Horse Racing Betting - Next Stop for 3-Year-Olds: Blue Grass, Arkansas Derby

Last year’s Blue Grass Stakes was the most exciting in years when a nose and two heads separated the top four finishers. However, it was the 57th slowest of 83 races: 1:51 1/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Dominican edged Street Sense for his third straight triumph on synthetic surfaces. Zanjero ran third and Teuflesberg finished fourth.

But Street Sense got revenge on the first Saturday in May when he roared to victory from far back. Domincan ended up a disappointing 11th after the 1 ¼ miles. Zanjero was 13th and Teuflesberg ran 17th in the 20-horse field.

None of the three main contenders in Saturday’s $750,000 headliner at Keeneland have run on synthetic surfaces, but all captured their last stakes. The likely favorite is Pyro, who goes for three straight this year after impressive victories in the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

The son of Pulpit looked cool and calm during schooling on April 5 at Keeneland where he galloped 1 ½ miles over the Polytrack. On Monday, he breezed four furlongs in 50 3/5.

Visionaire is coming off a nose victory on a foggy March 8 in the Gotham at Aqueduct over a sealed sloppy surface. Earlier, the son of Grand Slam finished third to Pyro in the Risen Star.

Cool Coal Man also is going for three consecutive triumphs in ’08. The son of Mineshaft, ’03 Horse of the Year as a 4-year-old, defeated Elysium Fields and Court Vision in a strong Fountain of Youth (FOY) 12-horse field at Gulfstream Park. He breezed four furlongs in 47 2/5 at Churchill Downs on April 3.

Miner’s Claim, another Mineshaft sibling, came up a neck short to Big Glen in the Rushaway Stakes at Turfway Park in his only start this year. He won twice on Woodbine’s synthetic surface in ’07. On April 5, he breezed five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 at Kenneland.Cowboy Cal, coming off four straight outings on the turf, won the Tropical Park Derby at Calder and most recently was second in Gulfstream’s Hallandale Beach. He worked a half-mile in 47 2/5 on Sunday at Keeneland.

Other likely starters are Halo Najib, runner-up to Adriano in the Lane’s End at Turfway on March 22; Medjool, the third-place finisher; and Monba, the FOY trailer.

The Blue Grass has produced two-dozen Kentucky Derby champions since Judge Himes finished third in ’03 before capturing the 29th Run for the Roses.

However, only two runners that won the key prep in the past three decades were successful at Churchill Downs: Strike the Gold, ’91, and Spectacular Bid, ’79. Ten horses took both races starting with Shut Out in ’42.

Saturday’s $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park appears wide open. Only four horses captured stakes this year.

Contenders that have received the most press are Z Fortune, who won the Lecomte at Fair Grounds, but ran a disappointing fifth in the Rebel at Oaklawn; Gayego, second in the San Felipe after taking the San Pedro at Santa Anita; and Liberty Bull, winner of the Win Star Derby at Sunland after scoring another two races back in Oaklawn’s Smarty Jones.

Z Fortune worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 over a good Oaklawn surface March 31. Gayego breezed six furlongs in an eye-catching 1:12 4/5 at Hollywood Park on April 5. Liberty Bull breezed four furlongs in the mud in 48 2/5 at Churchill Downs on April 5.

Two horses that broke their maiden this year and followed with winning allowance efforts are Jazz in the Park and My Pal Charlie, who was second in the Louisiana Derby.

Isabull and Blackberry Road each are winless in three outings in ’08, but could surprise in the 1 1/8 mile contest. Isabull hit the board twice at Oaklawn, finishing third in the Smarty Jones. Blackberry Road was runner-up in the Lecomte, fifth in the Risen Star and fourth in the Louisiana Derby.

Only two 3-year-olds repeated in the Kentucky Derby: Smarty Jones in ’04, who also took the Preakness, and Sunny’s Halo in ’83.

In ’05, Afleet Alex ran third at Churchill Downs, and then scored in the Preakness and Belmont. Last year, Curlin hit the board in all three Triple Crown events, winning the Preakness, and capturing the Breeders’ Cup Classic en route to Horse of the Year honors.