Assuming a potential snowstorm Friday night doesn't put a damper on things, a full field is set to go postward in Saturday's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. The conversation about contenders must start with $1-million KEESEP yearling Good Magic (Curlin), who broke his maiden emphatically in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar en route to Eclipse Award honors. Heavily favored in the GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth on seasonal debut at Gulfstream Mar. 3, he settled for a non-threatening third with no obvious excuse.
Flameaway (Scat Daddy), second in the Mar. 10 GII Tampa Bay Derby behind expected scratch Quip (Distorted Humor) after annexing the GIII Sam F. Davis S. there in February, took a rained-off renewal of the GIII Bourbon S. in the Keeneland slop last October.
Dale Romans boasts wins in the 2012 and 2016 Blue Grass, and saddles Free Drop Billy (Union Rags) for this one. The Albaugh Family Stables colorbearer will look to complete the same double his connections' Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway) completed when he took the 2015 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity in the fall and following year's Blue Grass.
Doug O'Neill played spoiler in last year's Blue Grass with the star-crossed Irap (Tiznow), and has two chances for an upset this time around with GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks one-three finishers Blended Citizen (Proud Citizen) and Arawak (Uncle Mo).
The Southern California-based sophomores seem strong again this year and will be represented in this spot by Kanthaka (Jimmy Creed). A powerful winner of the GII San Vicente S. around one turn Feb. 10, he was a distant third behind Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) and McKinzie (Street Sense) in the GII San Felipe S. a month later.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
