Belgravia and Joe Got Even, who are on the list of leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) by graded stakes earnings, will start in Saturday’s $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) at Keeneland. The 1 1/16-mile race, which will award $201,500 to the winner, is the final graded stakes for 3-year-olds prior to the May 5 Run for the Roses. The all male field will carry 117 pounds.
The Coolmore Lexington will mark the 3-year-old debut for Belgravia, who has $100,000 in graded stakes earnings to rank 23rd behind leader and champion Street Sense. Last fall, the Mr. Greeley colt won the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III) and was fourth in the Hollywood Futurity (gr. I), but an illness set him back this year in his training for the spring classics.
On Tuesday, Belgravia worked five furlongs in 1:03.20 in preparation for the Coolmore Lexington. “It was very good,” said trainer Patrick Biancone “We’re very happy with him, and everything is right.”
Joe Got Even, who was third behind Hard Spun in the Lane’s End Stakes (gr. II) at Turfway Park, has $56,445 in graded stakes earnings, ranking him 27th. Joe Got Even’s three career wins all have been on Polytrack. Last year, the son of Stephen Got Even broke his maiden at Turfway Park in September and won a seven-furlong allowance at Keeneland in October. He captured Turfway’s WEBN Stakes in February.
Among the other starters in the Coolmore Lexington are two runners coming out of the Louisiana Derby (gr. II): Slew’s Tizzy and Soaring By. Others with stakes experience are Forty Grams, who was third in both the Southwest Stakes and WinStar Derby; Sacrifice Bunt, fourth in the Illinois Derby (gr. II); Starbase, who last raced in the Lane’s End; and Trust Your Luck, second in the Rushaway behind eventual Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) winner Dominican.
Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) Race 9 Post 5:20
1 Forty Grams Garrett Gomez
2 Boogiemanball Corey Nakatani
3 Soaring By Edgar Prado
4 Joe Got Even Fernando Jara
5 Moyer’s Pond Shaun Bridgmohan
6 Slew’s Tizzy Robby Albarado
7 Trust Your Luck Kent Desormeaux
8 Belgravia Julien Leparoux
9 Sacrifice Bunt Eddie Castro
10 Starbase Corey Lanerie
