LEXINGTON, Ky. – Hades and Encino will make a final try to get into the Kentucky Derby on Saturday in the Grade 3, $400,000 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. The 10-horse Lexington, at 1 1/16 miles, awards its top finishers Derby qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale. If Deterministic, eighth in last week’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial, does not run, as expected, then the horse currently in the 19th and final Derby spot on points – one spot has been awarded to T O Password, who led Japan’s Road to the Kentucky Derby series – is Grand Mo the First, with 40 points. The next two on the bubble, in order by non-restricted stakes earnings, are Common Defense and Epic Ride, with 40 points each. Hades, trained by Joe Orseno, and Encino, trained by Brad Cox, control their own destinies. Hades comes into the Lexington with 30 points and a first- or second-place finish would put him in the field since he owns the stakes earnings tiebreaker over Grand Mo the First. Encino scratched from last week’s Grade 1 Blue Grass, in which he drew the outside post of 11, in favor of the Lexington. Coming in with 20 points, he needs a win to get in. Another Lexington entrant, Liberal Arts, has 19 points. A win would put him on the bubble. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2024: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Derby hopefuls are closely monitoring the status of Endlessly. That colt’s connections are deliberating between the Derby and the Grade 2 American Turf. For now, the mission is to win the Lexington. Hades, drawn in post 5 under Jose Ortiz, won his first three starts, including the Grade 3 Holy Bull over both Domestic Product, subsequent winner of the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, and likely Derby favorite Fierceness. Hades subsequently finished a non-threatening fifth behind Fierceness in the Grade 1 Florida Derby after being bumped at the start. Hades, who is expected to be forwardly placed, will add blinkers for the Lexington. “I always thought he would be better with blinkers, but he kept winning and I couldn’t make the change,” Orseno told Keeneland. “He’ll have blinkers here – little ones.” Having Hades as a target to his inside would suit Encino, who is drawn in post 8 under Florent Geroux. Encino, who is 2 for 3, produced his best effort when stalking in the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park on March 2. He pounced in the stretch to defeat Epic Ride by a length. Epic Ride came back to finish third in the Blue Grass. Tessa Walden, Cox’s assistant who oversaw Encino at Turfway Park over the winter, says the biggest challenge is keeping the colt focused. “We’ve noticed he’s fairly nonchalant and distractible about some of the things he does,” Walden said. “We know he has tactical speed. It’s more just getting him to relax, stay focused, and finish up his race.” Encino will be making his first start on dirt in the Lexington, but his pedigree suggests that will be in his wheelhouse. He is by 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, sire of two-turn dirt Grade 1 winners Vequist, Slow Down Andy, and Randomized. Encino’s dam, Glittering Jewel, is a half-sister to 2007 Derby winner Street Sense. Florida shipper Secret Chat, who will start from the rail, is stakes placed and has run creditably despite having problems at the start in all three of his starts. he will need a quick beginning against tougher competition here. Directly next door in post 2 is The Wine Steward, who will be making his 3-year-old debut. He is so well regarded that he is the 5-2 morning-line favorite over 7-2 Hades. The multiple stakes winner was last seen finishing second by a half-length to Locked, despite being pinned inside, in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity last fall at Keeneland. With Luis Saez in the irons for Mike Maker, he would be best with a stalking trip, and may have to be used early. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Stakes winner Lucky Jeremy will try to get over from post 10 to be part of the pace scenario. He was third in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby, a race in which the top two finishers have come back to win. Sunland Derby winner Stronghold took last weekend’s Santa Anita Derby. Lucky Jeremy came out of the Sunland Derby to finish fifth in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby on Turfway’s Tapeta. Liberal Arts, winner of the Grade 3 Street Sense last fall at Churchill Downs, crossed the line sixth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby two weeks ago, but was demoted to eighth for interference. Stakes-placed Everdoit and Footprint and maiden winners Dilger and How’s Ur Attitude complete the field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.