Blue Grass Stakes: Winning $1 Million, Sierra Leone Punches Ticket to Kentucky Derby

With the 2024 Kentucky Derby only one month away, all eyes were on the G1 Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday to find out who would be the latest entrants to compete in the country’s oldest horse racing event. With 2-1 odds, Sierra Leone, winner of this year’s Riser Star Stakes, took home the $1M prize money. Trained by the iconic Chad Brown and raced by Tyler Gaffalione, the three-year-old didn’t hold back when the gates opened.

With the Santa Anita Derby also announcing the latest participants for the Kentucky Derby, Sierra Leone will now have to take a moment to take notes of his high-octane opponents if winning the prestigious race is the aim for the thoroughbred. However, from the look of things, Chad Brown’s horse can take rest easy for a while before diving head first into strategizing.

In the latest post on X by the official TVG account, Sierra Leone’s feat has been shared for the world to witness. “#10 SIERRA LEONE ($5.32) explodes down the stretch to win Keeneland’s $1,000,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G1)!“, reads the caption, while the accompanying video clip shows just how good the Gaffalione-Sierra Leone partnership was at the Keeneland Race Course.

The Three Chimneys Farm-owned horse started steady, while Top Conor (15-1) took an early lead right out of the gates. By the eighth pole, Just A Touch took the lead from Top Conor, only to be chased down by Sierra Leone in a thriller final stretch. With only 1/16 of the race remaining, Tyler Gaffalione and Sierra Leone stormed into the first place to win the race in a last-second nail-biter.

The commentators in the video can barely hide their excitement as the Chad Brown-trained horse took home the winning prize along with securing massive points for the Kentucky Derby. However, things won’t be an easy pass for the Blue Grass Stakes winner, especially with the Santa Anita Derby now concluded.

A difficult race to the top ahead

Trained by Philip D Amato, Stronghold has won the Santa Anita Derby and secured his spot for next month’s race emphatically. The iconic trainer Bob Baffert entered two horses for the race and keeping on par with his legacy, Baffert came out with flying colors. His colt Imagination finished the race in second place, while his other nominee Wynstock came in sixth.

If the ban imposed by the Kentucky Derby authorities on Bob Baffert in 2021 is directed with a temporary injunction, Bob will set his eyes on adding to his six previous wins at the country’s most prestigious race. Considering the stakes that the Kentucky Derby offers, who would be your pick for the coveted first-place finisher this year? Share your thoughts below!

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