A full field of 13 horses has been entered for the 96th running of the $600,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2) for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on Keeneland's main track, rescheduled to this Saturday, July 11.
A major steppingstone for the $3 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve to be run Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs, the Toyota Blue Grass offers 170 points toward qualification to this year's Derby with 100 points going to the winner, 40 to the runner-up, 20 to third place and 10 points to fourth. The Derby is limited to the top 20 point earners that pass the entry box.
This year's Toyota Blue Grass, which marks the 25th year the race has been sponsored by Toyota, will go as the ninth race on Saturday's 10-race program with a 5:30 p.m. ET post time. First post for the card that features six graded stakes is 1:05 p.m.
The major storyline in the Blue Grass belongs to sophomore filly Swiss Skydiver, winner of her last three starts and current leader on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks points leaderboard. Trainer Ken McPeek will saddle the daughter of Daredevil as just the second female to start in Keeneland's major Kentucky Derby prep since its inception in 1937.
Another accomplished runner in the field is Jackpot Farm's Basin. Winner of the
Runhappy Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga and most recently second in a division of the Arkansas Derby (G1), Basin ranks ninth on the Derby leaderboard with 50 points.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Basin will be ridden Saturday by Ricardo Santana Jr. and break from post position eight.
“He is fit, ready to go,” said Ryne Poncik of Jackpot Farm. “This nine weeks since the Arkansas Derby (G1) has really helped him. The Arkansas Derby really took a lot out of him trying to keep up with Charlatan all the way around there. So, on these nine weeks he got good weight and he's really looking good.
“It sounds like to me that Shivaree might go and Swiss (Skydiver) will go and then we'll go right with Swiss. Hopefully us and Swiss can get over before the turn and it looks like most everyone on the inside will be coming from far out. So it looks like we'll maybe be 3-wide if I had to guess but it looks like we'll be in the clear. We'll be forwardly placed for sure.”
Invading from California is Jim and Donna Daniell's Rushie. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Rushie finished third in last month's Santa Anita Derby (G1) in his stakes debut to gain 20 Derby points. Javier Castellano, who won last year's running on Vekoma, has the mount and will break from post position 10.
Also looking to add to his Derby points total is John Oxley's Enforceable. Winner of the Lecomte (G3) and runner-up in the Risen Star (G2), Enforceable is trained by Mark Casse and will be ridden by Joel Rosario. Enforceable is 14th on the Derby leaderboard with 33 points.
Rosario is seeking his second Toyota Blue Grass victory to go with the triumph in 2011 on Brilliant Speed. Enforceable, third in last fall's Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1), will break from post 12.
“(The post is) not as important with him,” Casse said. “It's not going to affect us as much because we're not going to the lead. It actually could be to our benefit in that he tends to break a little slow. But if he happens to break a little better, it will let (jockey) Joel (Rosario) find his spot. When you're down inside and you break a little slow, you're at everyone's mercy because they come down on top of you. Plus it's 1 1/8 miles so we have a little more run into the first turn.”
Seeking his initial Derby points is Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector. Trained by Tom Drury, Art Collector enters Saturday's race off two allowance victories at Churchill Downs this year by a combined 9 ¾ lengths. Brian Hernandez Jr. has the mount and will break from post position three.
“I'd sure rather be in post three than 13,” Drury said. “He is doing good. He has had to earn his way into this spot. There was a question if he really wants to go two turns, but he checked that box and did it maybe with an exclamation point. He drew away at the end and had his ears up while galloping out afterwards. It is time to jump in to the deep end of the pool and see how he stacks up against this kind (of competition). He will ship from Skylight (training center in Goshen, Kentucky) the morning of the race.”
In addition to McPeek, who won the Toyota Blue Grass with Harlan's Holiday in 2002 and Java's War in 2013, three other trainers will try to add to their win totals in the race.
Nick Zito, whose Blue Grass victories came with Strike the Gold (1991), Halory Hunter (1998) and The Cliff's Edge (2004), will saddle Dream Walkin Farms' Hunt the Front. A maiden winner at Oaklawn, Hunt the Front will be ridden by Corey Lanerie and break from post 11.
Dale Romans, a two-time Blue Grass winner with Dullahan (2012) and Brody's Cause (2016), will send out graded stakes-placed Attachment Rate. Owned by Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister, Attachment Rate will be ridden by Luis Saez and break from post nine. Saez won the 2016 Blue Grass for Romans on Brody's Cause.
Bill Mott, who won the Toyota Blue Grass in 1984 with Taylor's Special, will send out LNJ Foxwoods and NK Racing's maiden winner Tiesto. Flavien Prat has the mount and will break from post 13.
Three other riders with previous wins – John Velazquez, Rafael Bejarano and Jose Ortiz – will be seeking additional Toyota Blue Grass victories.
Velazquez, who rode Bandini in 2005 and Carpe Diem in 2015 to victory for Todd Pletcher, has the call on Jacks or Better Farm's Shivaree, who will break from the rail.
Bejarano, who won the Toyota Blue Grass in 2007 aboard Dominican, has the call on Partner Stable's Hard Lighting who will break from post six. Ortiz, who took the 2018 race on champion Good Magic, will be aboard Arnaldo Monge and trainer Rey Hernandez's Finnick the Fierce and break from post two.
The field for the Toyota Blue Grass, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Shivaree (Velazquez, 123 pounds), Finnick the Fierce (Ortiz, 123), Art Collector (Hernandez Jr., 123), Mr. Big News (Mitchell Murrill, 123), Man in the Can (Tyler Gaffalione, 123), Hard Lighting (Bejarano, 123), Swiss Skydiver (Smith, 118), Basin (Santana Jr., 123), Attachment Rate (Saez, 123), Rushie (Castellano, 123), Hunt the Front (Lanerie, 123), Enforceable (Rosario, 123), Tiesto (Prat, 123).
TOYOTA BLUE GRASS POST POSITION DRAW QUOTES
Bret Calhoun, trainer of Mr. Big News (post 4; Mitchell Murrill to ride)
“That's probably a really good draw for us. You don't have to worry about trying to get over. We're already somewhat in a ground-saving position but we're not on the fence, which I didn't want to be. It's probably ideal. If they had let me just the pluck the number out on my own I probably would have picked somewhere around 6 or so. We're not going to be up in the mix early, we're going to be back off the pace so we should be in a good spot.”
On Swiss Skydiver impacting the pace scenario
“I think so, I think the more speed in there, the better it is for us and obviously she has been running up front. There are 2-3 other horses in there who have been running up on the pace so that's all beneficial for us.”
“A lot of people aren't going to believe in him, they think that (win in the April 11 Oaklawn Stakes) was basically a fluke. So yeah, he's got to prove it to everybody. You know, we're seeing him in the mornings, he's proven to us in the afternoons, this is another step forward, and he's a really royal-bred horse and I think he's going to prove himself.”
Ron Moquett, trainer of Man in the Can (post 5; Tyler Gaffalione to ride)
“He has enough tactical speed, so we can be where we need to be (from post five). We'll let the rider do what he is supposed to do and that is make good decisions. He is coming into this race very good. He's been at Keeneland and has worked over the track. The way he has been developing, the Blue Grass is a great test to see how good he is. His races indicate that he is willing to try against better competition.”
Ralph Nicks, trainer of Shivaree (post 1; John Velazquez to ride)
“He will probably be forced to go on with the pace a little bit from the one post, but it is what it is. He arrived at Keeneland Wednesday morning and he made the trip fine. (We picked the Blue Grass) because of the timing and it is easy to get there. Plus there are some big races at Keeneland this fall. This will give him a trip over the track and see how he does. It just made sense. It felt like a good spot.”
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