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Stately Victor left getting into the Kentucky Derby to the last minute, but he did so in a big way in the Gr. 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. His only previous graded stakes experience had come on Oct. 10 in the Gr. 1 Breeders' Futurity, also at Keeneland, where he finished a dismal sixth and well behind Noble's Promise, a Kentucky Derby rival.
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Winless in his next four races at Gulfstream Park, this Michael Maker trainee's dreams of making it to the Run for the Roses seemed to be getting slimmer by the race. As well, the Blue Grass field included top contenders Aikenite, Odysseus and Interactif. But with a powerful rally, Stately Victor weaved his way to victory and the $450,000 winner's share, guaranteeing him a berth in the Kentucky Derby.
Stately Victor is a son of 2004 Breeders' Cup Classic champion Ghostzapper, which suggests he should be able to get the 1 ¼ mile distance and handle the dirt track despite his exclusive success on synthetics. Alan Garcia, who piloted Stately Victor to his Blue Grass Stakes win, will get the call on Derby Day.
One of Todd Pletcher's contenders, Super Saver is a dirt-experienced 3-year-old who has yet to win a race in 2010 – though he has come close. He closed out his 2-year-old campaign with a pacesetting win in the $150,000 Gr. 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs – a win that should serve him well when he returns to the same track in the Kentucky Derby on May 1.
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On March 13 in the Gr. 3 Tampa Bay Derby, his swift initial pace wasn't enough to deter two latecomers who nipped him for victory in the final strides. And it was the same story in the Gr. 1 Arkansas Derby on April 10 when he was surprised in the late going by rival Line of David and had to settle for runner-up.
But in the Kentucky Derby, the son of Maria's Mon will have a big advantage: He will be ridden by Calvin Borel, who piloted longshot Mine That Bird to victory in the 2009 edition of this race.
One of this year's top Kentucky Derby contenders is Sidney's Candy, who will go into the Derby riding an impressive four-race win streak. Though he broke his maiden on dirt, Sidney's Candy has competed exclusively on synthetic tracks for all of his graded stakes races. With wins in the Gr. 2 San Vincente Stakes and the San Felipe Stakes as well as in the Gr. 1 Santa Anita Derby, Sidney's Candy has steadily stretched out in distance and shown great improvement and maturity. In his Santa Anita Derby score, he even defeated top rival Lookin At Lucky despite a poor start and earned a career-high 100 Beyer Speed Figure. John Sadler's trainee is currently fourth on the graded stakes earnings list with $630,000.
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Sidney's Candy is a son of Candy Ride, who won the 1 ¼ mile Gr. 1 Pacific Classic over dirt in 2003. He was an early arrival at Churchill Downs and posted a 5-furlong work in :59.80 on April 17. With his versatility and improving form, Sidney's Candy is one to watch on May 1. Twenty-year-old Joe Talamo is slated to get the mount for the Kentucky Derby.
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