Blue Grass Winner Art Collector Returns to Skylight

Bruce Lunsford's homebred Art Collector returned to his home base at Skylight Training Center in Goshen, Ky., the night of July 11 following his 3 1/2-length victory in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.

The victory gave trainer Tom Drury Jr. his first graded stakes win.

"It was a pretty special day," Drury said Sunday morning, noting there was not much time for celebration. "You know how we horse trainers are. I had to get him back to Skylight last night, and I had to be at Churchill Downs at 5:30 (this morning) for the first set. I wound up having a frozen pizza and a cold beer."

Art Collector picked up 100 qualifying points toward the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). He is fourth on the Derby leaderboard with six races remaining in the points series for the classic at Churchill Downs.

"I am going to get with Bruce in the next couple of days and figure out what we will do," Drury said about the eight weeks remaining before the Derby. "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 back to Churchill.

"If we do anything, it likely would be (the Aug. 9 Ellis Park Derby)."

On Saturday night, trainer Kenny McPeek tweeted that Peter Callahan's Blue Grass runner-up, Swiss Skydiver, "came back in good order. Very proud of her race today. We will likely point towards the Kentucky Oaks (G1)."  

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables' Speech is scheduled to return to Del Mar on Monday following her three-length victory in Saturday's Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1).

The victory earned Speech 100 qualifying points toward the Sept. 4  Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Speech has 160 points and ranks second behind Swiss Skydiver, who has amassed a massive 350.

Trainer Michael McCarthy watched his first Keeneland stakes victory from Del Mar.

"Justin Curran was deputizing on my behalf and was very pleased with (Speech and third-place Blue Grass finisher Rushie) this morning," McCarthy said via text.

Jim and Donna Daniell's Rushie is scheduled on the Monday flight to Del Mar.

"Most likely, both will have a few works here at Del Mar before deciding on a Churchill Downs arrival date," McCarthy said about Speech and Rushie.

Rushie is not Triple Crown-nominated, and plans are uncertain for the colt, who picked up 40 qualifying points for the Run for the Roses.

"Nothing is set in stone for Rushie," McCarthy said. "There are plenty of options."