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Monba’s win sends Pletcher to Derby

Associated Press The Spokesman-Review

Count trainer Todd Pletcher in for the Kentucky Derby.

Down to perhaps his last chance to return to the Derby, Pletcher is headed to Churchill Downs after Monba won the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, and stablemate Cowboy Cal finished second.

The results give the nation’s top trainer two 3-year-olds on the rise and with enough prize money to run in the Derby in three weeks.

Cowboy Cal and Monba ran 1-2 around the far turn over the synthetic surface Polytrack. Monba, ridden by Edgar Prado, wore down Cowboy Cal in the stretch and won by a neck. Kentucky Bear, a 27-1 long shot, was third, 1 1/4 lengths farther back.

Pyro, the even-money favorite, 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.

Monba covered the 1 1-8 miles in 1:49.71 before a crowd of 26,000 on a cloudy and unseasonably cool day.

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.

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.

Arkansas Derby

Gayego held off hard-charging Z Fortune down the stretch to win the $1 million race at Hot Springs, Ark., in a race that should bolster both colts’ Kentucky Derby prospects.

Gayego, the morning-line favorite, went to the lead along the backstretch but had to hold off Z Fortune. He won by about a half-length, covering the 1 1-8 miles in 1 minute, 49.63 seconds – slightly faster than 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin ran the race last year.

In years past, the Arkansas Derby has been a proving ground for some of the world’s finest 3-year-olds. Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex, Lawyer Ron and Curlin all won it, cementing the race’s status as one of the top Kentucky Derby preps.