The Blue Grass is set for Saturday, with the Kentucky Derby prep race featuring the 100-40-20-10 points structure at Keeneland.
Post time for the race, the 10th on the card, is 3:23 p.m. PDT.
There are 14 horses going to post and it a second-rate prep race with a heavy favorite and what appears to be a lot of also rans.
In all honestly, this a travesty to have 170 points available. It would have been more appropriate to have this race worth 50-20-10-5
Let’s look at the top runners.
Vekoma (9/5, George Weaver trainer, Javier Castellano jockey): The huge favorite despite coming off a third-place finish in the Fountain of Youth. This an easier spot than the FOY and he does have a pair of first place finishes in his other starts. Picking up Castellano for the first time is also a positive.
Win Win Win (7/2, Michael Trombetta, Irad Ortiz): Five career starts, three wins, a second and a third. In his last start he was third in the Tampa Bay Derby behind two of the horses among the favorites in the Wood Memorial. He got wide heading for home and while he did rally to hit the board, he needed a better trip. Ortiz takes the mount again and that’s a good sign.
Signalman (5/1, Kenneth McPeak, Brian Hernandez): A well-beaten 7th in the Fountain of Youth, he too comes north seeking an easier spot. The FOY was his first start in three months so he may have needed one. He had some good races last year against some strong runners but has something to prove this year.
Somelikeithotbrown (10/1, Michael Maker, Tyler Gaffalione): He has won two straight and has hit the board in six of seven career starts, but other than a third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, the level of races has hardly been inspiring. The win in the last start, the Jeff Ruby Stakes at Turfway Park was against an average field at best.
Dream Maker (12/1, Mark Casse, Florent Geroux): This is your fifth favored on the morning line at 12/1. Had a bad bump at the start of the Tampa Bay Derby, never recovered and messed the bed finishing 10th. His only wins have come in an optional claimer and a maiden race. His three graded stakes have all produced off the board finishes.
So Alive (15/1, Todd Pletcher, Luis Saez): If anyone betting on this race knows how to read past performances, there is no way this horse goes off at 15-1. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him of as the second or third favorite. It’s not that he’s that good but rather I am not sold on anyone other than the favorite. He comes off a third in the Sam Davis at Tampa Bay Downs in early February and has been off since. He’s had a consistent series of works and does come out of the Pletcher barn which has to count for something here.
By Dennis Miller