Tapit Trice favored in 11-horse Blue Grass

Apr 05, 2023 James Scully/TwinSpires.com

Along with highlighting Keeneland’s
opening weekend, Saturday’s $1 million Blue Grass (G1) provides a major opportunity
for Kentucky
Derby qualifying points. A large field of 11 will contest the 1 1/8-mile race,
which will award points on a 100-40-30-20-10 scale to the top five as a major
qualifier in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series.

Here are three talking points for the 99th
running of the Blue Grass.

Tapit Trice has
been tabbed as the 5-2 morning line favorite following a two-length win in his
stakes debut, the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 11. A $1.3 million
yearling purchase, the gray Tapit colt has won three straight for two-time
Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, and Luis Saez retains the
assignment.

After breaking slowly in the Tampa Bay Derby, Tapit Trice
rallied from 11th to prove best. The competition gets deeper Saturday, and Tapit
Trice may try to race closer to the pace from a tricky rail post before offering
his best.

Raise Cain
relished a one-turn mile and muddy track in the March 4 Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct, rallying to a 7 1/2-length
victory at 23-1 odds, and the 50-point prize guaranteed him a Kentucky Derby
berth. The Ben Colebrook-trained son of Violence will look to prove his
effectiveness over a two-turn distance and projected fast track here. Joel
Rosario will pick up the mount on the late runner, who is listed as the early 9-2
third choice.

Verifying and Blazing Sevens lack the necessary
points and must rebound from unplaced efforts to qualify for the
Kentucky Derby. Both have been well-regarded.

A half-sister to champion and $7-million earner Midnight
Bisou, Verifying finished second in the Champagne after winning his career
debut at Saratoga and finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The Brad Cox-trained
colt opened his sophomore campaign with a smashing 5 1/4-length allowance
tally, but Verifying will seek to bounce back after a fourth as the 3-2
favorite in the Feb. 25 Rebel (G2) at Oaklawn. The son of Justify may look to
show speed from post 3 with Tyler Gaffalione.

Blazing Sevens rolled to a 3 1/4-length win in the
Champagne, but the Good Magic colt experienced a troubled start and wound up
fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He never fired when opening 2023 in the
Fountain of Youth (G2), but the Chad Brown-trained colt remains eligible to
show more in the Blue Grass with new jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

Runner-up in the Feb. 18 Risen Star (G2) to Angel of Empire,
who came back to romp in the Arkansas Derby (G1), Sun Thunder never made a serious impact from off the pace when
fifth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds on March 25. The late-running
son of Into Mischief still needs points to earn a berth in a 20-horse Kentucky
Derby field, and Kenny McPeek is therefore bringing Sun Thunder back on a two-week rest in
the Blue Grass. Florent Geroux picks up the mount.

Others seeking Kentucky Derby qualifying points include
Tampa Bay Derby runner-up and Sam F. Davis (G3) third Classic Car Wash, John Battaglia Memorial runner-up Scoobie Quando, last-out Laurel stakes
winner and multiple graded-placed juvenile Hayes
Strike, and Major Blue, who will
make his first stakes attempt for D. Wayne Lukas following frontrunning maiden
and allowance wins at Oaklawn.