LEXINGTON, Ky. – After arriving at Keeneland in late March, Gosger’s first local work came in company with East Avenue, a Grade 1 winner on this track last fall. Although East Avenue easily handled his stablemate, Gosger showed trainer Brendan Walsh plenty to justify stepping up in class for his next start. Four days after East Avenue revived his Kentucky Derby hopes by finishing second in a photo in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes, Gosger threw his hat in the ring for the Preakness Stakes by winning the Grade 3, $400,000 Lexington Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland. “He’s still got a lot of maturing to do – he’s still a little raw,” Walsh said. “But I loved what I saw today. He was still a little green, but he beat a couple of really nice horses today. … We’ll see how he comes out of this. There is a nice bit of spacing to [the Preakness]. If he was doing well, we’d have to consider it, absolutely. Although the 1 1/16-mile Lexington awarded Gosger ($10.60) 20 points toward the Kentucky Derby, it is a virtual impossibility to make the field, as it is currently shaping up, with that total. Additionally, Walsh said he would like more time between starts for the Nyquist colt, whom he trains for the family of the prominent late breeder Harvey Clarke. Gosger was making just his third career start in the Lexington. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “I’d say absolutely not – it’d be too close,” Walsh said. “A horse like him, we’ve kind of nurtured him along, and I think we’d be going back on everything we've done if we tried to run him in the Derby.” Gosger finished second in his debut, going six furlongs in December, after breaking awkwardly and hitting the gate. On Feb. 15, he stretched out to a mile at Gulfstream, pressed the pace, and won by 1 1/2 lengths. The Lexington start came after about another two-month break. “We gave him a little extra time off after his maiden because I felt he was doing a lot of growing,” Walsh said. “Even today in the paddock, I was thinking he’s still got a bit of filling out to do.” Gosger and Irad Ortiz Jr. raced two lengths back through the opening half, as longshot Bracket Buster led through a quarter of 23.72 seconds and that half in 47.62 while tracked by Praetor, favored off an allowance-optional claiming win last month at Gulfstream. Praetor worked to reel the leader in leaving the far turn, but Ortiz also tipped Gosger three wide to give the gangly colt clear sailing into the short stretch. Gosger came to within heads of the two leaders and found his best stride late, clearing by two lengths at the wire. “Irad said today, he only really got going and straightened out when he got to the second wire,” Walsh said. “He said he really started to run then, which is a very encouraging thing to hear. So we’re delighted with him. I think he’s got some big days in front of him.” Bracket Buster turned back Praetor and stayed on well to be second, 3 1/2 lengths clear of the favorite. Trainer Vicki Oliver was happy with the colt’s first start since September, and said he will also be considered for the Preakness. “We didn’t really push on him as an early 3-year-old for the Derby,” Oliver said. “He’s a late, late May foal, and needed a lot of time to develop, and that’s what we gave him.” Praetor held third by half a length over Hypnus, who was another neck ahead of second choice Bullard. The latter, a Grade 3-winning juvenile, was making his first start since January, and first around two turns. Native Runner and Hard as Life, who hopped at the start, rounded out the order of finish. The time for the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track was 1:44.15. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.