But John Velazquez and Bluegrass Cat had a different idea.

"It looked like he was moving easily, and when we got alongside Bluegrass Cat, I was very confident."

Jara crouched motionless atop Jazil and let him pass Bluegrass Cat on his own.

He took on Bluegrass Cat and put him away and he said goodbye to the rest of them.

Sent off at 2-5, Bluegrass Cat could not get past Deputy Glitters, another former claimer, in the stretch.

Entering his 3-year-old campaign, Bluegrass Cat was considered a top contender to win the Kentucky Derby.

That performance started with Bluegrass Cat biding his time.

Velazquez allowed Bluegrass Cat to settle into second down the backstretch, and his mount was ready to strike at any time.

He did seem to think Bluegrass Cat would take a back seat to any horse.

"We were better than everyone else," said Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Bluegrass Cat, who finished second at odds of 30-1.