12 Abr. USA. Toyota Blue Grass S. G1. Keeneland. 9f. Dirt. 750.000 $
1.- MONBA (E.Prado)
2.- COWBOY CAL (J.Velazquez)
3.- KENTUCKY BEAR (J.Theriot)
Monba rebounded from a last-place finish in his previous start with a game victory over stablemate Cowboy Cal in the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course.
Even-money favorite Pyro, winner of the Risen Star Stakes (G3) and Louisiana Derby (G2), raced in tenth in the 12-horse field entering the stretch in the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass and was unable to improve his position.
Trainer Todd Pletcher saddled the top two finishers as Monba and Cowboy Cal hooked up in a duel near the eighth pole. The duo battled to the finish with Monba inching ahead to win by a neck in the closing strides and score his first career stakes win.
Monba secured a berth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) on May 3 at Churchill Downs. The field for the Derby is determined by graded stakes earnings if more than 20 horses are entered and the $465,000 winner’s share cemented a spot in the 1 1/4-mile classic. Runner-up Cowboy Cal also likely locked up a starting spot as the $150,000 share for second place elevated his graded earnings to $207,660.
“I felt bad for Cowboy Cal; he ran such a big race. I was hoping for a dead heat,” Pletcher said. “I was really pleased, obviously. We were hoping for the earnings and now we’re in a position to think about [the Kentucky Derby].”
Starlight Stable’s, Donald Lucarelli’s, and Paul Saylor's Monba entered the Blue Grass off a last-place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park on February 24, when he was squeezed back entering the first turn and never threatened. The Maria’s Mon colt rebounded gamely in the Blue Grass stalking a leisurely pace set by Cowboy Cal through an opening quarter in :24.96 and a half-mile in :49.01. Cowboy Cal opened a clear lead entering the stretch, where he was joined by Monba for a thrilling finish.
Sent off as the 8.80-to-1 fourth choice, Monba completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.71 on Keeneland’s all-weather Polytrack surface.
Cowboy Cal was 1 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Kentucky Bear, who edged fast-closing Stevil by one length.
Pyro never fired while finishing tenth in his first start on a synthetic surface.
“I asked him for run around the turn to try and set myself up pretty good and I didn’t get the response I was hoping for,” said jockey Shaun Bridgmohan. “I realized on the turn that it just wasn’t going to be his day.”
Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Visionaire closed from last early to finish fifth. Fountain of Youth winner Cool Coal Man flattened out in the stretch and faded to ninth, and Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner Big Truck faded to 11th.
Monba improved to three wins in five starts and boosted his earnings to $577,534. Bred in Kentucky by Mill Ridge Farm and Jamm Ltd., Monba is out of the winning Easy Goer mare Hamba.