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Toyota Blue Grass Winner Burnham Square Makes Hasty Return to Churchill Downs

Keeneland presented two Grade 1 races Tuesday, and trainer Ian Wilkes won them both, sending out Burnham Square to win the $1.25 million Toyota Blue Grass two races after Positano Sunset took the $650,000 Resolute Racing Madison.

“Both horses got back last night to Churchill,” Wilkes said Wednesday morning from his main base in Louisville. “Everything is all good. It was a really exciting day for everyone involved.”

Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Burnham Square got up in the last stride to edge East Avenue by a nose in the 1 1/8-mile Toyota Blue Grass.

“I joked with Carl (Nafzger) and said I’m one up on him in the Blue Grass,” said Wilkes, who worked for Nafzger when he won the Kentucky Derby with Unbridled and Street Sense. Both horses were defeated in the Blue Grass in their final preps before the Derby.

In the 7-furlong Resolute Racing Madison,  14-1 longshot Positano Sunset posted a 1-length victory over favored Emery.

Owned by the partnership of Six Column Stables, Randall Bloch, John Seiler and David Hall, Positano Sunset possibly could make her next start in the $1 million Derby City Distaff (G1) Presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery on May 3 going 7 furlongs at Churchill Downs.