Bolshoi Boy Is 3-1 Favorite for Thursday’s Blue Grass

Bolshoi Boy, a nonstakes winner but second to Badger Land in the Flamingo and to Country Light in the Louisiana Derby in his last two starts, has drawn the outside post position and has been made a 3-1 favorite in Thursday’s $200,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

The 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass is the last major race for 3-year-olds under consideration for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 3.

Although 10 winners of the Blue Grass have gone on to finish first in the Derby, the last horse to win both races was Spectacular Bid in 1979.

Twelves horses were entered Tuesday for the Blue Grass. All will carry 121 pounds. The field, in post-position order:

Son of the Desert, to be ridden by Harvey Puckett; Bachelor Beau, Larry Melanchon; The Flats, Jerry Bailey; Pillaster, Jose Santos; Strong Performance, Jean-Luc Samyn; Major Moran, Don Brumfield; Big Play, Gary Stevens; Blandford Park, Charles Woods; Blue Buckaroo, Earlie Fires; Icy Groom, Eddie Delahoussaye; Bold Arrangement, Pat Eddery, and Bolshoi Boy, Richard Migliore.

Icy Groom, second in the Santa Anita Derby to Kentucky Derby favorite Snow Chief, is the 4-1 second choice in the morning line.

Bold Arrangement is an English colt making his first start in the United States. Trainer Clive Brittain said that if Bold Arrangement runs in the Kentucky Derby, Laffit Pincay has agreed to ride him.

Eddery is not available for the Derby because he will be riding in England that day. Pincay, who won the Derby with Swale in 1984, lost his scheduled Derby mount when Tasso cut his leg while finishing fourth in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct last Saturday.