Buy TicketsWhisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable’s Tapit Trice is the 5-2 morning line choice in a field of 11 3-year-olds entered in today’s 99th running of the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G1) going 1 1/8 miles on the main track.
Here is additional information about the Toyota Blue Grass to aid in your coverage:
TV and online coverage: Thanks to the Keeneland Livestream, fans can watch all Spring Meet races live and at no charge on Keeneland.com, Keeneland Race Day App, Keeneland Select and Keeneland’s YouTube channel.
NBC coverage: The Toyota Blue Grass is the ninth of 11 races on today’s card with a 5:15 p.m. ET post. NBC will televise the race along with the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) and the Madison (G1) and the Shakertown (G2) at Keeneland from 4-6 p.m.
$1 million purse: The Toyota Blue Grass has been worth $1 million in 2015-2019 and since 2022.
Kentucky Derby points: The winner of the Toyota Blue Grass earns 100 points as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby, a points-based system with a series of key races offering escalating points to determine which horses will compete in the 149th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 6.
The second-place finisher in the Toyota Blue Grass earns 40 points, followed by 30 points to the third-place finisher, 20 points to fourth-place finisher and 10 points to the fifth-place finisher.
History: The Blue Grass was named for the famous Bluegrass region of Central Kentucky and held in 1911-1914 and 1919-1926 at the old Kentucky Association track near downtown Lexington. Second-place finishers Meridian (1911), Donerail (1913) and Behave Yourself (1921) went on to win the Kentucky Derby. The 1926 winner, Bubbling Over, became the first horse to win the Blue Grass and the Kentucky Derby.
With the closure of the Kentucky Association track, a group of prominent area Thoroughbred breeders went to work to return racing to Lexington. In 1935, they founded the Keeneland Association, purchased land from horseman J.O. “Jack” Keene and set out to open a model race track. Keeneland opened on Oct. 15, 1936, for nine days of racing. In April 1937, Keeneland held its inaugural Spring Meet of 11 days and ran the Blue Grass for the first time.
The winner of the first Blue Grass at Keeneland was Maxwell Howard’s Fencing, who won by three-quarters of a length over Col. E.R. Bradley’s favored duo of Billionaire and Brooklyn, who finished noses apart for second. Nine days later at Churchill Downs, Fencing and Billionaire raced back in the Kentucky Derby, inaugurating a pattern that future Derby hopefuls would follow.
Blue Grass-Kentucky Derby connection: Ten winners of the Blue Grass at Keeneland have won the Kentucky Derby. Nineteen horses who ran in the race at Keeneland returned to win the Derby.
Post positions: Here are the post positions and the number of Toyota Blue Grass winners each post position has produced since 1937 (the race was run in two divisions in 1951):
Post No. of Winners
1 13
2 12
3 11
4 16 (Zandon, 2022)
5 11
6 7
7 3
8 6
9 2
10 3
11 2
12 0
13 1 (Goyamo, 1954)
14 0
Wagering records on Toyota Blue Grass Day:
All-sources: $28,137,728 on the 11-race 2022 Toyota Blue Grass card. (All-time Keeneland record.)
On-track: $2,968,451 from the 2012 Toyota Blue Grass. (All-time record for the Spring Meet.)
Odds
Shortest-priced favorite to win: Spectacular Bid (1979), who went off at .05-1 (1-20). He paid $2.10.
Longest shot to win: Stately Victor (2010), who went off at 40.10-1. He paid $82.20.
Most recent post-time favorite to win: Essential Quality, who won in 2021 at 2-5.
Largest margin of victory: The largest margin of victory was turned in by Arts and Letters, who won the 1969 race by 15 lengths. He was followed by Alydar (13-length winner in 1978) and Sinister Minister (12¾-length winner in 2006).
Track record for 1 1/8 miles: 1:47.75 set by 5-year-old Noble Bird when he won the Hagyard Fayette (G2) on Oct. 29, 2016.
Geldings: Classic Car Wash is bidding to become the seventh gelding to win. The others: Fencing (1937), Ruhe (1951, 2nd div.), Rockhill Native (1980), Bachelor Beau (1986), Prairie Bayou (1993) and Dominican (2007).
Keeneland sales graduates: Eight of the 11 entrants are alumni of Keeneland sales.
Blazing Sevens, a $140,000 purchase as a yearling at the 2021 January Horses of All Ages Sale. Consignor: Denali Stud, agent. Buyer: Chestnut Valley Farm.
Clear the Air, a $95,000 purchase at the 2021 September Yearling Sale. Consignor: Calumet Farm. Buyer: Ryder Finney, agent.
Major Blue, a graduate of two sales. $60,000 purchase as a weanling at the 2020 November Breeding Stock Sale. Consignor: Claiborne Farm. Buyer: Cooper Bloodstock. $95,000 purchase at the September Sale. Consignor: Hunter Valley Farm, agent. Buyer: D. Wayne Lukas, agent.
Mendelssohns March, a $110,000 purchase at the September Sale. Consignor: James B. Keogh (Grovendale), agent. Buyer: Kenneth McPeek, agent.
Raise Cain, a $180,000 purchase at the September Sale. Consignor: Warrendale Sales, agent. Buyer: Andrew N. Warren.
Scoobie Quando, a $160,000 purchase at the September Sale. Consignor: Bluewater Sales, agent. Buyer: Andrew N. Warren.
Tapit Trice, a $1.3 million purchase at the September Sale. Consignor: Gainesway, agent. Buyer: Whisper Hill Farm.
Verifying, a $775,000 purchase at the September Sale. Consignor: Hunter Valley Farm, agent. Buyer: Justin Casse for M.V. Magnier
Pedigrees:
Good Magic (sire of Blazing Sevens) won the race in 2018.
Noble Bird (sire of Classic Car Wash) holds Keeneland’s track record for 1 1/8 miles, the distance of the Toyota Blue Grass. Noble Bird won the 2016 Hagyard Fayette (G2) at the distance in 1:47.75.
Tapit (sire of Tapit Trice) sired 2021 winner Essential Quality.
Hayes Strike is a half-brother to 2017 Stonestreet Lexington (G3) winner Senior Investment.
Mendelssohns March is a half-brother to stakes winner Mr. Big News, who in 2020 was sixth in the Toyota Blue Grass and third in Kentucky Derby.
Raise Cain is out of a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Unrivaled Belle, dam of two-time champion Unique Bella.
Scoobie Quando is a half-brother to Canadian champion Global Access.
Sun Thunder’s second dam is champion Maryfield.
Tapit Trice is out of a half-sister to champion Jaywalk.
Verifying is a half-brother to champion Midnight Bisou.
Owners:
Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael B. Tabor (members of the partnership that owns Verifying) have previously won the race. Magnier and Tabor were partners in the ownership of High Yield (2000). Tabor and Smith raced Bandini (2005).
Kevin Moody’s Cypress Creek Equine owns Clear the Air and co-owns Sun Thunder with Ramon Tallaj’s R.T. Racing Stable.
Andrew K. Warren and Rania Warren own two starters: Raise Cain and Scoobie Quando.
Trainers:
Kenny McPeek is bidding to become the first trainer to twice win the Blue Grass and Ashland in the same year. He won Friday’s Central Bank Ashland (G1) with Defining Purpose and is sending out three horses (Hayes Strike, Sun Thunder and Mendelssohns March) in the Toyota Blue Grass.
McPeek is one of six trainers who have won the Blue Grass and Ashland in the same year:
- Ben Jones in 1948 (Coaltown and Bewitch)
- Woody Stephens in 1949 (Halt and Tall Weeds)
- George Poole in 1971 (Impetuosity and You All)
- LeRoy Jolley in 1976 (Honest Pleasure and Optimistic Gal)
- D. Wayne Lukas in 1987 (War and Chic Shirine)
- Kenny McPeek in 2002 (Harlan’s Holiday and Take Charge Lady)
Todd Pletcher (Tapit Trice) has three wins: Bandini (2005), Monba (2008) and Carpe Diem (2015).
Chad Brown (Blazing Sevens) has two wins: Good Magic (2018) and Zandon (2022).
McPeek (Hayes Strike, Mendelssohns March and Sun Thunder) has two wins: Harlan’s Holiday (2002) and Java’s War (2013). McPeek is the first trainer since Pletcher in 2016 to have three entrants.
Lukas (Major Blue) has two wins: War (1987), High Yield (2000).
Brad Cox (Verifying) won with Essential Quality (2021).
Sending out their first starters are Ben Colebrook (Raise Cain and Scoobie Quo) and Will Walden (Clear the Air).
Jockeys:
Brian Hernandez Jr. is bidding to become the seventh rider to win the Blue Grass and Ashland in the same year. He won Friday’s Central Bank Ashland (G1) on Defining Purpose and is riding Mendelssohns March in the Toyota Blue Grass.
Six jockeys have won the Blue Grass and Ashland in the same year:
- Eddie Arcaro in 1942 (Shut Out and The Swallow)
- N.L. Pierson in 1948 (Coaltown and Bewitch)
- Conn McCreary in 1949 (Halt and Tall Weeds)
- Braulio Baeza in 1976 (Honest Pleasure and Optimistic Gal)
- Bill Shoemaker in 1982 (Linkage and Blush With Pride)
- Mike Smith in 1994 (Holy Bull and Inside Information)
Luis Saez (Tapit Trice) has two wins: Brody’s Cause (2016) and Essential Quality (2021).
Javier Castellano (Classic Car Wash) won on Vekoma (2019).
Brian Hernandez Jr. (Mendelssohns March) won on Art Collector (2020).
Joel Rosario (Raise Cain) won on Brilliant Speed (2011).
Riding in the race for the first time are David Cabrera (Major Blue) and Luan Machado (Scoobie Quando).