A Lexington trainer has the favorite for the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. See the odds.
Smile Happy, a stretch-running talent from the barn of Lexington trainer Kenny McPeek, was installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite Wednesday for Saturday’s $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course.
The 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass, restored to Grade 1 status for the first time since 2016, is Keeneland’s richest contest of the Spring Meet and serves as an important prep race for 3-year-olds on the road to the Kentucky Derby.
Saturday’s race, scheduled to go to post at 5:10 p.m., provides 100 Kentucky Derby points to the winner. The second-place finisher receives 40, third place gets 20 and fourth place 10.
Smile Happy, owned by Lucky Seven Stable, is the highest-ranking Blue Grass entrant on the Kentucky Derby qualifying leaderboard with 30 points, which is currently good for 17th place.
In addition to the 170 points in play in Lexington on Saturday, the same total will be distributed Saturday in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita.
After Saturday, only one opportunity remains to collect Kentucky Derby points, that being the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 16, which offers 20 points to the winner, eight for second, four for third and two for fourth.
The Kentucky Derby is scheduled for May 7 at Churchill Downs, with a maximum field of 20 assembled from the Derby points standings.
Bottom line: Everyone racing in the Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday, including Smile Happy, could stand to pick up some points to gain entry to the Run for the Roses.
Smile Happy, who was runner-up in the $400,000, Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans in his most recent start on Feb. 19, drew the No. 10 post position Wednesday among 12 contenders for the Blue Grass.
McPeek has multiple potential options for the Kentucky Derby. Tiz the Bomb moved into contention by winning last Saturday’s Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park. Rattle N Roll was entered Wednesday in the Blue Grass, and Dash Attack is under consideration for the Stonestreet Lexington.
Smile Happy was scheduled to leave Florida on Tuesday, but his trip was delayed because of storms in Georgia. The son of Runhappy was expected to arrive at Churchill Downs on Wednesday and ship to Keeneland on Saturday morning for the Blue Grass.
McPeek’s Rattle N Roll is making a quick turnaround after finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on March 26. Rattle N Roll won the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland last October. Rattle N Roll will race from post position No. 9, right beside his stable mate.
Another top challenger to Smile Happy figures to be Emmanuel, an explosive contender trained by Todd Pletcher. Emmanuel, 5-1 third choice on Saturday, won his first two career races by 6 3/4 lengths and 4 1/2 lengths but finished fourth as the 9-2 second choice in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on March 5. Emmanuel, running from the No. 6 post position, has five Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
Blackadder, a 20-1 bet from post position No. 11, was saddled by Bob Baffert until recently when the embattled trainer transferred four of his Kentucky Derby contenders to other barns while he serves a suspension. Rodolphe Brisset is in charge for the Blue Grass, where the West Coast invader Blackadder will be seeking his third consecutive victory in his first career stakes race.
Second choice among Saturday’s field of 12 is Chad Brown’s Zandon at 5-2. Zandon comes in off a third-place finish behind Smile Happy and Kentucky Derby points leader Epicenter in the Risen Star Stakes.
The Blue Grass field also includes Ethereal Road (trained by 86-year-old D. Wayne Lukas), Commandperformance (Todd Pletcher), Fenwick (David Fisher), Golden Glider (Mark Casse), Grantham (Mike Maker), Trademark (Victoria Oliver) and Volcanic (Casse).
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-18
Blue Grass Stakes field with odds
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)