Pletcher gets two contenders to Kentucky Derby

Monba and Cowboy Cal finished 1-2 at the Blue Grass Stakes Saturday.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Todd’s squad came through in the nick of time at Keeneland.

Down to perhaps his last chance to return to the Kentucky Derby, trainer Todd Pletcher now has two contenders after Monba beat stablemate Cowboy Cal by a neck in the Blue Grass Stakes Saturday.

“I was hoping for a dead heat at the end,” said Pletcher, who last year saddled a record-tying five Derby starters. “They were both running so well. You hate to see one of them lose.”

The result gives the nation’s top trainer a pair of 3-year-olds on the rise and with enough prize money for the Derby in three weeks.

Cowboy Cal and Monba ran 1-2 around the far turn over the synthetic surface Polytrack. Urged on by Edgar Prado, Monba wore down Cowboy Cal in the stretch with 27-1 long shot Kentucky Bear 11‚Ñ4 lengths farther back in third.

Pyro, the even-money favorite in the $750,000 Grade 1 race, finished 10th in the 12-horse field but still is headed to the Derby. So is Cool Coal Man, the Fountain of Youth winner who ran ninth as the 6-1 second choice.

A year ago, Pletcher sent out a record-equaling five horses in the Derby, with his best finish a sixth place by Circular Quay. Pletcher is 0-for-19 in the Derby, but won his first Triple Crown race last year when the filly Rags to Riches captured the Belmont Stakes.

The Blue Grass was a dash for cash — and Monba and Cowboy Cal hit the jackpot for Pletcher. If more than 20 are entered in the Derby, preference is given to horses with the highest graded stakes earnings.

Monba came in ranked 41st and Cowboy Cal 39th. Monba earned $465,000 to move into the top 10, while Cowboy Cal collected $150,000 to move into the top 20 at $207,600.

“Both horses showed they belong at the highest level and both horses’ pedigree suggests that they’ll run a mile and quarter,” said Pletcher, who led all trainers with 31 Triple Crown nominees plus three more sent to his barn. “You just got to hope you show up with a healthy horse and get lucky on the day.”

In Saturday’s other Derby prep, Gayego won the Arkansas Derby, with Asmussen’s Z Fortune finishing second. Both horses now have more than enough graded stakes earnings to run in the Derby.

Also, Hey Byrn won the Holy Bull Stakes but remains a long shot to make the Derby field.

Pyro, the top Derby contender off victories in the Risen Star and the Louisiana Derby, was about 10 lengths off the lead around the far turn, and never produced his patented finishing kick under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan.

Pyro’s finish in his first race over Polytrack likely cost him top billing at the Derby, with Florida Derby winner Big Brown now expected to be the favorite.

“He didn’t give me the same run as he has,” said Bridgmohan. “I asked him fro run around the turn to try and set myself up pretty good and I didn’t get the response I was hoping for.”

Added Scot Blasi, assistant to Pyro trainer Steve Asmussen: “He didn’t handle the track, you could see that early on.”

Stevil finished fourth, followed by Visionaire, Miner’s Claim, Halo Najib, Medjool, Cool Coal Man, Pyro, Big Truck and Stone Bird.

Monba paid $19.60, $8.60 and $6.60. Cowboy Cal, ridden by John Velazquez, returned $8.80 and $6.60, and Kentucky Bear paid $8.20 to show. The winning time for 1 1-8 miles was 1:49.71 before a crowd of 26,000 on a cloudy and unseasonably cool day.