Kentucky Derby 134 Update: April 18

TOP STORIES:

- Coolmore Lexington Offers Final Shot for Graded Earnings
- Five Triple Crown Nominees in Pimlico's Federico Tesio

MIDWEST/COOLMORE LEXINGTON DRAWS FIELD OF 11 – Three colts on the outside looking in as far as having enough graded stakes earnings to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate will try to put their best hooves forward Saturday in the $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Grade II) at Keeneland.

Ten Triple Crown nominees are in the field of 11 for the mile and one-sixteenth race over Keeneland’s Polytrack surface. The $201,500 first-place check would be enough to springboard the winner into a top-20 spot in graded stakes earnings should that horse be entered in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), which will be run on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

The trio most likely hoping to go forward to the first Saturday in May is headed by Jet Set Racing Stable’s Tomcito, trained by Dante Zanelli. Third in the Florida Derby (GI) in his U.S. debut on March 29, Tomcito has $151,292 in graded earnings.

Dogwood Stable’s Atoned was fourth in the April 5 Illinois Derby (GII) for trainer Todd Pletcher. Runner-up in the Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) and the Remsen (GII), Atoned has $130,000 in graded earnings.

Racecar Rhapsody, owned by Jerry Carroll, Stan Kaplan, Ronald Plattner and Mark Guilfoyle, has never been worse than fourth in five career starts. Trained by Ken McPeek, Racecar Rhapsody finished fourth in the Lane’s End (GII) at Turfway Park on March 22 in his 2008 debut. Racecar Rhapsody has $90.871 in graded earnings.

One colt with enough graded-stakes money is Southern Equine Stable’s Salute the Sarge with $258,940 in graded earnings. Trained by Eric Guillot, Salute the Sarge opened his 2008 march to the Kentucky Derby with a victory in the March 29 San Miguel at Santa Anita. In 2007, Salute the Sarge won the Hollywood Juvenile Championship (GIII) and Best Pal Stakes (GII) and was runner-up in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity and Norfolk Stakes.

Other Triple Crown nominees in the Coolmore Lexington field are Michael Shustek and Don Stanley’s Behindatthebar, John T.L. Jones Jr. and Bill Jones’ Big Glen, Skychai Racing, Sand Dollar Stable, Thomas Conway and Leemington Stable’s Felon, Silverton Hill Farm’s St. Joe, Zayat Stable’s Riley Tucker and Shortleaf Stable’s Red Sandy. Samba Rooster, owned by the Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable and Bernard Schiappa, is not a Triple Crown nominee.

EAST/CAVE’S VALLEY TOTES TOP WEIGHT IN TESIO – Harry and Tom Meyerhoff’s Cave’s Valley will carry top weight of 122 pounds and concede six pounds to each of his seven rivals in Saturday’s $150,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at a mile and one-eighth and Pimlico.

Winner of the Dover Stakes at two, Cave’s Valley enters the Tesio off a fourth-place finish in the Private Terms at Laurel on March 22.

In addition to Cave’s Valley, four other Triple Crown nominees are in the Tesio and two of them, Z W P Stable’s Wonder Mon and Skeedattle Associates’ Fast Talking, finished behind Cave’s Valley in the Private Terms, placing seventh and eighth, respectively.

Other Triple Crown nominees are Earle Mack’s Icabad Crane, who finished third in the Rushaway Stakes at Turfway Park on March 22 in his most recent start, and Pinebloom Stable’s Mint Lane, a March 26 allowance winner at Aqueduct.