LEXINGTON, Ky. – Picking his way through traffic before unleashing a powerful run, Zandon became one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby with an emphatic 2 1/2-length victory Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Zandon drew off in the final furlong from Smile Happy, who had taken over for front-running Emmanuel in the upper stretch. It was a visually impressive triumph contested over a muddy track amid mid-40s temperatures. “It was just a matter of finding a gap and getting a clean run down the lane,” Prat said. Zandon returned $6.20 after finishing 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.35 and earned 100 qualifying points toward the May 7 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Zandon was given a 98 Beyer Speed Figure. :: Serious horseplayers use serious products. Get DRF's premium past performances, now free for the first time Smile Happy, the 19-10 favorite, was another 3 3/4 lengths before Emmanuel, the 5-1 third choice in a field of 11 3-year-olds. Golden Glider was another half-length back in fourth. Zandon, a dark bay colt by Upstart, is owned by Jeff Drown, a Minnesota industrial contractor who was on hand for the race. Bred in Kentucky by former Gov. Brereton C. Jones, Zandon was second by a nose in the Grade 2 Remsen on Dec. 4 at Aqueduct in just his second and final start at 2. He had raced only once in the interim, finishing a troubled but respectable third in the Feb. 19 Risen Star at Fair Grounds. He earned $573,500 with his Blue Grass breakthrough. Under a sun that finally was peeking out after a second day of brutally cold and rainy weather, Emmanuel streaked to the lead from post 6 in the 98th Blue Grass under Luis Saez, going in splits of 24.04, 48.39, and 1:12.72 before Smile Happy and jockey Corey Lanerie came to call. At the furlong grounds, Smile Happy forged ahead, but he was helpless to counter Zandon when it mattered. Zandon actually was last of 11 passing the half-mile pole while only about six lengths behind Emmanuel. It was there that Prat began picking his way through rivals without losing too much ground, most notably a nifty move passing the three-eighths pole that essentially set Zandon free. From there, the colt made steady progress, shifting out for the drive when getting four left-handed smacks from Prat while pulling clear. “I’d gotten myself covered up, but there was nothing I could do about it,” Prat said. “The pace was a bit slow, so I was wandering down the backside – but I was traveling super.” Brown, who watched the Blue Grass on television at Aqueduct in New York, said afterward: “He took some dirt and was able to push through, and Flavien made all the right moves and never lost his cool. The horse really ran to his training. He’d been training like something special, I’ll tell you that.” Brown, a four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer (2016-19), has gone winless in the Kentucky Derby with five prior starters, his best finish being a runner-up finish by Good Magic, his 2018 Blue Grass winner. His decision to give Zandon only one prep between the Remsen and Blue Grass clearly was the right one. “He’d been training super all winter,” he said. “I think he got a lot of experience from the race at Fair Grounds – it just goes to show that sometimes when you think things don’t work out, I can’t help but think it served him well toward today. :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play like a pro with free Formulator, DRF's premium data product “He didn’t have a smooth trip today, either, and down the backside when he was losing position, I felt terrible. Just terrible. There’s no room for error when you’re trying to get to the Derby. The chances looked a little grim halfway through the race, but the horse persevered. His experience really served him today.” Brown said the Derby distance of 1 1/4 miles should benefit Zandon. “You’d think so,” he said. “He proved it today. He sure looks like a top candidate, at the least.” Brown said Zandon will remain stabled at Keeneland until moving over to Churchill “maybe a couple of weeks before the Derby,” for which the colt will have “one or two works, I’ll have to see” ahead of the race. After the top four, the order was Trademark, Rattle N Roll, Ethereal Road, Commandperformance, Blackadder, Volcanic, and Fenwick. Grantham was an early scratch. The 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass was being run as a Grade 1 for the first time since being downgraded to a Grade 2 in 2017. Once a steady producer of Derby winners, the Blue Grass has not had its winner capture the Derby since Strike the Gold in 1991, with the 2007 Blue Grass runner-up, Street Sense, being the only Derby winner to exit this race in the intervening years. Smile Happy, second in the Risen Star, earned 40 points, also assuring him a spot in the Derby. “He ran super,” said his trainer, Kenny McPeek. “All I was worried about today was the points. Obviously we would’ve liked to win the race, but he needed the points. We didn’t train this horse really hard going into this race. I want to have him fresh for the Derby and Preakness.” The $2 exacta (4-10) paid $15.20, the $1 trifecta (4-10-6) returned $33, and the 10-cent superfecta (4-10-6-7) was worth $33.56. The Blue Grass was the last of five straight graded stakes on a huge day of racing. Prevalence ($7) won the Grade 3 Commonwealth, Spendarella ($3.40) took the Grade 2 Appalachian, Just One Time ($6.60) rallied to win the Grade 1 Madison, and Golden Pal ($3.20) absolutely rolled in the Grade 2 Shakertown. The all-graded stakes pick five paid $84.60 on a 50-cent wager. – additional reporting by David Grening and Nicole Russo