LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Todd Pletcher-trained Tapit Trice is the 5-2 morning-line favorite and will start from the No. 1 post in Saturday’s $1 million Blue Grass at Keeneland, one of three major preps being run this weekend for next month’s Kentucky Derby.
Verifying is the 3-1 second choice and will start from the No. 3 post. Third-choice Raise Cain drew the No. 10 post in the 11-horse on Wednesday. Blazing Sevens is next at 6-1, starting from the No. 8 post.
The 1 1/8-mile, Grade 1 dirt race for 3-year-olds will award points on a 100-40-30-20-10 scale for the 149th Derby on May 7 at Churchill Downs. The other big Derby preps this weekend are the Santa Anita Derby in California and Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York.
Blue Grass post time is 5:15 p.m. on Saturday.
Tapit Trice has three wins and a third in four career starts with victories in both races this year. The son of Tapit and Danzatrice by Dunkirk is coming off a two-length victory over Classic Car Wash in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 11.
Raise Cain won last month’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct and is 2-1-1 in six starts. Verifying seeks his first graded stakes win in six starts after finishing fourth in February’s Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn.
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