Hansen could get bogged down in the Blue Grass Stakes
The champion 2-year-old of 2011, Hansen, might have the toughest assignment of his career so far in the Grade 1, $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes when he breaks from post number four under jockey Ramon Dominguez.
The 6 to 5 morning line favourite for the Blue Grass Stakes will have plenty of horses coming toward him from the outside and the nearly white colt, who has made front running his signature style of winning races could have a problem or two with a crush
of horses bearing down on him.
There could be a different scenarios that could occur in the race and it would be silly to make it a pre race predicament, and that is where trainer Michael Matz has shown a clear head when he said that he can’t concern himself with all the potential scenarios.
Though, the fact that Hansen will have company on top, the worst possible scenario could be Hansen stumbling from the gate and losing that swift start to have a slight chance of over running the horses that are to break from the outside. Or it could be that
he misses his timing and gets bogged down because a lack of space.
The Blue Grass Stakes has reeled in the second largest field in the 88th running of the race, only once 14 horses ran in the race and that was way back in 1984.
Ramon Dominguez, who might mount Hansen in the Kentucky Derby is taking the mount here at Blue Grass Stakes, and the favourite is expected to make a huge statement in one of the last major prep races for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.
“Ideally, I’d like him to go [six furlongs] in 1:15 and change, but I know that’s not going to happen,” Maker said. “There are 13 horses in here, and it’s going to be nothing compared to when there’s 20 in the Derby. I’ll just have Ramon let him run out
of there, place himself, and what happens after that happens. If they all try to take a run at him, I’m confident he can just sit there and relax and still run his race.”
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