Zandon catches Smile Happy to win Blue Grass Stakes, punch Kentucky Derby ticket
Zandon unleashed a move from the back of the field and took over the lead from favorite Smile Happy in the stretch to win the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday evening.
The son of Upstart is trained by Chad Brown, who won the Blue Grass with Good Magic in 2018 and looks to have another major Kentucky Derby contender this year. Brown, a four-time Eclipse Award winner, has never won the Derby, with Good Magic’s runner-up finish to Justify four years ago his top result so far.
Flavien Prat was aboard Zandon for the first time Saturday. He won the Kentucky Derby aboard Country House three years ago.
Smile Happy, the 9-5 race favorite, held for second place, 2 1/2 lengths behind the winner. He went wide all the way around the track but took over the lead from pacesetter Emmanuel at the top of the stretch. Emmanuel held on for third place, and long-shot Golden Glider was fourth.
Zandon, the 2-1 second betting choice, was coming into the race off a third-place finish behind Epicenter and Smile Happy in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, and his next stop will be Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby on May 7. Smile Happy, who is trained by Lexington native Kenny McPeek, is also expected to be in the Derby starting gate.
The main track at Keeneland had been upgraded to muddy by post time in the Blue Grass Stakes. It was listed as sloppy earlier in the card following an unseasonably cold spring day that included snow and light hail. The final time was 1:50.35
Essential Quality won last year’s Blue Grass Stakes before a third-place finish as the 5-2 favorite in the Kentucky Derby. He went on to win the Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes and Jim Dandy Stakes later in the year, earning the Eclipse Award as the top 3-year-old.
The last horse to win the Blue Grass Stakes and the Derby was Strike the Gold, who was victorious in both races in 1991. The last Kentucky Derby winner to run in the Blue Grass was Street Sense, who finished second in the Keeneland race in 2007.
This story was originally published April 9, 2022 at 5:27 PM.
