Pyro faces 11 rivals in deep Blue Grass

Louisiana Derby (G2) and Risen Star S. (G3) hero PYRO (Pulpit) will bring top

credentials into Saturday's $750,000 Blue Grass S. (G1), but the Steve

Asmussen-trained colt will face plenty of capable challengers in the strong

12-horse field. As Street Sense showed last year when finishing second over the

Polytrack prior to his stirring Kentucky Derby (G1) victory, winning isn't the

most important thing at Keeneland. Connections are looking for a positive effort

to build upon three weeks later in the Run for the Roses.

"We expect (Pyro) to run well," said David Fiske, who represented owner

Winchell Thoroughbreds at the Blue Grass draw. "We just want a good effort and

for Pyro to come back happy. The motto of the (NCAA men's college) basketball

tournament last week was to survive and advance. That's all we want."

Pyro recorded only a maiden special weight victory at two, but he showed top

class when finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and Champagne S.

(G1). The dark bay colt has performed at a higher level this year, winning both

the Louisiana Derby and Risen Star convincingly, and the dark bay displayed an

admirable grittiness in both starts, overcoming obstacles in his path to win

going away. Pyro has trained forwardly at Keeneland in preparation for

Saturday's 1 1/8-mile event, and regular rider Shaun Bridgmohan will guide him

from post 7.

Fountain of Youth (G2) winner COOL COAL MAN (Mineshaft) will bring a two-race

win streak into the Blue Grass, winning both times from the rail. His

connections are hoping that the third time is a charm as Cool Coal Man once

again drew the innermost post in the Blue Grass. The Nick Zito runner opened

this season with a sharp allowance score going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park,

and he settled into a perfect stalking position before launching his move on the

far turn of the Fountain of Youth, surging to the lead at the top of the stretch

en route to a half-length decision. Kent Desormeaux picked up the mount last

time, and he'll be back in the saddle on Saturday.

Trainer Todd Pletcher is responsible for the uncoupled runners COWBOY CAL

(Giant's Causeway) and MONBA (Maria's Mon), who both need a strong showing to

garner enough graded earnings for the Kentucky Derby. The former made his mark

on the turf over the winter, winning the Tropical Park Derby (G3) and Laurel

Futurity in superb fashion, but he came up short last time when finishing second

in the grassy Hallandale Beach S. at Gulfstream. Cowboy Cal will make his

Polytrack debut on Saturday with jockey John Velazquez. Monba earned respect

when finishing a fast-closing fourth in the CashCall Futurity (G1), overcoming a

terrible start and traffic problems to finish only 2 1/4 lengths back in

December. However, nothing went right for the gray colt when he made his 2008 bow in

the Fountain of Youth as he got checked hard on the first turn and suffered a

gash on his leg. He'll return off a 48-day freshening with Edgar Prado.

Big Truck is motoring his way to the Derby (Joseph DiOrio/Horsephotos.com) BIG TRUCK (Hook and Ladder) has really come on in his last two starts for Barclay Tagg, rallying well to be a close second in the Sam F. Davis S. prior to a fast-finishing victory in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) last out. Both efforts came at Tampa Bay Downs, and the New York-bred colt will be making his first start over Polytrack while stepping into deeper water in the Blue Grass. "This is a very tough race," Tagg observed. "It could be the (Kentucky) Derby itself." Big Truck, who drilled four furlongs in a bullet :46 3/5 at Keeneland on Tuesday, will break from post 6 under Eibar Coa. VISIONAIRE (Grand Slam), third when making his stakes debut in the Risen Star two starts back, will enter the Blue Grass off an encouraging win in the Gotham S. (G3) at Aqueduct. However, the chestnut colt got the worst of the Blue Grass draw with post 12. He still has Derby-winning conditioner Michael Matz in his corner, and the improving Visionaire remains a threat to make his presence felt from off the pace. Jose Lezcano will travel up from Florida to retain the mount. HALO NAJIB (Halo's Image) and MEDJOOL (Monarchos), the respective second- and third-place finishers in the Lane's End S. (G2), will both return in the Blue Grass. The Dale Romans-trained Halo Najib finished third when opening his three-year-old season in the Hutcheson S. (G2) and won the O.B.S. Championship S. next time out. Following a sixth in the Fountain of Youth, the chestnut colt offered a solid run for second over the Polytrack in the Lane's End. Halo Najib will receive an interesting rider switch to Garrett Gomez, but he drew a bad outside post (11). Medjool recorded a smart 4 1/2-length maiden special weight win over the Cushion Track at Santa Anita two starts back and rallied late for third when making his graded debut in the Lane's End. Michael Baze will pilot the David Hofmans-trained colt.

KENTUCKY BEAR (Mr. Greeley), an outstanding debut maiden winner at Gulfstream

Park two starts back, will get the opportunity to rebound following a seventh as

the 4-1 third choice in the Fountain of Youth, and MINER'S CLAIM (Mineshaft),

who just missed when making his stakes debut in the Rushaway S. most recently,

will get the chance to make an impact at the graded level. The other contestants

are STEVIL (Maria's Mon), a maiden winner from the Zito stable who exits a fifth

in the Louisiana Derby, and the D. Wayne Lukas-trained STONE BIRD (Grindstone),

who will invade Keeneland off an eighth in the Rebel S. (G2) at Oaklawn Park.

Cool Coal Man will be followed in the post parade by Kentucky Bear, Jamie

Theriot; Cowboy Cal; Stevil, Rafael Bejarano; Monba; Big Truck; Pyro; Stone

Bird, Corey Lanerie; Medjool; Miner's Claim, Patrick Husbands; Halo Najib; and

Visionaire.

All runners will carry 123 pounds.