Silver Medallion seeks Derby berth via Lexington

Saturday's $200,000, Grade 3

Lexington

Stakes serves as a final opportunity for Silver Medallion to earn his way into the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 7. Currently 24th

on the graded earnings list at $184,334, Silver Medallion would easily vault

into the top 20 with Saturday's $120,000 winner's share, but he will first have

to get past five rivals in the 1 1/16-mile event on Keeneland's Polytrack.

Silver Medallion didn't fare well when seventh in the 2010 Breeders' Futurity

at Keeneland, but he was transferred to Steve Asmussen two starts later and

immediately scored in the grassy Eddie Logan Stakes  at Santa Anita in late December.

The bay colt opened his three-year-old season with an encouraging victory in the

Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby, winning by 1 1/4 lengths over the Tapeta track at

Golden Gate Fields, and was freshened nearly two months for his last effort, a

fourth in the April 9 Santa Anita Derby on dirt.

Silver Medallion figures to appreciate the return to an all-weather track and

will pick up a new rider in Javier Castellano.

Casper's Touch can't be overlooked following his sharp

three-length allowance score earlier in the meet. Trained by Kenny McPeek, the

dark bay faltered badly when trying graded rivals in the Fountain of Youth

Stakes two starts back, but Casper's Touch displayed a dynamic turn of foot on

Polytrack last time, rallying quickly to the lead off the far turn. He rates as

a top contender Saturday with Alan Garcia returning.

Prime Cut is an up-and-coming colt who will be making his stakes

debut in the Lexington. The Neil Howard trainee placed in a couple of

allowance/optional claiming events at Fair Grounds before breaking through with

a commendable victory last out, defeating the highly-regarded Bind at a

mile and 70 yards on March 26. Edgar Prado will be back in the saddle.

Maiden winner Derby Kitten, who exits a runner-up in the April

2 Alligator Alley S. on turf; multiple stakes-placed Taptowne, exiting a

fifth in the Spiral Stakes; and former claimer Hurricane Lake round out the Lexington field.

Two races earlier, five older horses will square off in the $150,000, Grade 3

Ben Ali at 1 1/8 miles, and the 2010 Lexington winner,

Exhi, will

make his first start of the year for Todd Pletcher. The four-year-old colt was

last seen finishing second in the Grade 2 Fayette on the Polytrack in October. His main rivals are

Researcher and Stay Put.

Keeneland will also offer the $100,000

Giant's Causeway for filly and mare turf sprinters, and Stormy Publisher tops a field of 11 in the 5 1/2-furlong affair. The Christophe

Clement-trained mare has won three straight stakes since being imported from

Argentina and will break from the far outside with Garcia. Other contenders

include Rose Catherine, who won four straight stakes for Pletcher

before recording a pair of unplaced efforts in her last two, and last-out

Bienville S. vixen Wild About Marie.