LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Todd Pletcher-trained Tapit Trice is the 5-2 morning-line favorite and will start from the No. 1 post in Saturday’s $1 million Blue Grass at Keeneland, one of three major preps being run this weekend for next month’s Kentucky Derby.
“Not exactly the draw we wanted,” Pletcher said of starting from the rail, “but he did win the allowance race at Gulfstream Park (on Feb. 4) from post one.”
Verifying is the 3-1 second choice and will start from the No. 3 post. Third-choice Raise Cain (9-2) drew the No. 10 post in the 11-horse race on Wednesday. Blazing Sevens is next at 6-1, starting from the No. 8 post.
The 1 1/8-mile, Grade 1 dirt race for 3-year-olds will award points on a 100-40-30-20-10 scale for the 149th Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs. The other big Derby preps this weekend are the Santa Anita Derby in California and Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York.
Blue Grass post time is 5:15 p.m.
Luis Saez has the mount aboard Tapit Trice, who has won his past three starts since a third-place debut including both races this year. The son of Tapit and Danzatrice by Dunkirk is coming off a two-length victory over Classic Car Wash in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 11. Pletcher seeks his fourth Blue Grass victory and first since 2015 with Carpe Diem.
Raise Cain won last month’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct by 7 1/2 lengths and is 2-1-1 in six starts. Verifying seeks his first graded stakes win in six starts after finishing fourth in February’s Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn over a sloppy track.
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