Blackberry Road to aim for Illinois Derby.

Grade 2-placed BLACKBERRY ROAD (Gone West), who was fourth in Saturday's Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds, will take the Illinois road to the Kentucky Derby (G1), by way of the $500,000 Illinois Derby (G2) at Hawthorne on April 5. In that event, the confirmed closer will stretch out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time.

"We still have a lot of confidence in Blackberry Road, especially as distances increase," Dogwood Stable President Cot Campbell said. "In the Louisiana Derby, Robby Albarado used him early, and he had to do some hard running all the way."

The David Carroll pupil has turned in three straight solid efforts in defeat at Fair Grounds. Blackberry Road finished second in the Lecomte S. (G3) in his three-year-old debut, followed by a troubled fifth to Pyro (Pulpit) in the Risen Star S. (G3), where he was stuck in traffic in the stretch. On Saturday, he raced closer to the pace than customary, made a bid turning for home, but flattened out in the drive and was beaten 4 1/2 lengths by the victorious Pyro.

A half-brother to undefeated champion Vindication (Seattle Slew), Blackberry Road was a rallying third in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile S. (G3) at Turfway Park last September. He likewise finished with a flourish for runner-up honors in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill Downs in his 2007 finale. The dark bay colt has compiled a mark of 9-1-2-2, $158,235.