Exhi gives Pletcher 3rd straight Lexington win

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -Exhi held off a late bid from Bushwhacked to pull off an upset in the $300,000 Lexington Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland.

The victory gave trainer Todd Pletcher his third straight win in one of the final Kentucky Derby preps, though it's unlikely the 3-year-old colt will run at Churchill Downs in two weeks. Exhi and jockey Robby Albarado had little trouble getting in front and held on to beat Bushwhacked by three quarters of a length in the 1 1/16th-mile race over Polytrack.

Exhi paid $41.80, $16.80 and $8.60 while winning his second straight start.

Bushwhacked and jockey Rajiv Maragh paid $6.80 and $4.80 for second.

Uptowncharlybrown, who went off as the co-favorite with Connemara, closed for third and paid $4.20.