Just over a week after training Percy's Bar to an upset over favored Zany in the Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes April 3, trainer Ben Colebrook pulled off an even greater surprise April 11 when Trendsetter scored a 32-1 upset in the $398,750 Grade 3 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.

"Somebody pinch me," he said, smiling. "You're never expecting this."

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The public wasn't expecting it. Trendsetter went off as the seventh choice in the field of nine 3-year-olds in the Lexington. After winning his first two starts, Trendsetter had lost five consecutive races including a couple of respectable minor stakes placings, such as a third in the March 21 Rushaway Stakes at Turfway Park.

Colebrook and owner Midway Racing did not nominate Trendsetter to the Triple Crown when early nominations closed for $600 this winter, and later ones closed last week for $6,000.

His race Saturday, coming over his home track at Keeneland, brought his performance to a higher level. He reeled in the leaders from fourth on the second turn with a powerful surge and pulled away to score by 2 1/4 lengths over runner-up The Hell We Did, who is a half-brother to 2024 Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador. Pacesetting Corona de Oro, who set splits of :23.68, :47.92, and 1:12.12, held on for third.

Trendsetter raced 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.51, the slowest time in the race since Tawny Port ran 1:45.24 in 2022. He paid $66.68 to win.

"I think it's a big deal training at Keeneland year-round and to have a horse that knows this course and has been here," Colebrook said.

Jockey Kazushi Kimura, who is based in California, appeared to misjudge the first-wire finish used for 1 1/16-mile races at Keeneland, keeping his mount in a drive toward the customary finish farther along in the stretch. It didn't matter. Trendsetter won with lengths to spare.

Trendsetter rolls in the stretch. (Coady Media)

I Did I Did finished fourth and favored Confessional was fifth.

Though the Lexington offered limited points as the final prep race as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale to its top five finishers, it is unlikely to propel any horse into the Derby field. Even if Trendsetter were supplemented to the Derby at a cost of $200,000, his 20 qualifying points is below the current threshold for entry. Churchill Downs uses qualifying points as a preference system when the Derby is oversubscribed beyond its 20-horse maximum field size.

Trendsetter could become supplemented to the Triple Crown for $150,000 before the second leg in the May 16 Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park. It costs $50,000 to do so before the third and final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets June 6 at Saratoga Race Course.

Last year's Lexington winner, Gosger, ran second in the 2025 Preakness behind Journalism.

"There's plenty of races for 3-year-olds, so I think we'll probably bypass it," Colebrook said of a Preakness try. "But we'll talk about it."

The Preakness could be an option for runner-up The Hell We Did, who routed for the first time in the Lexington.