Toyota Blue Grass Stakes

Only one contender within the Top 12 was in action last week. But Sunday's news about 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) being declared off the GI Kentucky Derby trail left a void within the top tier that widens the gap between the juvenile champ and a cast of aspirants aiming to define themselves at longer distances. 1) FORTE (c, Violence--Queen Caroline, by Blame) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-South Gate Farm (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP....

Keeneland has announced a revamped stakes schedule for its 15-day 2022 Spring Meet, which will be held from Apr. 8-29. A total of 19 stakes will be run, and all have received purse increases for a total of $7.7 million in total stakes purses. Among notable changes are that the Apr. 9 GII Toyota Blue Grass S., Keeneland's main GI Kentucky Derby prep, will once again offer a $1-million purse (it was $800,000 last year); and the $600,000 GI Central Bank Ashland ($400,000 in 2021) will be contested on opening...

Hush of a Storm (Creative Cause), a scratch from Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks despite having won that event's local prep, could make his next start in Keeneland's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. next Saturday. "We hope to run in the Blue Grass," trainer Bill Morey said Sunday morning from Keeneland. "When we scratched, we brought him here yesterday afternoon." The $75,000 OBS April grad has won his last three starts, all on the Turfway Tapeta, including the John Battaglia Memorial S. Feb. 26.

All-sources wagering during Keeneland's five-day summer meeting, which concluded Sunday, totaled $63,299,331, with average daily all-sources handle reaching $12,659,866. Wagering was boosted by a single-day all-sources handle for Saturday's 10-race Toyota Blue Grass card of $23,834,972, second only to the record $25,809,200 set for last year's 11-race Blue Grass Day card. The All-Stakes Pick Five Saturday handled $1,395,051, well above the former record of $1,079,197 set on Blue Grass Day last year. Keeneland's first-ever summer meet was created after the track's traditional 16-day spring meet was cancelled due to the...

Bruce Lunsford's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Art Collector (Bernardini) returned to trainer Tom Drury's Skylight Training Center base in Goshen, Kentucky Saturday night and options for the colt's next start are still open. "I am going to get with Bruce in the next couple of days and figure out what we will do," Drury said. "Art Collector will stay at Skylight for a little while because it is quieter there and then like we have done before, two weeks or so before he runs we will bring him...