Blue Grass/Ashland Nominations
Mar 12, 2013 9:49:13 GMT -5
Post by Jon on Mar 12, 2013 9:49:13 GMT -5
Points:
Blue Grass 100 - 40 - 20 - 10
Ashland: 100 - 40 - 20 - 10
Keeneland releases Blue Grass, Ashland nominations
Champion Shanghai Bobby, and fellow top Kentucky Derby contenders Orb, Verrazano, and Hear the Ghost lead the 189 three-year-olds nominated to this year's Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes to be run April 13 at Keeneland. A late nomination period closes March 27.
Currently, 23 of the top 25 point earners on the Road to the Kentucky Derby are nominated to the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass, one of the nation's richest three-year-old preps. Click here for the complete list of nominees.
Champion two-year-old colt and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Shanghai Bobby headlines the 189 nominees, which are up from last year's total of 180. Also nominated are the winners of nearly every major Derby prep to date, including Orb (Grade 2 Fountain of Youth), Verrazano (Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby), Hear the Ghost (Grade 2 San Felipe), Flashback (Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis), Goldencents (Grade 3 Sham), Falling Sky (Grade 3 Sam F. Davis), Oxbow (Grade 3 Lecomte), Itsmyluckyday (Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes), Overanalyze (Grade 2 Remsen), Power Broker (Grade 1 FrontRunner) and Super Ninety Nine (Grade 3 Southwest).
"The Toyota Blue Grass nominees represent the most talented three-year-old colts currently on the Derby trail," Keeneland Vice President of Racing W.B. Rogers Beasley said. "We appreciate the strong support of our horsemen, and look forward to an exciting spring meet."
Todd Pletcher leads all trainers with 20 Blue Grass nominees, highlighted by Shanghai Bobby and Verrazano. Bob Baffert is represented by 15 nominees, among them Flashback, Power Broker, Super Ninety Nine and Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes winner Shakin It Up, while Kiaran McLaughlin nominated 12.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Darley Stable led owners with eight nominations, followed by Gary and Mary West with seven and Ken and Sarah Ramsey with six.
The Blue Grass was first held at the old Kentucky Association track in Lexington from 1911-14 and from 1919-26, and revived by Keeneland during the track's inaugural spring meeting, held in April 1937. In all, 23 horses -- four at the Kentucky Association track and 19 at Keeneland -- have used the Blue Grass as a path to victory in the Kentucky Derby, most recently champion Street Sense in 2007.
Donegal Racing's Dullahan exploded in deep stretch to run down favored Hansen and win the 2012 Blue Grass. In doing so, Dullahan became only the second horse to win Keeneland's Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity as a two-year-old and return the following spring to win the Blue Grass, joining Horse of the Year Round Table (1956-57).
NBC will provide live coverage of the Blue Grass from 4:30-6 p.m. (EDT) on April 13. Lexington's NBC affiliate, WLEX TV, will broadcast live from Keeneland from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
A total of 134 fillies, led by champion Beholder, have been nominated to Keeneland's Grade 1, $500,000 Ashland Stakes, scheduled for April 6. The nominees are available at this link.
The total number of fillies nominated during the early closing period represents a 67 percent increase over 2012. As with the Blue Grass, a late nomination period closes March 27.
Contested at 1 1/16 miles, the Ashland historically has been a premier prep for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. It is featured as the first of five Grade 1 stakes run during Keeneland's spring race meeting, to be held April 5-26.
Beholder, champion juvenile filly and winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, enhanced her status on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with her March 2 win in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita.
Other fillies nominated to the Ashland with top-10 point rankings on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks are Unlimited Budget (winner of the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra), Live Lively (Grade 2 Davona Dale), Dreaming of Julia (Grade 1 Frizette) and Fiftyshadesofhay (Grade 3 Santa Ysabel). Another notable nominee is last fall's Grade 1 Alcibiades winner Spring in the Air.
Pletcher nominated 15 fillies to lead all trainers, followed by Graham Motion with nine. Baffert and McLaughlin are each represented by seven nominees.
Since 1936, 31 fillies have used the Ashland as a stepping stone to victory in the Oaks, most recently Ashado (2004), Summerly (2005) and Proud Spell (2008). In 2010, Ashland winner Evening Jewel lost the Oaks by a nose to champion Blind Luck following a thrilling stretch duel between the fillies.
Alex G. Campbell Jr.'s Karlovy Vary won the 2012 Ashland in gate-to-wire fashion, giving trainer Rusty Arnold and jockey James Graham their first victory in the race.
www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/news/article.cgi?id=35089&from=656
Blue Grass 100 - 40 - 20 - 10
Ashland: 100 - 40 - 20 - 10
Keeneland releases Blue Grass, Ashland nominations
Champion Shanghai Bobby, and fellow top Kentucky Derby contenders Orb, Verrazano, and Hear the Ghost lead the 189 three-year-olds nominated to this year's Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes to be run April 13 at Keeneland. A late nomination period closes March 27.
Currently, 23 of the top 25 point earners on the Road to the Kentucky Derby are nominated to the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass, one of the nation's richest three-year-old preps. Click here for the complete list of nominees.
Champion two-year-old colt and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Shanghai Bobby headlines the 189 nominees, which are up from last year's total of 180. Also nominated are the winners of nearly every major Derby prep to date, including Orb (Grade 2 Fountain of Youth), Verrazano (Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby), Hear the Ghost (Grade 2 San Felipe), Flashback (Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis), Goldencents (Grade 3 Sham), Falling Sky (Grade 3 Sam F. Davis), Oxbow (Grade 3 Lecomte), Itsmyluckyday (Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes), Overanalyze (Grade 2 Remsen), Power Broker (Grade 1 FrontRunner) and Super Ninety Nine (Grade 3 Southwest).
"The Toyota Blue Grass nominees represent the most talented three-year-old colts currently on the Derby trail," Keeneland Vice President of Racing W.B. Rogers Beasley said. "We appreciate the strong support of our horsemen, and look forward to an exciting spring meet."
Todd Pletcher leads all trainers with 20 Blue Grass nominees, highlighted by Shanghai Bobby and Verrazano. Bob Baffert is represented by 15 nominees, among them Flashback, Power Broker, Super Ninety Nine and Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes winner Shakin It Up, while Kiaran McLaughlin nominated 12.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Darley Stable led owners with eight nominations, followed by Gary and Mary West with seven and Ken and Sarah Ramsey with six.
The Blue Grass was first held at the old Kentucky Association track in Lexington from 1911-14 and from 1919-26, and revived by Keeneland during the track's inaugural spring meeting, held in April 1937. In all, 23 horses -- four at the Kentucky Association track and 19 at Keeneland -- have used the Blue Grass as a path to victory in the Kentucky Derby, most recently champion Street Sense in 2007.
Donegal Racing's Dullahan exploded in deep stretch to run down favored Hansen and win the 2012 Blue Grass. In doing so, Dullahan became only the second horse to win Keeneland's Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity as a two-year-old and return the following spring to win the Blue Grass, joining Horse of the Year Round Table (1956-57).
NBC will provide live coverage of the Blue Grass from 4:30-6 p.m. (EDT) on April 13. Lexington's NBC affiliate, WLEX TV, will broadcast live from Keeneland from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
A total of 134 fillies, led by champion Beholder, have been nominated to Keeneland's Grade 1, $500,000 Ashland Stakes, scheduled for April 6. The nominees are available at this link.
The total number of fillies nominated during the early closing period represents a 67 percent increase over 2012. As with the Blue Grass, a late nomination period closes March 27.
Contested at 1 1/16 miles, the Ashland historically has been a premier prep for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. It is featured as the first of five Grade 1 stakes run during Keeneland's spring race meeting, to be held April 5-26.
Beholder, champion juvenile filly and winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, enhanced her status on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with her March 2 win in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita.
Other fillies nominated to the Ashland with top-10 point rankings on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks are Unlimited Budget (winner of the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra), Live Lively (Grade 2 Davona Dale), Dreaming of Julia (Grade 1 Frizette) and Fiftyshadesofhay (Grade 3 Santa Ysabel). Another notable nominee is last fall's Grade 1 Alcibiades winner Spring in the Air.
Pletcher nominated 15 fillies to lead all trainers, followed by Graham Motion with nine. Baffert and McLaughlin are each represented by seven nominees.
Since 1936, 31 fillies have used the Ashland as a stepping stone to victory in the Oaks, most recently Ashado (2004), Summerly (2005) and Proud Spell (2008). In 2010, Ashland winner Evening Jewel lost the Oaks by a nose to champion Blind Luck following a thrilling stretch duel between the fillies.
Alex G. Campbell Jr.'s Karlovy Vary won the 2012 Ashland in gate-to-wire fashion, giving trainer Rusty Arnold and jockey James Graham their first victory in the race.
www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/news/article.cgi?id=35089&from=656