by Ron Parker

Cobalt Blue and Cowtown Cat, who are 16th and 18th respectively on the graded stakes earnings list for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), are poised to improve on those positions Saturday in the $500,000 Illinois Derby (G2) at Hawthorne Race Course.

The 1 1/8-mile Triple Crown prep race attracted a field of nine, but if any of the seven challengers to the top pair have Kentucky Derby aspirations they would have to win the race to acquire the necessary earnings to break into the top 20 earners list.

Merv Griffin’s Cobalt Blue, as well as WinStar Farm’s and Gulf Coast Farms’ Cowtown Cat were not even blips on the Triple Crown radar after completing their two-year-old campaigns, having only maiden victories on their résumés. Their three-year-old campaigns have been a different story.

Cobalt Blue is undefeated in two starts this year, both at Santa Anita Park. He started modestly enough with a February 14 allowance win but leaped into prominence with a front-running two-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes (G2) on March 17.

“He’s very versatile, an impressive trainer, and advanced mentally for his age,” trainer Doug O’Neill said.

“We were allowed an easy lead in the San Felipe, but this horse is pretty much push-button. I think he can run from anywhere.”

Three-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Todd Pletcher had intended to run Cowtown Cat in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1), but an injury to Ravel jumbled a lot of plans, including Pletcher’s decision to run Any Given Saturday in the Wood and send Cowtown Cat to Hawthorne. The Distorted Humor colt may have a slight experience edge with six career starts compared with four for Cobalt Blue.

Cowtown Cat opened this year fourth in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park, a race he only lost by a quarter-length, then finished third to Adore the Gold in the Swale Stakes (G2). Sent to Aqueduct for his most recent start he was an impressive winner of the Gotham Stakes (G3) to similarly jump into the Triple Crown picture.

Lawrence Carroll’s Bold Start was soundly defeated by Nobiz Like Shobiz in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) on February 3 at Gulfstream, but rebounded on March 3 to turn a troubled trip into a second-place finish behind King of the Roxy in the Hutcheson Stakes (G2).

Joe Harris’s Catman Running has won two races in as many starts this year on the Turfway Park Polytrack, most recently winning the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes on March 3. That victory extended his winning streak to three, which began December 22 with a 1 1/16-mile maiden win at Hawthorne.

Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer

The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:

1. Sacrifice Bunt (Storm Cat), Jesse Campbell, 122, Bill Mott, 12-to-1;

2. Bold Start (Jump Start), Larry Melancon, 122, Ken McPeek, 9-to-2;

3. Reporting for Duty (Deputy Commander), Christopher Emigh, 122, Steve Asmussen, 15-to-1;

4. Cowtown Cat (Distorted Humor), Fernando Jara, 122, Todd Pletcher, 5-to-2;

5. Cobalt Blue (Golden Missile), Victor Espinoza, 122, Doug O'Neill, 9-to-5;

6. Quite Acceptable (Acceptable), Ramsey Zimmerman, 122, Shannon Ritter, 20-to-1;

7. Catman Running (Tactical Cat), Willie Martinez, 122, Eric Reed, 8-to-1;

8. Family Talk (Talk Is Money), Terry Thompson, 122, Doug O'Neill, 20-to-1; and

9. Love Dubai (E Dubai), Miguel Mena, 122, Michael Maker, 15-to-1.