So Lonesome Arrives for Blue Grass

Patricia Schuler’s So Lonesome arrived at Keeneland from his winter base at Palm Meadows in South Florida shortly before 7 o’clock Wednesday morning for a shot in Saturday’s $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G1).

Winner of a New York-bred stakes on turf at Aqueduct last fall, So Lonesome finished ninth in the Palm Beach (G3) at Gulfstream Park in his lone start of 2014.

“He did not run the race we expected in the race March 1,” trainer Tom Bush said. “He was flat and just jumped up and down on the hard turf.”

The winner of the Palm Beach, Gala Award, will be waiting here for So Lonesome in the Toyota Blue Grass.

“We had targeted this race all winter,” Bush said about the richest race of Keeneland’s Spring Meet. “I know we are taking a little chance here, but I would be surprised if he did not handle the Polytrack. The Schulers are open to taking a chance and he had a great work (five furlongs in :59.50 on April 2) before leaving Palm Meadows.

“I haven’t given up on him.”

Bush will seek his second Grade 1 victory at Keeneland. Get Stormy won the 2011 Maker’s Mark Mile for Bush, two years after he won the Bryan Station (G3).