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.