Coming off his lone unplaced effort, Maraud rebounded to win the Grade 2 American Turf on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

The colt won the event for 3-year-olds on the turf under John Velazquez for trainer Todd Pletcher. The two team up later this evening with Vino Rosso in the Kentucky Derby.

Maraud ($18.80) won three of his first five career starts, including the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes, and had never finished worse than third lifetime when he entered the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes last month at Keeneland as one of the favorites. The colt finished fifth, lacking a late response, and thus was sent away as a mild longshot Saturday facing several of the same foes.

Maraud launched a rally down the outside in the stretch for the victory, finishing the 1 1/16 miles, on turf officially rated good, in 1:47.52. Rain was continuing to fall on Churchill Downs at the time of the race, and, in fact, a flash flood warning is now in effect for parts of the Louisville area.

Behind Maraud, Capitvating Moon and Untamed Domain rallied to finish in a dead heat for the place. Checking in behind those two was Arawak, who made an audacious hedge-clipping run up the inside to reach contention.

More to follow at DRF.com