Saturday’s $1 million Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland will be drawn Wednesday among 5 stakes on the opening weekend card in Lexington. This race has produced 23 Kentucky Derby winners all-time, second only to the Florida Derby’s 24, but just 1 since 1995.

Let’s Meet the Contenders for the 2023 Blue Grass Stakes:

Blazing Sevens (Chad Brown)
Disappointing return March 4 in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream, beaten 26 lengths after a rocky start. Last year’s Grade 1 Champagne winner at the 1-turn mile trip followed that up with a no-threat fourth at Keeneland in the 1-1/16 miles Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, though again with trouble at the start. Trainer Chad Brown won this race last year with Zandon and in 2018 with Good Magic, the sire of Blazing Sevens.

Classic Car Wash (Mark Casse)
Runner-up behind fellow Blue Grass contender Tapit Trice in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby. Needs to make up only 2 lengths on that rival to turn the tables. Sire Noble Bird absolutely loved Keeneland, winning the 2016 Fayette by nearly 6 lengths, and adding a local allowance win and runner-up in the ’16 Ben Ali. Mark Casse, who also trained the sire, seeks his first Blue Grass victory.

Hayes Strike (Kenny McPeek)
Inconsistent son of Connect comes off perhaps the best race of his career, winning the 2-turn Private Terms at Laurel. The concern could be that the worst race on his form came in his lone Keeneland attempt, though a troubled start may give him that October mulligan. Trainer Kenny McPeek won this race in 2013 with Java’s War. Sire Connect also has Kentucky Oaks contender The Alys Look, third in the Fair Grounds Oaks after winning the Silverbulletday.

Major Blue (D. Wayne Lukas)
Potential pace player comes off back-to-back Oaklawn victories in virtual wire-to-wire style. Modest mid-pack finishes in his first 2 starts, but found his stride of late with wins at 1 mile and last time cutting all the way back to 5-1/2 furlongs. Sire Flatter has been responsible for 4 local dirt stakes winners from 7 furlongs to 1-1/16 miles. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ Blue Grass victories came in 1987 with War and 2000 with High Yield.

Mendelssohns March (Kenny McPeek)
Easily the least-experienced runner in the Blue Grass lineup this year with only 2 starts, but he’s unblemished and set for his stakes debut. Bred for grass top and bottom of his pedigree, he debuted a turf winner, but transitioned to win on a sloppy main track at Oaklawn in allowance company in March. Sire Mendelssohn was versatile, winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at 2 and finishing second in the Travers on dirt at 3. Trainer Kenny McPeek won this race in 2013 with Java’s War.

Raise Cain (Ben Colebrook)
Smashing winner of Aqueduct’s 1-turn mile Gotham Stakes by 7-1/2 lengths as a 23-1 longshot. This Keeneland Fall Meet maiden breaker also ran third locally on Breeders’ Cup weekend in the Bowman’s Mill Stakes. Part of a top class for sire Violence, who is represented by Florida Derby winner and expected Kentucky Derby favorite Forte. Trainer Ben Colebrook aims for his first Blue Grass victory.

Scoobie Quando (Ben Colebrook)
Turfway winter product won the Turfway Prevue in his career debut and followed up with a pair of runner-up efforts since. The latter came in the John Battaglia Memorial at 1-1/16 miles. Trainer Ben Colebrook also has Grade 3 Gotham winner Raise Cain in the field and aims for his first Blue Grass victory. Among sire Uncle Mo’s Keeneland dirt winners is 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Nyquist, who would go on to win the Kentucky Derby the following May.

Sun Thunder (Kenny McPeek)
Late-runner was compromised by a slow pace in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby when finishing fifth of 12. His rallying second in the Grade 2 Risen Star was bolstered last Saturday when that race’s winner Angel of Empire returned for an impressive Grade 1 Arkansas Derby score. He’s teetering on the edge of enough Kentucky Derby qualifying points, so will be pressed into duty here on 14 days’ rest. Trainer Kenny McPeek won this race in 2013 with Java’s War. Into Mischief has more Keeneland dirt winners than any other sire since the main track returned to dirt.

Tapit Trice (Todd Pletcher)
Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby winner rides a 3-race winning streak into the Blue Grass, defeating return rival Classic Car Wash by 2 lengths last time out. This will be his fourth different track in his last 4 starts. Trainer Todd Pletcher is a 3-time Blue Grass winner: 2005 Bandini, 2008 Monba and 2015 Carpe Diem. Son of Tapit, who sired 2021 Blue Grass victor Essential Quality. The Pletcher's barn recent roll includes wins in the Louisiana Derby (Kingsbarns) and Florida Derby (Forte) the past 2 weekends.

Verifying (Brad Cox)
Son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify bids for his first career stakes win. Second-best to Blue Grass rival Blazing Sevens in last year’s Grade 1 Champagne Stakes. Most recently fourth in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn after a troubled trip as the 3-2 favorite. Brad Cox saddled 2021 Blue Grass winner Essential Quality and notched 5 Triple Crown trail preps this winter-spring at Fair Grounds and Oaklawn, topped last Saturday by Angel of Empire in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.

Check back following Wednesday’s post position draw for updated field notes.