One thing’s for sure: Come Saturday’s Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, trainer Kenny McPeek won’t have any trouble finding his horses.
McPeek trainees Rattle N Roll and Smile Happy drew side-by-side posts — No. 9 for Rattle N Roll and No. 10 for Smile Happy — in the field of 12 for the $1 million Kentucky Derby prep race that will be televised on both TVG and NBC. Post time is scheduled for 5:10 p.m.
Rattle N Roll was a surprise entrant, given the winner of last year’s Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity raced just two weeks ago when he finished fourth in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds on March 26. He was reportedly also under consideration for the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes on April 16 at Keeneland.
Meanwhile, Blue Grass 9-5 favorite Smile Happy has not raced since finishing second in the Risen Star at the Fair Grounds on Feb. 19. It was Smile Happy’s only 2022 start after the colt won the Kentucky Jockey Club last year at Churchill Downs.
The Lexington-based McPeek has won the Blue Grass twice, in 2002 with Harlan’s Holiday and 2013 with Java’s War. He also trains 2022 Derby hopeful Tiz the Bomb, winner of last week’s Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway.
“It’s exciting to have two Derby contenders, and the others might check that box, too,” McPeek told Keeneland on Tuesday of Tiz the Bomb and Smile Happy. “It is an enviable position.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher will be looking for his fourth Blue Grass Stakes victory on Saturday with Emmanuel, who drew the No. 6 post, and Commandperformance, who drew the rail. Pletcher won his first Blue Grass in 2005 with Bandini, then repeated with Monba in 2008 and Carpe Diem in 2015.
Emmanuel finished fourth in the Fountain of Youth on March 5. Commandperformance ran second to another Blue Grass entrant, Fenwick, in a maiden special weight race March 12 at Tampa Bay Downs. That is Emmanuel’s only 2022 start after running fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November at Del Mar.
Two-time Blue Grass winner D. Wayne Lukas will be looking for his first win in the stakes since 2000, when he triumphed with High Yield. Lukas’ first Blue Grass win came with War in 1987. This year Lukas has entered Ethereal Road, who ran second in the Rebel Stakes on Feb. 26 at Oaklawn.
Trainer Chad Brown will be looking for his second Blue Grass win Saturday. The New York-based Brown won in 2018 with Good Magic. This year he has Zandon, who drew the No. 4 post. Zandon ran third in the Risen Star his last time out, after finishing second in the Remsen Stakes last December.
And don’t forget trainer Mike Maker, who won the 2010 Blue Grass with Stately Victor. This year, Maker has Grantham coming off a second-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby on March 12.
Saturday’s wild card is Blackadder, who won the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate on Feb. 12. The son of Quality Road was previously trained by Bob Baffert, whose horses were not eligible for Kentucky Derby qualifying points given Baffert’s two-year private property ban by Churchill Downs after Baffert’s Medina Spirit tested positive for a substance banned on race days after winning the 2021 Kentucky Derby.
On Monday, Baffert began serving a 90-day suspension handed down by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Thus Blackadder was moved into trainer Rodolphe Brissett’s barn in hopes of earning Derby points on Saturday. The Blue Grass winner earns 100 points, followed by 40 points for the second-place finisher, 20 for third and 10 for fourth.
Trainer Mark Casse will be going for his first Blue Grass win with a pair of entries. Volcanic drew the No. 5 post position while Golden Glider will depart from gate No. 7.
Volcanic ran third in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 12. He has won once in five career starts. Golden Glider ran fourth in the Tampa Bay Derby after a fifth-place finish in the Sam F. Davis. He’s won twice in four career starts.
Saturday
Toyota Blue Grass Stakes
What: $1 million Grade 1 stakes race for 3-year-olds on dirt, a major prep race for next month’s Kentucky Derby
Where: Keeneland Race Course
Post time: 5:10 p.m.
Distance: 1 1/8 miles
TV: NBC
Blue Grass Stakes field
Toyota Blue Grass Stakes post positions and odds:
1-Commandperformance (12-1)
2-Fenwick (20-1)
3-Trademark (30-1)
4-Zandon (5-2)
5-Volcanic (20-1)
6-Emmanuel (5-1)
7-Golden Glider (20-1)
8-Ethereal Road (15-1)
9-Rattle N Roll (8-1)
10-Smile Happy (9-5)
11-Blackadder (20-1)
12-Grantham (15-1)
