Art Collector may start once at Ellis Park prior to Derby

Art Collector is back in the quiet environs of the Skylight training center just east of Louisville, Ky., as his hometown connections ponder what will come next for a colt whose emphatic triumph Saturday in the Blue Grass Stakes has made him a major contender for the 146th Kentucky Derby.

Art Collector earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure in winning the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., by 3 1/4 lengths over the standout filly Swiss Skydiver. It was the third smashing victory in as many starts this year for the Bernardini colt whose 48-yearold trainer, Tommy Drury, had never before won a graded stakes in 30 years of training.

“It was a pretty special day,” Drury said in understatement.

Art Collector, bred and owned by Louisville healthcare tycoon Bruce Lunsford, might have one more race prior to the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, depending on myriad factors, said Drury, adding it would come in the Aug. 9 Ellis Park Derby. The colt needs no more Derby qualifying points, having collected 100 with his Blue Grass win.

Getting a perfect trip under Brian Hernandez Jr., Art Collector collared Swiss Skydiver at the top of the stretch before drawing off late in a stellar performance. The effort validated his prior race, a June 13 Churchill Downs allowance in which he earned a 100 Beyer.

Drury said Art Collector most likely would remain at Skylight until about two weeks before the Kentucky Derby, regardless of whether or not he races in the interim.

Meanwhile, trainer Kenny

McPeek left little doubt that Swiss Skydiver will return to filly-only races, saying she possibly could run in the Aug. 15 Alabama at Saratoga prior to the Kentucky Oaks. Swiss Skydiver is by far the points leader for the Sept. 4 Oaks.

Rushie, third in the Blue Grass, returned Monday to California to the care of trainer Michael McCarthy. The colt was wide throughout while finishing 8 1/4 lengths behind Art Collector.

“I expected him to run well, and he did,” said McCarthy. “Everything is in play for him.”

Enforceable, a late-running fourth, likely won’t run again until the Kentucky Derby, trainer Mark Casse said Monday.

“Hopefully, our 43 points will be enough” to make the 20-horse cutoff, Casse said. “I was happy with his race, considering he hadn’t run in so long [March 21]. It definitely seemed like that Keeneland track wasn’t very helpful to closers. He’ll go to Churchill and return to training later this week” with assistant David Carroll.

Attachment Rate, who was fifth, remains under Derby consideration, said trainer Dale Romans, who will keep the colt with his Churchill string while taking about 15 horses to Saratoga.

“He keeps knocking on the door,” Romans said.

As for some of the well-beaten also-rans in the Blue Grass, Tiesto (eighth) was vanned off following the race but is otherwise fine, according to co-owner Jaime Roth; Basin (10th) is off the Derby trail and will be pointed to shorter races; and Man in the Can (13th) came out of it healthy, despite being beaten 43 lengths, according to trainer Ron Moquett.

War of Will to Woodbine Mile

War of Will, believed to be just the third horse in modern history to win a Triple Crown event and a Grade 1 turf race, could run next in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 19, Casse said Monday.

“We’re not going to run him and Got Stormy against one another,” Casse said. “I want to run Got Stormy in the Fourstardave,” set for Aug. 22 at Saratoga. “But she needs a very firm turf, so we’ll have to watch the weather for that plan to come together.”

War of Will, winner of the 2019 Preakness, was up in the last jumps to capture the Maker’s Mark Mile on Friday at Keeneland. He joins Secretariat and California Chrome as the only classic winners to also win a Grade 1 turf race.

Guarana, Rushing Fall at Spa

Guarana and Rushing Fall, whose Saturday scores as oddson favorites at Keeneland gave Chad Brown the 100th and 101st Grade 1 victories of his illustrious career, both were flown Monday to Saratoga as Brown considers the best paths to return to Kentucky for their Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 7.

Guarana won the sevenfurlong Madison while re-rallying under Jose Ortiz. Some 90 minutes later, Rushing Fall edged away late under Javier Castellano to win the Jenny Wiley at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Guarana will be targeted for the BC Filly and Mare Sprint, perhaps with the Aug. 8 Ballerina at Saratoga as an interim race, while Brown said he will “work backward” from the BC Mile or BC Filly and Mare Turf with Rushing Fall.

Healthy betting at Keeneland

Total handle at the recently concluded five-day Keeneland meet in Lexington, Ky., was $63.3 million, the track announced, for average daily handle of $12.7 million.

The meet was held without spectators, though horse owners were allowed on the grounds. Earlier this year, Keeneland canceled its spring meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the track later reached a deal with Ellis Park to transfer that track’s racing dates so that Keeneland could run a five-day meet from July 8-12.

Total handle was boosted by the track’s Saturday card, which featured six stakes races, including the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes. On that day, total handle for 10 races was $23.8 million. The record for a Blue Grass Stakes card was set last year, when $25.8 million was bet on an 11-race card.

With 10 graded stakes run during the meet offering a total of $2.575 million in purses, average daily purse distribution was $950,000. Average starters per race was 9.4.

◗ Pool 6 in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will open Friday at noon Eastern, along with a second futures pool toward the Kentucky Oaks. Both pools close Sunday evening. Derby Pool 7 is set for Aug. 7-9.

◗ Live action on the Kentucky circuit resumes Friday at Ellis Park with a nine-race card starting at 12:50 p.m. Central. Three-day weekends will be run at Ellis through Aug. 30.