Kentucky Derby 2024: Winning $1 Million in Blue Grass, What are Sierra Leone’s Next Steps?

With the 2024 Kentucky Derby only one month away, the focus was on its qualifier event, which was the G1 Blue Grass. Stakes were high on Saturday as horse racing enthusiasts were vying to know which horse would explode to strike through the Keeneland stomping grounds to qualify for the 150th Kentucky Derby, 2024’s finest and most venerated event.

As per tradition, a lot of fine horses had a lot riding on their coattails and they delivered spectacularly, with each hoofprint striding magnanimously for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. With 2-1 odds, Sierra Leone, winner of this year’s Riser Star Stakes fortunately took home the $1M prize money. In the latest post on X by the official TVG account, Sierra Leone’s feat had been shared for the world to behold, questioning his fate in the offing.

Sierra Leone’s 1 million dollar win unfurls a Pandora’s box of possibilities

While clocking a moderate time of 1:50.08 for 1 1/2 lengths in the

Blue Grass horse race, Sierra Leone clinched the first position in Keeneland and qualified for the next month’s 150th Kentucky Derby. He overtook ‘Just a Touch’ down the stretch and stomped to the finish line by a whopping 1 1/2 lengths respectively. – Yuki Shimono_ Kentucky Derby Instagram

Surging through the final turn to catch pace with the contenders ahead of him, Sierra Leone added more space from his likely competitor, ‘Just A Touch’, to earn 100 points in the qualifying standings finally. Though Sierra Leone faced and overcame several challenges, the 8-5 favorite is now expected to grace the next most awaited Kentucky Derby on May 4, 2024. Many applauded for his signifying victory this time.

Sierra Leone’s racer turned attributor to his gate antics, Tyler Gaffalione stated to BloodHorse.com about the horse’s overall performances. He said, “He has so much ability, and he does things so easily. We haven’t even gotten close to the bottom of him yet.” Sierra Leone will now up the ante and will look to triumph come May.

Kentucky Derby 2024 besieges Sierra Leone’s nimble feet

Sierra Leone, a Gun Runner colt, now looks forward to the G1 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs which is scheduled to be held on May 4. He along with Florida Derby G1’s winner Fierceness are expected to be the favorites in the Derby race that will be estimated at 5 million dollars.

Topping the Kentucky Derby leadership board by a major 155 points, Sierra Leone is expected to lure along with 20 more horses in the Triple Crown at the Derby. Trainer Chad Brown, who notched his third Blue Grass win with Sierra Leone after previously conquering major victories with Good Magic in 2018 and Zandon in the year 2022, also could not stop appreciating the gallant win of the horse. He said, “This horse is just ahead of them, the way he’s marching into the Derby.” It remains to be seen how Leone would amplify and bolstee his chances here.

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