Pletcher pair set for Blue Grass

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A handful of prospects for the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland had their final pre-race workouts at various venues Saturday, including a pair of Kentucky Derby hopefuls trained by Todd Pletcher.

Interactif went five furlongs over a fast Churchill Downs surface in 1:00.80, while Aikenite went the same distance in 1:02 over a fast track at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida. Both colts went in company, and Pletcher said from New York that he is pleased with how both are coming up to the $750,000 Blue Grass, which is set for next Saturday.

Two other Blue Grass prospects were out for work Saturday. Paddy O'Prado, winner of the at Gulfstream Park as a maiden in his last start, went five furlongs in 59.60 over the Keeneland Polytrack. Kent Desormeaux, who has the Blue Grass mount, was aboard for trainer Dale Romans.

"He seemed to handle the surface real well," said Romans.

Giant's Tomb also worked five furlongs on the Keeneland Poly for trainer Mark Frostad, going in 1:02.60. Frostad said he has not committed the Sam-Son Farm colt to the race, saying he wants to see how the competition shapes up before entries are taken Wednesday.

Odysseus, the winner who could rate a slight favorite, was scheduled to arrive here Sunday following a flight from south Florida.

Another three horses are considered definite for the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass: Codoy, Make Music for Me, and Pleasant Prince.

Beaumont gets field of seven

A field of seven 3-year-old fillies has been entered for the Grade 2, $150,000 Beaumont Stakes here Wednesday. Diva Delite, a winner of her last five races, including three stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, will be making her first start since being turned over to trainer Ian Wilkes and looks like the probable favorite in the about seven-furlong race. Franny Freud, Chantilly Nayla, and Tia are other logical contenders.

The Beaumont kicks off a busy week of stakes, with a pair of Grade 1 races, the Vinery Madison on Thursday and the Maker's Mark Mile on Friday, preceding the Saturday card, which features three other stakes besides the Blue Grass.

* Trainer Christophe Clement will consider the April 17 Coolmore Lexington Stakes as a next possible start for Nordic True, who set a stakes mark of 1:41.31 in winning the Transylvania Stakes at 1 1/16 miles here on the turf Friday, "but that might be coming back too quick," said Clement assistant Ben Colebrook.

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