(Essential Quality remains unbeaten entering Saturday’s G2 Blue Grass Stakes / Coady Photography)
Editor’s Note:
This Saturday is “The Saturday” on the 2021 “Road to the Kentucky Derby.”
The pretenders will be separated from the contenders.
The cream shall rise and so too will the stakes for the prime time runners.
You have the Wood Memorial in New York. Can Chad Brown and his talented 3YO colt Risk Taking take the next steps to Louisville in style?
You have the Santa Anita Derby, and even with the loss of Life Is Good, this event is always a major prep for the “First Saturday in May.” Concert Tour and Medina Spirit will throw down to figure out which one is Team Baffert’s newest and latest Triple Crown threat.
And, you will have the G2 Blue Grass Stakes at the historic and beautiful Keeneland Race Course in Lexington. While the Blue Grass has not produced Derby winners like it used to, this may be one of the best and most talented fields in recent memory. Essential Quality — the undefeated “Champ” — will put a lot on the line against the likes of Highly Motivated, Keepmeinmind and a ton of talent.
It’s time to punch the ticket.
Or…
It’s time to punch out.
Let the games begin.
Here’s our looks going into one of the most exciting weeks of the year:
| Rankings | Horse | Sire | Trainer | Jockey | Last Race | Next Race | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essential Quality | Tapit | Brad Cox | Luis Saez | 1st in G3 Southwest Stakes | April 3: G2 Blue Grass Stakes | Big Race / Test This Saturday |
| 2 | Greatest Honour | Tapit | Shug McGaughey | Jose Ortiz | 3rd in G1 Florida Derby | May 1: G1 Kentucky Derby | Stuck on Rail / Bad Trip in FLA Derby |
| 3 | Concert Tour | Street Sense | Bob Baffert | Joel Rosario | 1st in G2 Rebel Stakes | April 10: G1 Arkansas Derby | Team Baffert’s Top Threat Now |
| 4 | Medina Spirit | Protonico | Bob Baffert | John Velazquez | 2nd in G2 San Felipe Stakes | April 3: G1 Santa Anita Derby | Big Race / Test This Saturday II |
| 5 | Hot Rod Charlie | Oxbow | Doug O’Neill | Joel Rosario | 1st in G2 Louisiana Derby | May 1: G1 Kentucky Derby | Who Will Rosario Pick to Ride? |
| 6 | Highly Motivated | Into Mischief | Chad Brown | Javier Castellano | 3rd in G3 Gotham Stakes | April 3: G2 Blue Grass Stakes | Watch Out Here / Huge Upset Coming? |
| 7 | Known Agenda | Curlin | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 1st in G1 Florida Derby | May 1: G1 Kentucky Derby | Did Trampoline Into Derby Mix |
| 8 | Prevalence | Medaglia d’Oro | Brendan Walsh | Tyler Gaffalione | 1st in GP Allowance | April 3: G2 Wood Memorial Stakes | Avoids Big Boys at KEE |
| 9 | Keepmeinmind | Loaban | Roberto Diodoro | David Cohen | 6th in G2 Rebel Stakes | April 3: G2 Blue Grass Stakes | Faces Toughest Test Yet on Saturday |
| 10 | Caddo River | Hard Spun | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux | 5th in G2 Rebel Stakes | April 10: G1 Arkansas Derby | What Happened Last Out? |
| 11 | Mandaloun | Into Mischief | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux | 6th in G2 Louisiana Derby | April 10: G3 Lexington Stakes | What Happened Last Out II? |
| 12 | Midnight Bourbon | Tiznow | Steve Asmussen | Joe Talamo | 2nd in G2 Louisiana Derby | May 1: G1 Kentucky Derby | Time Off Until KY Derby to Recharge |
| 13 | Rombauer | Twirling Candy | Michael McCarthy | Kyle Frey | 1st in El Camino Real Derby | April 3: G2 Blue Grass Stakes | Still Coming to KY for BG? |
| 14 | Risk Taking | Medaglia d’Oro | Chad Brown | Eric Cancel | 1st in G3 Withers Stakes | April 3: G2 Wood Memorial Stakes | Time to Step Up and Step Out |
| 15 | Roman Centurian | Empire Maker | Simon Callaghan | J. Hernandez | 4th in G2 San Felipe Stakes | April 3: G1 Santa Anita Derby | Ran Huge Against Hot Rod, But Last One? |
| 16 | Weyburn | Pioneerof the Nile | James Jerkens | Trevor McCarthy | 1st in G3 Gotham Stakes | April 3: G2 Wood Memorial Stakes | Does “Huge Longshot” Now Have a Shot? |
| 17 | Proxy | Tapit | Michael Stidham | John Velazquez | 4th in G2 Louisiana Derby | May 1: G1 Kentucky Derby | Flat Late in LA. Derby…Hmmmm. |
| 18 | Helium | Ironicus | Mark Casse | Jose Ferrer | 1st in G2 Tampa Bay Derby | May 1: G1 Kentucky Derby | Not a Fan |
| 19 | Triple Tap | Tapit | Bob Baffert | Flavien Prat | 1st in Santa Anita MSW | April 3: G1 Santa Anita Derby | Pharoah’s 1/2-Brother Comes to Party Late, But? |
| 20 | O Besos | Orb | Greg Foley | Martin Pedroza | 3rd in G2 Louisiana Derby | May 1: G1 Kentucky Derby | Can He Improve Enough to Fit? |
| 20a | Soup and Sandwich | Into Mischief | Mark Casse | John Velazquez | 2nd in G1 Florida Derby | May 1: G1 Kentucky Derby | I’m Still a Skeptic |
| 20b | Like the King | Palace Malice | Wesley Ward | Drayden Van Dyke | 1st in Jeff Ruby Steaks | May 1: G1 Kentucky Derby | I’m Rooting Here |
