Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the last four Eclipse Awards for outstanding trainer and nominated 34 horses to this year’s Triple Crown, but it was not until Monba and Cowboy Cal ran one-two in the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) that the trainer could make plans to visit Churchill Downs on the first Saturday of May.

Monba, who was beaten by 39 ¾ lengths in his last start in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park, bounced back with a winning effort, prevailing by a neck over his stable mate Cowboy Cal to win his first graded stake (one of the final key Derby preps).

The colt earned $465,000 in graded stakes money, assuring him a spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. * Bettors are able to wager on Kentucky Derby future betting odds now at online racebook .

Owned by Starlight Stables and ridden by Edgar Prado, the son of Maria’s Mon will go to the Derby with just four career starts, two as a three-year-old.

“It was beautiful,” said Prado.  “I was a very lucky passenger all the way and through the last sixteenth of a mile when the other horse (Cowboy Cal) was a little tough to get by.”

Cowboy Cal settled for second after setting all of the early fractions under John Velazquez and earned a $150,000 paycheck for his effort.

Monba paid $19.60 to win, and the exacta paid $139.00. The trifecta with longshot Kentucky Bear running third paid $1,656.90 for a $1 ticket.

Pletcher plans to ship the duo to Kentucky and if they come out of the race well, both will be pointed toward the Derby.

Pyro, formerly among the early Derby favorites, was sent off as the even money favorite in the Blue Grass and failed to fire his best, checking in tenth.

The colt was off a step slow and after tracking the pace four wide came even wider into the stretch and failed to threaten.

“I asked him for run around the turn to try and set myself up pretty good and I didn’t get the response I was hoping for,” said jockey Shaun Bridgmohan.  “I realized on the turn that it just wasn’t going to be his day.”

Trainer Steve Asmussen did not seem too worried about the poor effort and said the plan is to run him back in the Derby.

At Oaklawn Park on Saturday, Gayego proved best in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G2), winning by three-quarters of a length over Z Fortune.

Trained by Paulo Lobo and ridden to victory by Mike Smith, the three-year-old son of Gilded Time paid $6.40 for the win and earned $600,000.

Smith may have to make the trip to Hot Springs more often. Last Saturday he won the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap with Zenyetta and the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap on Tiago.

Gayego has now won three of his five career starts and made the three-year-old crop from Southern California look as if they will have a say at Churchill Downs.

There may be a filly taking on the boys in the Derby. Owner Rick Porter and trainer Larry Jones are considering running Eight Belles.

The filly was impressive in her last start, a win in the $250,000 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park on April 6.

There are just two three-year-old graded stakes left that could help a three-year-old gain a starting berth in the Kentucky Derby: The Lexington Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on April 19, and the Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct on April 26.

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Weekly horse racing report is courtesy of Mike Dempsey at Turfnsport.com. Mike has been handicapping races for three decades and runs free horse handicapping contests from his site every week. His exclusive Pointspread.com article appears here Mondays or Tuesdays.