Five Stakes Are Scheduled For Keeneland

The eyes of the thoroughbred racing world will be on Keeneland Park this Saturday, April 13, 2013, as the Lexington, Kentucky track features a slate of five graded-stakes races during its spring meet. The highlight figures to be the $750,000 G1 Blue Grass Stakes for 3-year-olds, going 1 1/8 miles on the main polytrack. Coming just over three weeks before the Kentucky Derby, the Blue Grass is one of the key Derby prep racess, and will feature Derby hopefuls Uncaptured, Java’s War, Balance the Books, and Rydilluc in the expected 14 horse field.

Blue Grass has produced Kentucky Derby winners

Last year’s Blue Grass winner, the Dale Romans-trained Dullahan, went on to finish third in the Kentucky Derby. Over the years this important spring race has produced 23 Derby winners with the most recent being Street Sense, who took the 2007 Run for the Roses after a second place finish at Keeneland. The last horse to win the Bluegrass-Derby double was Strike the Gold in 1991. Post time for the 77th running of the Blue Grass Stakes is 5:40 PM ET on Saturday.

Keeneland Stakes Saturday includes turf racing

Keeneland's Saturday racee card also features the $300K G1 Madison Stakes for fillies and mares 4-year-olds and upward, going 7 furlongs on the poly, and the $300K G1 Jenny Wiley, also 4-year-olds and upward fillies and mares, but going 1 1/16 miles on the Keeneland turf.  Other stakes races at Keeneland 0n Saturday are the $100K G3 Shakertown, a 5 ½ furlong sprint on grass for 4 year-olds and up, and the $175K G3 Commonwealth that's also 4-year olds and up and goes 7 furlongs on the polytrack. Derby Day anticipation continues to build!