The 2025 Blue Grass Stakes

There is just something about Keeneland in the Spring and The Blue Grass Stakes. I could have done The Wood Memorial or The Santa Anita Derby, both great races but I’ll stick to Lexington and The Blue Grass.

We have had some nice winners of late with Lady Claypole and Tappen Street so we’ll see if we can add another one here.

I thought River Thames ran huge in The Fountain of Youth. He took plenty of heat, had to deal with a big run up, and was run down by a horse the conditions favored. He has the rail and speed and that is always dangerous at Keeneland. That said, I respect him but think he has enough other speed to deal with here for me to go in another direction.

River Thames, East Avenue, and Owen Almighty should provide a legitimate pace up front. Admiral Dennis might even help.

Owen Almighty was handed the race in Tampa. He was allowed to set a slow pace, and nobody was going to catch him off those splits. They will likely go faster here.

East Avenue has a nice win over the track but has disappointed since and he was the lone speed on the stretch-out when he won that race.

I thought Chancer McPatrick was compromised in The Tampa Bay Derby by the slow pace and coming off the lay-off. I thought he would go forward off that race and I still believe that to be the case. He has worked well after the race and should be set to run a big

race. If the speed friendly Keeneland track is playing fair I think he will get back to his winning ways.

I’ll go with Chancer McPatrick to put himself back in the three-year old picture with a strong late run.