Pyro set for big Blue Grass Stakes

Horseracing Betting Lines

04/09/2008 - Lexington, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Louisiana Derby winner Pyro headlines a field of 12 for Saturday's $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. The 1 1/8 mile race is one of the last major prep races for this year's Kentucky Derby.

Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Pyro has been made the even-money favorite and will start from post seven with Shaun Bridgmohan returning to ride. Bridgmohan has been the only jockey to ever be on the colt's back.

Pyro has career earnings of $1.05 million with three wins in six starts, going two for two this year. In February he easily won the Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds. Last year he was second to War Pass in both the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Champagne Stakes.

Steve Asmussen, trainer of leading thoroughbred Curlin, conditions Pyro and belives the three-year-old set for a big effort.

"It looks like he's right on target," said Asmussen.

The 4-1 second choice is Fountain of Youth Stakes winner Cool Coal Man. One of Nick Zito's three-year-olds, Cool Coal Man will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux from the inside post.

Zito decided to give Cool Coal Man some extra time to run at Keeneland rather than come back in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on March 29.

"I really wanted a fresh horse," said Zito. "He's two-for-two this year and he certainly looks good, so I just wanted some kind of chance for this horse in the Derby and I hope we get it. I would prefer to have run on a conventional track like Churchill Downs, but the Blue Grass is a good race and I've been lucky in it a lot of times, too. And I saw what Street Sense did last year, and if he could run that kind of race I'll take it and then maybe we'll get lucky in the big one."

Owned by Robert LaPenta, Cool Coal Man has won both starts this year and has captured four of seven lifetime races for $307,531.

LaPenta and Zito will also start Stevil in the Blue Grass. Coming off a fifth place finish in the Louisiana Derby, the gray colt will start from post four and is 30-1 in the morning-line. No rider has been named.

A pair of horses have been installed as co-third choices. Tampa Bay Derby champ Big Truck and Gotham Stakes winner Visonaire are each 6-1 in the program.

Big Truck, with Eibar Coa riding, will break from post six and Visionaire will start from the far outside with Jose Lezcano in the saddle.

Trainer Barcaly Tagg, fresh off a win in the Wood Memorial with Tale of Ekati, conditions Big Truck for Eric Fein. The colt has won three of seven career starts for $336,880.

Visionaire is owned by Vision Racing and Team Valor, and has Barbaro's trainer Michael Matz in charge. The chestnut colt was third to Pyro in the Risen Star Stakes two months back.

The three-year-old has banked $228,260 with three wins in five lifetime starts.

Here is the complete field in position oder for the Blue Grass Stakes: Cool Coal Man, Kent Desormeaux, 4-1; Kentucky Bear, Jamie Theriot, 50-1; Cowboy Cal, John Velazquez, 15-1; Stevil, no rider, 30-1; Monba, Edgar Prado, 15-1; Big Truck, Eibar Coa, 6-1; Pyro, Shaun Bridgmohan, 1-1; Stone Bird, Corey Lanerie, 50-1; Medjool, Michael Baze, 30-1; Miners Claim, Patrick Husbands, 20-1; Halo Najib, Garrett Gomez, 15-1 and Visionaire, Jose Lezcano, 6-1.

Todd Pletcher trains both Cowboy Cal and Monba.

Last year Street Sense followed a second place finish to Dominican in the Blue Grass with a win in the Run for the Roses and a second to Curlin in the Preakess Stakes.

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Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

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