Dominant Carpe Diem Dazzles in Blue Grass, Maria Lovely in Ashland

Carpe Diem overwhelmed the opposition in the $1-million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland race Course. (Coady Photography)
Carpe Diem seized yet another prep race victory on April 4 when the highly regarded Kentucky Derby hopeful won the $1-million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes by 3 lengths at Keeneland Race Course.
Positioning Carpe Diem just off of Ocho Ocho Ocho’s flank through most of the 1 1/8-mile race, it was obvious that jockey Johnny Velazquez was never worried about his horse’s chances to win the race.
On the far turn, Carpe Diem went head to head with Ocho Ocho Ocho and took command, pulling away in the stretch to a visually impressive win.
Velazquez had his stick out and ready but it seemed more to keep the colt’s attention on him rather than the the crowd as Carpe Diem galloped through the lane. Carpe Diem completed the Blue Grass Stakes in a time of 1:49.77 as the 2-to-5 favorite following his 5-length runaway in the Tampa Bay Derby on March 7.
Danzig Moon punched his ticket to the Kentucky Derby by finishing second in the race and earning 40 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard. Ocho Ocho Ocho held on for third and Frammento finished fourth.
This is the second major Kentucky Derby prep win for trainer Todd Pletcher in as many weeks, as he won last week’s Florida Derby with Materality.
Bred by Coffee Pot Stable, Carpe Diem is by leading sire Giant’s Causeway and is out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Rebridled Dreams. Carpe Diem sold for $1.6-million to WinStar Farm and Stonestreet Stable at a 2-year-olds in training sale. Both WinStar and Stonestreet have enjoyed classic success with WinStar winning the 2010 Kentucky Derby with Super Saver and that year’s Belmont with Drosselmeyer and Stonestreet has two wins in the Preakness Stakes (Curlin, 2007; Rachel Alexandra, 2009).
Carpe Diem paid $2.80 to win with the exacta paying $9. 
Lovely Ashland for Larry Jones

Lovely Maria pulled clear to an impressive win in the Ashland Stakes on the Blue Grass undercard Saturday at Keeneland. (Coady Photography)
Larry Jones strengthened his Kentucky Oaks hand at Keeneland on Saturday when he saddled Lovely Maria to win by 3 ¼ lengths in the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland Stakes.
Finishing second to fellow Jones trainee I’m a Chatterbox in her previous start, Lovely Maria was in third soon after the start of the 1 1/16-mile race. The filly settled there as Temper Mint Patty and Angela Renee set the pace, a little more than a length in front of Lovely Maria.
Lovely Maria made a move on the turn at the same time Angela Renee broke away from Temper Mint Patty, but Lovely Maria had a bigger kick and collared the leader as they straightened in the stretch.
By the time the field hit the eighth pole, Lovely Maria had taken the lead and she just kept going, covering the 1 1/16 miles in a time of 1:43.66 and giving jockey Kerwin Clark his first career Grade 1 victory.
Lovely Maria, owned by regular Jones client Brereton C. Jones, went off at 1.90-to-1 odds and paid $5.80 to win.
Angela Renee finished second  as the 2.70-to- co-second choice with Silverpocketsfull another 2 ¾ lengths back in third. Peace And War, who shipped over from England and went off as the co-second choice with Angela Renee, finished last of seven.
For Equibase charts from all of Keeneland’s racing action today, click here.