regarded Bob Baffert trainee is now unlikely to advance to the Kentucky Derby under the point system used by Churchill to determine the 20-horse starting field.

Southwest Stakes winner Tapiture finished fourth in the field of eight sophomores.

Danza was a close third in the Saratoga Special last summer at Saratoga and was third in his only other start since that race, a first-level allowance/optional claiming event at Gulfstream Park.

• AT Oaklawn Park on Saturday Will Take Charge notched his first victory of the season in the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap surviving multiple claims of foul and a lengthy inquiry.

The 3-year-old champion of 2013 leaned in on second choice Golden Lad and jockey Gary Stevens turning for home in the 1 1/8-mile event before drawing clear by about a length.

His regular rider, Luis Saez, had to argue against claims from both Stevens and Mike Smith, after Smith and Revolutionary swung out to finish second.

Golden Lad, winner of the Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn, wound up next-to-last in the six-horse field following the incident.

However the result stood, securing Will Take Charge's third stakes score at Oaklawn for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Last year the flashy chestnut finished won the Smarty Jones Stakes and Rebel Stakes) en route to wins in the Travers Stakes, Pennsylvania Derby and Clark Handicap to clinch his championship title as well as a runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic by a nose.

Now owned in partnership with Three Chimneys, Will Take Charge improved his record to seven wins and five seconds from 18 starts for earnings of $3,665,148.