Praetor installed as 2-1 favorite in Lexington; Excellent Truth heads trio of international shippers in Jenny Wiley

After defeating Sovereignty in his maiden win last September, Praetor was sidelined until March, returning with a smashing 7 1/2-length romp over allowance rivals at Gulfstream Park. The Chad Brown-trained colt tops nine three-year-olds in Lexington (G3) at Keeneland, which will also offer the $650,000 Jenny Wiley (G1) for turf distaffers on Saturday’s 11-race program.

The 1 1/16-mile Lexington represents the last stop in the Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series, awarding points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale to the top five, but none of the contestants are in position to qualify with a win. 

Installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite, Praetor will use his stakes debut as a prep for a possible Preakness (G1) bid on May 17, a race Chad Brown has won twice with colts who missed the Kentucky Derby (Cloud Computing and Early Voting). Praetor also will stretch to two turns for the first time, and Flavien Prat guides the bay son of Into Mischief.

Gosger is listed as the 7-2 second choice in his initial stakes attempt. The gray Nyquist colt exits a sharp maiden score at Gulfstream in mid-February, and Irad Ortiz Jr. picks up the mount for Brendan Walsh. Grade 3 winner Bullard, last seen finishing third in the San Vicente (G2), comes next at 9-2 for Michael McCarthy, who trains Kentucky Derby favorite Journalism. By Gun Runner, Bullard will try two turns with regular rider Umberto Rispoli. 

Other runners include impressive maiden scorer Hypnus, who will add blinkers following a disappointing seventh in the Louisiana Derby (G2); and stakes veterans Touchy and Rolando, who will wheel back five days later after finishing third and fourth, respectively, in the seven-furlong Lafayette S. on the Ashland (G1) undercard.

One race later on the card, nine fillies and mares will square off over 1 1/16 miles on turf in the Jenny Wiley. Brown has won a record seven editions, including the last three runnings, and he will take over training duties for French Group 3 winner Excellent Truth, the early 5-2 choice in her U.S. debut.

The five-year-old mare will return from an 8 1/2-month layoff, making her first appearance since a runner-up finish in the Prix de Rothschild (G1) at Deauville, and Prat will take over the reins.

Choisya rates as a major player for Simon Crisford in her first U.S. appearance, recording back-to-back Group 2 wins in Dubai in her last two outings. Multiple English stakes winner Jabaara, runner-up in the Falmouth (G1) last July, has also shipped stateside for Roger Varian.

Kehoe Beach, unraced since a gate-to-wire victory in the Mrs. Revere (G2) last November, will bring a three-race win streak to her four-year-old opener. Be Your Best and Sacred Wish, 1-2 in the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2), add further depth to the field.