Uncaptured Completes Blue Grass Prep Work

John Oxley’s Uncaptured worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 Saturday morning at Keeneland in his final major prep for next Saturday’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1).

Working in company Steel Dust Dancer, a three-year-old maiden, Uncaptured started the work a couple of lengths behind his stablemate, drew even at the eighth pole and finished three lengths in front. Clockers caught the first three-eighths in :36.60.

Miguel Mena, who has ridden Uncaptured in his past three starts and is scheduled to have the mount in the Toyota Blue Grass, was aboard Saturday morning for the move that pleased trainer Mark Casse.

“It was a good work. I wanted him to go in around 1:01 and that was a nice horse he was working with,” Casse said. “He shut it down pretty quick after the work. A week before a race, I don’t want a huge workout and a big gallop out.

Winner of the Iroquois (G3) and Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) Stakes at Churchill Downs last fall, Uncaptured has accumulated 30 points toward the Kentucky Derby. A top-three finish in the Toyota Blue Grass likely would assure a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.

“We know he likes Churchill Downs, so hopefully he runs well enough here to get us there,” Casse said of Uncaptured, a son of Lion Heart who finished second in the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Racing Spiral Stakes (G3) in his 2013 debut. “I thought his effort in the Spiral was tremendous.”

Casse has another probable Toyota Blue Grass runner for Oxley in Dynamic Sky, who worked five furlongs in company in 1:01.40 over a fast track at Churchill Downs this morning.

“Norman (Casse’s son and assistant trainer) said Dynamic Sky went extremely well this morning,” Casse said of the Sky Mesa colt who finished second here last fall in the Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (G1). “He will come over to Keeneland maybe tomorrow and remain here and have some paddock schooling.”

Casse said Joel Rosario, who rode Dynamic Sky in his most recent start, would have the Toyota Blue Grass mount.