Takeaways from 2024 Blue Grass

Apr 09, 2024 James Scully

One of eight major qualifiers in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, the $1 million Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland on April 6 will yield multiple runners for the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 4. It’s been 33 years since Strike the Gold turned the Blue Grass/Kentucky Derby double, and 2007 runner-up Street Sense is the last contestant to capture the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Here are three takeaways from the Blue Grass.

Sierra Leone rolls to impressive win

Those proclaiming Fierceness as the definitive Kentucky Derby favorite following his 13 1/2-length Florida Derby victory a week earlier needed to reassess after Sierra Leone stormed home to a 1 1/2-length decision in the Blue Grass. The confirmed closer delivered a monstrous performance.

Along with a dynamic finishing kick, Sierra Leone looks built to relish the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby distance.

The dark bay colt faced a strong field over a dirt track playing against wide closers. Speed held well throughout the opening weekend, and every late runner who tried to close wide into the stretch came up short, except for the Blue Grass winner.

In his customary manner, Sierra Leone dropped far back in ninth during the opening stages, began picking up runners while angling in and out on the far turn, and cornered extremely wide into the stretch, powering his way forward with long strides.

The Chad Brown trainee got up late to record his first stakes win over a fast track, scoring by 1 1/2 lengths, and the improving three-year-old will make his fifth career start in the Kentucky Derby. Tyler Gaffalione rides the $2.3 million son of Gun Runner.

He can be captivating to watch. When revved up, the dark bay possesses so much scope that he appears to be covering about twice as much ground per stride as the competition.

And the dark bay still appears to be a work in progress. Sierra Leone refused to load smoothly and drifted inward upon striking the front in the Blue Grass. Similar behavior resulted in his lone setback, a nose second in December’s Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct, when Sierra Leone lost focus and pulled himself up after rallying to the lead in midstretch.

“He has so much ability and he does things so easily,” Gaffalione said after the Blue Grass. “We haven’t even got close to the bottom of him yet.”

Sierra Leone registered a career-best 101 Brisnet Speed rating in the Blue Grass.

Next stop: Kentucky Derby for SIERRA LEONE! 🌹

SIERRA LEONE takes the G1 Blue Grass S. at Keeneland! 🏆 @tyler_gaff pic.twitter.com/ai6eaHtBNM

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) April 6, 2024

Against the flow in all three stakes appearances

Keeneland’s main track played favorably to horses on or close to the early lead, and horses rallying from off the pace needed to avoid traveling wide on the Blue Grass undercard.

Sierra Leone also overcame difficult conditions in his seasonal opener, a deep edition of the Risen Star (G2) over a sloppy Fair Grounds track that favored speed. He spun more than 10 paths wide into the stretch that afternoon, appearing closer to the grandstand than the inner rail, and rallied fast to overhaul a classy rival who had everything his own way on a glacial pace.

After graduating at first asking, Sierra Leone caught a speed-favoring wet track in his stakes debut, December’s Remsen (G2), and wound up being the lone deep closer to make a serious impact on the entire program.

He will need to navigate traffic in a 20-horse field, but Sierra Leone’s ability to overcome adverse circumstances adds to the appeal.

Just a Touch Derby-bound off good second; Dornoch possible pace factor

Just a Touch chased a hot pace in second and advanced boldly to take a clear lead in upper stretch of the Blue Grass. Jockey Florent Geroux thought he was going to win with a sixteenth of a mile remaining, but Sierra Leone came flying into the frame to deny him.

A debut winner sprinting at Fair Grounds in late January, Just a Touch followed with a fine second in a well-regarded edition of the Gotham (G3) over a sloppy Aqueduct oval and made his first two-turn start in the Blue Grass, finishing a clear second. His tactical ability may prove advantageous in a 20-horse field, and the progressing son of Justify will look to keep building upon an encouraging performance.

Dornoch switched to rating tactics, settling just off the speed in fourth, and never made an impact in an even effort. Trainer Danny Gargan said he’s done experimenting with the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Remsen winner, and Dornoch will go back to what he does best by showing speed from the Kentucky Derby starting gate.