Catch the 'Pletch' to Win the Blue Grass

Trainer Todd Pletcher has sent out the winner of the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. three times since 2005, including 'TDN Rising Star' Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway) 12 months back. It will be up to another Rising Star in the form of Zulu (Bernardini) to make it back-to-back scores in the centerpiece of the Keeneland spring meeting on what figures a brisk day in Central Kentucky.

A $400,000 graduate of Keeneland's September yearling sale in 2014, Zulu took his spot in the Fasig-Tipton March sale some six months later and was knocked down for $900,000. The word was out when the handsome bay made his debut over a 'good' main track in the opening days of the championship meeting Dec. 5 and he came through with a two-length defeat of Sharp Azteca (Freud) as the 3-5 chalk. Zulu caught a sloppy strip Jan. 15, but the result was even more convincing, as he stormed away to a 7 1/4-length defeat of stablemate Prospectus (Uncle Mo) to earn his rising star. He took the next logical step in the GII Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth S. Feb. 27, but he had the misfortune of running into the more-seasoned Mohaymen (Tapit) and finished a good second while never a threat to the chalk. With John Velazquez remaining in New York to pilot Outwork (Uncle Mo) in Saturday's GI Wood Memorial, Javier Castellano takes over aboard Zulu, who adds blinkers for the first time.

There appears to be an abundance of early speed signed on in the Blue Grass, including Zulu's stablemates Donegal Moon (Malibu Moon) and Cards of Stone (Bustin Stones), recent all-the-way allowance winners at Parx Racing and Aqueduct, respectively; the maiden Laoban (Uncle Mo), pacesetting runner-up to Wood favorite Shagaf (Bernardini) in the GIII Gotham S. Mar. 5; and Twizz (Twirling Candy), stretching out to a route of ground off a front-running score in a six-furlong Fair Grounds maiden Mar. 18.

The pace is therefore likely to boil over, setting it up for one or more of the field's come-from-behinders, and Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway) could be the right one. Having graduated over Churchill's one-turn mile last September, the $350,000 KEESEP acquisition belied odds of 11-1 with a one-length defeat of the useful Exaggerator (Curlin) in this track's GI Dixiana Breeders' Futurity Oct. 3, a race that set up nicely for his late kick. The Albaugh Family runner closed into another generous tempo when third to Nyquist (Uncle Mo) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Oct. 31, but he was never involved when an even seventh behind Destin (Giant's Causeway) and Outwork in the GII Tampa Bay Derby on seasonal debut Mar. 12.

While that Romans trainee has the right to improve for that effort, jockey Corey Lanerie opts for stablemate and 'TDN Rising Star' Cherry Wine (Paddy O'Prado). The homebred broke his maiden in a rained-off Churchill test Nov. 28, then whooshed home to take a first-level Gulfstream allowance by six lengths Jan. 9. Kept fresh for his next, Cherry Wine traveled to Oaklawn for the GII Rebel S. Mar. 19, got well back from the widest berth and closed off strongly to round out the superfecta, just under five lengths behind the victorious Cupid (Tapit).

My Man Sam (Trappe Shot) is the third 'TDN Rising Star' in the field and would represent exceptional value if anywhere in the vicinity of his 10-1 morning line. Well-beaten on his six-furlong unveiling over the inner track at Aqueduct Dec. 19, the bay shot clear to score by eight lengths going 8 1/2 panels Jan. 31. Typically void of early speed, he dropped nearly 10 lengths behind loose-on-the-lead Matt King Coal (Cool Coal Man) in a Mar. 6 Aqueduct allowance and was getting to the winner late, but was forced to settle for second. It will be up to Julien Leparoux to work out a trip from the 14 hole Saturday, but he looms a threat if able to do so.