For the first time in six decades, the spring meet at Keeneland gets underway on a Thursday. While Thursday’s start to racing is garnering attention, Saturday’s racing card will surely be a big draw as well.
Two races this weekend, the Toyota Bluegrass and the Central Bank Ashland are, as always, key preps for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. Vekoma is the 9-5 morning line favorite in the Bluegrass. Following the post-position draw, his trainer, George Weaver was asked why he chose to bring Vekoma to Keeneland.
Two races this weekend, the Toyota Bluegrass and the Central Bank Ashland are, as always, key preps for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. Vekoma is the 9-5 morning line favorite in the Bluegrass. Following the post-position draw, his trainer, George Weaver was asked why he chose to bring Vekoma to Keeneland.
“Be honest with you, I thought this race was a little easier than the Florida Derby that they just ran the other day and I like the extra week between his layoff race. We gave him a little time over the winter and he ran big off the bench and I just thought he’d run a better race having that extra week,” said Weaver.
Trainer Dale Romans brings two horses into the Bluegrass. He is cautiously optimistic about this year’s three-year-old crop of horses. “We’ve seen over the last several years there’s more parity than usual. There’s usually ends up being one standout, but there’s a lot of parity in this crop and everybody knocks the crop usually early, but let’s see what happens as the year goes on and this might just be a solid group of horses,” said Romans.
The Toyota Bluegrass offers 170 points toward qualification for the Derby. Fourteen horses will go the post in the tenth race Saturday.
Keeneland officials the switch to Thursday was, in part, to allow for a Thursday Night Live event tomorrow but also to avoid racing on Easter. For more on the spring meet.
Weku's Stu Johnson speaks with Keeneland Director of Communications Amy Gregory about opening weekend at the historic track.
