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Carpe Diem does not disappoint with easy Blue Grass tally

Carpe Diem could be eyeing a Kentucky Derby win in four weeks (Keeneland/Coady Photography) WinStar Farm and Stonestreet Stables' Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway) will head to the Kentucky Derby (G1) as one of the top contenders following Saturday's easy win in the $1 million Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland, parlaying a front-running trip into a three-length victory. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt was favored at 3-5 over seven challengers with jockey John Velazquez and completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:49 3/5 on the fast track. "The horse had trained really, really well," Pletcher said. "We were excited coming into (the race) and happy to see him deliver." "It was awesome. We knew we had a great horse," Stonestreet Stables' Barbara Banke said. "Todd (Pletcher) had him in great shape. I was happy to see that he loaded into the gate nicely. He broke well. And then, it was just a matter of Johnny (Velazquez) telling him to go at the right time and he went. It was a really nice race. "Like some of the other great horses I have had, he is a fighter and a contender."

The Blue Grass offered points on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the top four and Carpe Diem was already safely in the Kentucky Derby field, earning 50 points when opening 2015 with a facile five-length score in the March 7 Tampa Bay Derby (G2). He increased his overall points' total to 164.

Runner-up Danzig Moon (Malibu Moon) picked up 40 needed points, moving inside the top 20 with 45, and third-placer Ocho Ocho Ocho likely secured his bid while raising his total to 30. Frammento (Midshipman) could find himself on the bubble as his ledger now stands at 20 points.

Carpe Diem recorded his second impressive Grade 1 win at Keeneland  (Keeneland/Coady Photography) Carpe Diem broke well but Ocho Ocho Ocho flashed forward from his innermost post to show the way into the first turn, establishing an opening quarter-mile in :24. Carpe Diem was up close in second entering the backstretch, only a head back after a half-mile :48, and continued to track the pacesetter into the far turn. Velazquez was still sitting chilly in second after three-quarters in 1:12 and gave Carpe Diem his cue entering the stretch. The powerfully-built chestnut accelerated to the front and quickly opened a clear lead, up by 3 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining. Danzig Moon rallied to the outside of Ocho Ocho Ocho to take second in midstretch but was never a threat to the winner, finishing 2 1/2 lengths clear of Ocho Ocho Ocho on the wire. Frammento offered a belated rally to wind up another 1 3/4 lengths behind in fourth. "There wasn't much speed in the race," Velazquez said. "It was a nice slow pace and I didn't want to fight him very much. He was doing it pretty easy. Like Todd said, 'Don't fight him, just let him do it.' Down the lane, I asked him and he responded right away.

"Once he gets to the lead, he wants to wait, so I have to make sure I keep his mind on running."

"I've got respect for Ocho Ocho Ocho, and I think all the California horses are strong," Pletcher added. "We kind of anticipated (Ocho Ocho Ocho) might be the pacesetter. He set a :24 (first quarter-mile) and :48 (half-mile) and you don't expect to put a horse away easily with those kind of fractions. But I liked what I saw (from my horse) the last eighth of a mile."

With the $600,000 payday, Carpe Diem has now bankrolled $1,519,800 from a 5-4-1-0 record. He won at first asking last summer, taking a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga by 2 1/2 lengths, and rolled to a 6 1/4-length victory when making his second start in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland last October.

His lone career setback came via a troubled runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and Carpe Diem opened his sophomore campaign in sparkling fashion in the aforementioned Tampa Bay Derby.

Pletcher, who has a deep contingent of Kentucky Derby prospects, was asked to rate his horses.

"I think you have to put Carpe Diem and Materiality at the top, with Materiality being three for three and a Florida Derby (G1) win, and (Carpe Diem) is perfect this year."

Bred by Coffee Pot Stables in Kentucky, Carpe Diem was the co-topper at last year's OBS March Sale when bringing $1.6 million. He counts Grade 1 winner J. B.'s Thunder (Thunder Gulch) as a half-brother and another prominent half-sibling is multiple English stakes victor and Group 3-placed Doncaster Rover (War Chant). They are all out of Grade 2-placed stakes queen Rebridled Dreams (Unbridled's Song).

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