Notes about the Toyota Blue Grass

Godolphin’s undefeated champion Essential Quality is the 3-5 morning line favorite in today’s 97^th running of the $800,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2). The race joins the 84^th running of the $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) among six graded stakes worth $2.1 million being run today.

Here is additional information about the Toyota Blue Grass to aid in your coverage:

TV and online coverage: Thanks to the Keeneland Livestream Powered by Kentucky Utilities, fans can watch all Spring Meet races live and at no charge on Keeneland.com, Keeneland Race Day App, Keeneland Select, Keeneland’s Facebook page and Keeneland’s YouTube page.

NBC Sports Network will televise the Toyota Blue Grass along with the Wood Memorial (G2) Presented by Resorts World Casino from Aqueduct and Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Post time for the Toyota Blue Grass is 6:35 p.m.

Programs: Click here for complimentary Digital Programs Presented by Baird or download them off the Keeneland Race Day app on your phone or tablet. Click here for the list of locations that are selling Keeneland programs.

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 May 1 Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve. 

The second-place finisher in the Toyota Blue Grass earns 40 points, followed by 20 points to the third-place finisher and 10 points to the fourth-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 (Art Collector, 2020)
4          14
5          11 
6          7

7          3

8          6
9          2
10        3 

11        2
12        0
13        1 (Goyamo, 1954)
14        0

Wagering: All-sources wagering was a record $25,809,200 on the 11-race 2019 Toyota Blue Grass card. Second is the $23,834,973 wagered on July 11, 2020, when the race was run during Keeneland’s unprecedented Summer Meet.

Keeneland’s record for single-day on-track handle is $2,968,451 from Toyota Blue Grass Day on April 14, 2012.

Odds
The shortest-priced favorite to win was Spectacular Bid (1979), who went off at .05-1 (1-20). He paid $2.10.

The longest shot to win was Stately Victor (2010), who went off at 40.10-1. He paid $82.20.

The most recent post-time favorite to win was Vekoma, who won in 2019 at 7-5. Vekoma joined Coaltown in 1948 as Blue Grass winners with just three previous career starts.

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). 

Fastest times: The stakes record is 1:47 1/5, set by Skip Away in 1996. The track record for 
1 1/8 miles is 1:47.75 set by 5-year-old Noble Bird when he won the Hagyard Fayette (G2) on Oct. 29, 2016. 

Maiden winner: In 2017, Irap became the first maiden to win. He paid $64.60 to win. 

Largest fields: Fourteen horses ran in the race in 1954, 1974, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Keeneland sales representatives: Five entrants are graduates of Keeneland sales. They are:

Hidden Stash, a $50,000 purchase at the 2019 September Yearling Sale. Consignor: Vinery Sales, agent for Rhineshire Farm. Buyer: BBN II Racing.

Highly Motivated, a $240,000 purchase as a weanling at the November Breeding Stock Sale. Consignor: Lane’s End, agent. Buyer: Mike Ryan, agent.

Leblon was offered at the 2019 September Sale. Consignor: Hidden Brook, agent for Bonne Chance Farm

Sittin On Go is a graduate of two sales. $65,000 purchase as a weanling at the 2018 November Sale. Consignor: Wynnstay Sales. Buyer: Albaugh Family Stable/Kempton, agent. Offered at the 2019 September Sale. Consignor: Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

Untreated sold at two sales. $550,000 purchase at the 2019 September Sale. Consignor: Ashview Farm (Bryan and Gray Lyster), agent. Buyer: Bradley Thoroughbreds, agent. $300,000 purchased as a horse of racing age at the 2021 January Horses of All Ages Sale. Consignor: Lane’s End, agent for the Complete Dispersal of the Estate of Paul Pompa Jr. Buyer: Steve W. Young, agent. 

Jockeys
Rafael Bejarano (Hidden Stash) won the race on Dominican (2007).

Javier Castellano (Highly Motivated) won the race on Vekoma (2019).

Joel Rosario (Untreated) won the race on Brilliant Speed (2011).

Luis Saez (Essential Quality) won the race on Brody’s Cause (2016).

Riding in the race for the first time are David Cohen (Keepmeinmind), Santiago Gonzalez (Hush of a Storm) and Albin Jimenez (Leblon). 

Trainers
Todd Pletcher is bidding to become the seventh trainer to win the Blue Grass and Ashland in the same year. He is saddling Untreated in the Toyota Blue Grass and Malathaat in the Central Bank Ashland.

Trainers who have swept the Blue Grass and Ashland in the same year are:

• 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 ChargeLady) 

Pletcher has three wins in the Blue Grass: Bandini (2005), Monba(2008) and Carpe Diem (2015).

Other trainers who have won the race are:

Dale Romans (Sittin On Go), who won with Dullahan (2012) and Brody’s Cause (2016).

Chad Brown (Highly Motivated), who won with Good Magic (2018).

Sending out their first starters are trainers Brad Cox (Essential Quality), Robertino Diodoro (Keepmeinmind), Paulo Lobo (Leblon), Billy Morey (Hush of a Storm) and Vicki Oliver (Hidden Stash).

Owners
Albaugh Family Stables won the 2016 Toyota Blue Grass with Brody’s Cause, sire of Sittin On Go.