Carpe Diem gets post 5, at even-money in Blue Grass

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Carpe Diem was assigned post 5 as the even-money morning-line favorite for the Blue Grass Stakes, the Keeneland showcase that will be run Saturday on its new date on the racing calendar.

Carpe Diem, one of a handful of Kentucky Derby hopefuls trained by Todd Pletcher, won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity here last fall and finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The Giant’s Causeway colt is coming off a five-length victory in his only start this year, the March 7 Tampa Bay Derby, and will be ridden by John Velazquez when facing seven other 3-year-olds in the Grade 1 Blue Grass.

The Blue Grass not only has undergone a purse increase from $750,000 to $1 million but is being run four weeks out from the Kentucky Derby instead of three weeks, its traditional spot for more than 25 years. The 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass, which is being held on dirt for the first time since 2006 after eight runnings on Polytrack, has lagged somewhat in recent years in comparison to other Derby preps.

Carpe Diem is co-owned by Stonestreet Stables and WinStar Farm.

“This race has always been in Todd’s plan,” said Stonestreet adviser John Moynihan. “He ran a super, super race at Tampa and since then has done nothing short of phenomenal. We’ve always thought he’d be better going longer distances. All systems are go, according to Todd.”

From the rail and with jockeys, this is the lineup for the 91st Blue Grass:

Ocho Ocho Ocho, Santiago Gonzalez; Gorgeous Bird, Brian Hernandez Jr.; Pepper Roani, Miguel Mena; Unrivaled, Robby Albarado; Carpe Diem, Velazquez; Frammento, Gary Stevens; Classy Class, Junior Alvarado; and Danzig Moon, Julien Leparoux.

The Blue Grass winner gets 100 points toward eligibility into the May 2 Derby at Churchill Downs, with the second- through fourth-place finishers earning 40, 20, and 10.

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With the 15-day spring meet starting Friday, the Blue Grass will share the spotlight on opening weekend with the Ashland Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies offering identical point values toward the May 1 Kentucky Oaks.

In order, the Ashland lineup: Lassofthemohicans, Temper Mint Patty, Peace and War, Angela Renee, Silverpocketsfull, Lovely Maria, West Coast Belle.

First post for an 11-race Saturday card is 12:35 p.m. Eastern, with the Ashland (race 9) set for 5:20 and the Blue Grass (race 10) for 6:00. Both will be part of the NBC Sports Network broadcast from 5-7 p.m. Eastern, with the Ashland shown on replay.

The post-position draw was held Tuesday in a spacious, newly constructed chalet that rises above the Keeneland paddock outside the track’s stone-wall perimeter. It is one of numerous new features at a track that will host the Breeders’ Cup championships for the first time this fall.

Entries for the balance of the Saturday card, including three other graded stakes, were drawn earlier Tuesday. In those other stakes:

• Grade 1, $350,000 Madison (race 6): Stopchargingmaria, the winner of the Grade 1 Alabama last summer, makes her 4-year-old debut against five other fillies and mares in this seven-furlong race.

Conspicuous by her absence is Judy the Beauty, the reigning female sprint champion who breezed Tuesday at Keeneland. “I’m just taking my time with her,” said owner-trainer Wesley Ward.

• Grade 3, $300,000 Commonwealth (race 7): C. Zee ships in off a victory in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint to race seven furlongs against six other older horses, including Kobe’s Back and Bourbon Courage.

• Grade 3, $125,000 Shakertown (race 8): Power Alert and Amelia’s Wild Ride, winners of ungraded stakes in Florida this winter, are joined by hard knockers Zee Bros, Tightend Touchdown, and Undrafted among 13 older turf sprinters.

Keeneland will offer a pick-five wager linking all five stakes (races 6-10) as well as an all-stakes pick four ending with the Blue Grass (races 7-10).