Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
BLUE GRASS WILL DRAW BIG FIELD,
The names of about a dozen 3-year-olds are expected to be in the entry box at Keeneland on Wednesday, when entries are drawn for the Blue Grass Stakes, including five members of the current Top 20 in Daily Racing Form’s weekly Derby Watch.
Art Collector, Basin, Enforceable, Mr. Big News, and Shivaree all are expected for the Grade 2, $600,000 Blue Grass, which will be run Saturday for the 94th time. The 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass is a 100-40-20-10 points qualifier toward the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby.
Shivaree will be in from Gulfstream Park for Ralph Nicks, who spent much of his professional career in Kentucky prior to making Florida his main circuit several years ago. Shivaree was 80-1 when finishing second to Tiz the Law, the eventual Belmont Stakes winner and current Derby favorite, in the March 28 Florida Derby. The colt had his final pre-race breeze, going five furlongs in 1:01.60 on Saturday morning at Gulfstream.
“He’s a throwback horse, tough and durable,” Nicks said. “This is a pretty big ask, but he deserves a chance and we’re glad to give it to him.”
In addition to the Derby Watch group and the possibility of the star filly Swiss Skydiver being entered, these were the other confirmed Blue Grass runners as of Monday: Attachment Rate, Finnick the Fierce, Hard Lighting, Hunt the Front, Man in the Can, and Rushie. As many as 14 can start.
Hunt the Front, a one-time winner from seven starts, is trained by Nick Zito, a threetime Blue Grass winner with Strike the Gold (1990), Halory Hunter (1998), and The Cliff’s Edge (2004).
Aside from TVG, there is no network television coverage confirmed for the Blue Grass, marking the first time in many years the race will not be televised to a broader audience. In fact, the only scheduled network telecast during this meet is the Elkhorn on a twohour Sunday show (5-7 p.m. Eastern) on NBCSN.
Heady time for McPeek
While Kenny McPeek mulls which race is next for his leading 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver, the 57-year-old trainer is reveling in the flashy debuts turned in last weekend by Hard Strike and Crazy Beautiful. Both 2-year-olds were easy winners in one-mile maiden races over the Ellis Park turf course.
“Very, very encouraging,” McPeek said.
Meanwhile, McPeek was promising a last-minute decision Wednesday morning on whether Swiss Skydiver will be entered in the Blue Grass or Ashland, both to be run Saturday.
“I’d like to enter in both and wait even longer to make up my mind, but that’s not allowed,” said McPeek, who already has Envoutante confirmed for the Ashland. “I was told long ago by a very wise man, ‘Don’t make an important decision until you absolutely have to.’ ”
Swiss Skydiver is by far the top points earner toward the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks. She is a late nominee to the Triple Crown, so running in a Derby points qualifier such as the Blue Grass most likely will be needed if in fact McPeek wants to run her in the Derby.
According to track archives, only one filly has ever run in the Blue Grass since it was first run at Keeneland in 1937. Harriet Sue won the 1944 Ashland, then finished fifth to Skytracer in the Blue Grass at the same spring meet.
◗ Jockey Miguel Mena got started on his next thousand wins when prevailing aboard Royal Commission last Saturday at Ellis Park. Mena, 33, notched his 2,000th career victory Friday with Substantial for trainer Randy Morse.
After four programs last week, Ellis will resume its 25-day summer meet July 17 with three-day weekends through Aug. 30.
◗ Mitchell Road winning the Ellis Park Turf on Sunday was part of a huge Fourth of July weekend for Bill Mott. From seven overall winners in a twoday span, Mott won the Suburban with Tacitus, the Victory Ride with Frank’s Rockette, and the Iowa Derby (by disqualification) with Acre.
Mitchell Road, a 5-year-old half-sister to 2019 Kentucky Derby winner Country House, gave jockey Joe Talamo his first-ever Ellis win.