Uncaptured heads an overflow field of 14 runners in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky. This is one of two Kentucky Derby preps on Saturday (the other being the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park) that will conclude the Championship Series on Road to the Kentucky Derby points system.
The new Kentucky Derby points system replaces the graded stakes earnings system as the determiner of Kentucky Derby entrants. In the first phase, the Kentucky Derby Prep Season that concluded in February, the top four finishers in 19 pre-determined races were awarded points of 10-4-2-1, respectively. In the first leg of phase two, the Championship Series, the top four finishers in the eight pre-determined races were awarded points of 50-20-10-5, respectively. The second leg of the Championship Series concludes Saturday. The top four finishers in the seven pre-determined races receive points of 100-40-20-10, respectively. The points system concludes with two wild card races in which the top four finishers will be awarded 20-8-4-2 points, respectively.
Uncaptured, the Mark Casse-trained runner, won six of seven starts as a two-year-old, including the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs. In his only start as a three-year-old, Uncaptured finished second, 1 ½ lengths behind Black Onyx in the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park Mar. 23. He should improve in his second start off the layoff and retains jockey Miguel Mena. This son of Lion Heart has been installed as the morning-line favorite at odds of 7-2.
