Todd Pletcher’s Monba, Cowboy Cal 1-2 in Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland

Posted on Saturday, April 12th, 2008

Monba won the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) Saturday, April 12, at Keeneland and earned a trip to the 2008 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) in three weeks at Churchill Downs.

The son of Maria’s Mon, Monba, wore down stablemate Cowboy Cal in the final sixteenth of a mile to give jockey Edgar Prado his third victory in the 1 1/8-mile race on Polytrack. Finish time for the race was 1:49.71.

“It was beautiful,” said winning jockey Edgar Prado, who won the $400,000 Commonwealth Stakes aboard Rebellion (GB) in the previous race. “I was a very lucky passenger all the way and through the last sixteenth of a mile when the other horse (Cowboy Cal) was a little tough to get by.”

Pyro, the winner of the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) in his last start a month ago and one of the leading 2008 Kentucky Derby contenders, was never in contention and finished 10th as the even-money favorite in the field of 12 3-year-olds.

“I asked him for run around the turn to try and set myself up pretty good and I didn’t get the response I was hoping for,” said jockey Shaun Bridgmohan. “I realized on the turn that it just wasn’t going to be his day.”

Both Monba and Cowboy Cal, who held on for second, are trained by Todd Pletcher. The victory was worth $465,000 for Monba, assuring him a starting spot in the 2008 Kentucky Derby. Horse trainer Todd Pletcher, who won the 2005 Blue Grass Stakes with Bandini, became the second trainer in the race’s history to saddle the one-two finishers.

George Poole sent out Impetuosity and Twist the Axe to run first and second, respectively, in the 1971 Blue Grass Stakes.

“I was hoping for a dead heat right at the end; they were both running so well,” said horse trainer Todd Pletcher. “You hate to see one of them lose. It was nice to see them both show up and run the way they’re capable of.”

Monba is owned by the partnership of Starlight Stable, Donald Lucarelli and Paul Saylor. Jack Wolf’s Starlight Stable won the 2002 Blue Grass Stakes with Harlan’s Holiday, who was ridden by jockey Edgar Prado.

In his last start on February 24 at Gulfstream Park, Monba finished last in the Fountain of Youth, beaten by Cool Coal Man by almost 40 lengths after a troubled start and run into the first turn.

Monba was the 8-1 fourth choice in Keeneland’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and paid $19.60, $8.60 and $6.60. He improved his record to three wins in five starts and increased his lifetime earnings to $577,534, of which $515,000 has come in graded stakes.

Cowboy Cal took the lead soon after the start under John Velazquez and held on stubbornly to finish second and increase his graded stakes earnings to $207,660. The winner of the Tropical Park Derby (gr. III) on the turf in January paid $8.80 and $6.60.

Ridden by Jamie Theriot, Kentucky Bear, a 27-1 outsider who was making only his third career start, was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $8.20.

Three-year-old horses that also raced in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland: Stevil, Visionaire, Minerâ€™s Claim, Halo Najib, Medjool, Cool Coal Man, Pyro, Big Truck and Stone Bird.

www.keeneland.com

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"Todd Pletcher’s Monba, Cowboy Cal 1-2 in Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland" was posted on Saturday, April 12th, 2008 at 6:59 pm and is filed under Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Keeneland, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.