LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Tapit Trice edged past Verifying in the stretch and held on to win the $1 million Blue Grass by a neck on Saturday at Keeneland and solidify a spot in the Kentucky Derby.
Objections were immediately filed after an exciting side-by-side duel in which the horses made contact entering the stretch. Stewards quickly upheld the finish after review, giving the Todd Pletcher-trained colt his fourth consecutive victory after starting the 11-horse, Grade 1 race for 3-year-olds on the rail as the 8-5 favorite.
"I feel like he [Verifying] came out and touched my horse to try to get a foul," Saez said just before the finish was upheld.
Clear The Air, an 86-1 long shot, led entering the final turn with Verifying, Major Blue (51-1) and Tapit Trice close behind. Tapit Trice surged from the outside after the final turn and drew even with Verifying before nudging ahead in the final 1/16th mile and holding on. Blazing Sevens was 5 3/4 lengths back in third.
Ridden by Luis Saez, the gray colt covered 1 1/8 mile in 1:50.00 and paid $5.28, $3.12 and $2.64. Tapit Trice earned 100 points with the win and has 150 total to ensure a spot in the 149th Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs. Pletcher, a Hall of Fame trainer, earned his fourth Blue Grass victory and first since Carpe Diem in 2015. Saez won for the second time in three years and third overall.
Verifying, who finished fourth in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in February, returned $3.70 and $2.92 and earned 40 points for 64 total. Blazing Sevens paid $3.74 for show and earned 30 points, while Sun Thunder earned 20 points for fourth.
SANTA ANITA
Favorite wins close race
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Practical Move held off Japan's Mandarin Hero by a nose to win the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday, solidifying his status as a top contender in next month's Kentucky Derby.
Ridden by Ramon Vazquez, Practical Move ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.69. Sent off as the 4-5 favorite, the 3-year-old colt paid $4, $3 and $2.20.
Mandarin Hero returned $6.60 and $4. Skinner was another half-length back in third.
National Treasure finished fourth in his first start in three months after being moved from trainer Bob Baffert's barn to Tim Yakteen, who also trains Practical Move. Baffert is in the second and final year of serving a ban by Churchill Downs Inc.
Practical Move earned 100 qualifying points for the May 6 Kentucky Derby.
WOOD MEMORIAL
Upset at Aqueduct
Lord Miles, 8-5 favorite Hit Show and Dreamlike were bouncing off each other in the stretch, with second-place jockey Manny Franco claiming foul to go with a stewards' inquiry for interference. But no changes were made.
"The one [Dreamlike] came out and Franco [aboard Hit Show] was looking for room and so he bumped into my horse," winning jockey Paco Lopez said. "My horse stayed in line all the time and stayed fighting for the line. It was a tight race."
Franco believes the contact cost him the victory.
"I was right in between those horses like a ping pong ball. They hit me on both sides," he said.
Lord Miles ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.17 and paid $120.50 to win. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., the colt is a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin.
"At the eighth pole, I was thinking go get second and then, wait a minute, and there it was," Joseph said. "He was a horse we thought a lot of and he showed up today when it counted most."