Lukas, Baffert will have two entries
Baffert lost his top entry, Vindication, to an injury.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Just last weekend, D. Wayne Lukas was still looking for a horse to enter in Saturday's Kentucky Derby.
Now he has two -- Scrimshaw and Ten Cents a Shine.
"I never felt any pressure. I'm supposed to get here," said Lukas, back at the Derby for the 22nd time in the past 23 years. "I'm not surprised. We've stayed pretty positive."
So has Bob Baffert, the winning trainer in three of the past six Derbies. While an injury to 2-year-old champion Vindication knocked his best prospect off the trail in February, Baffert will still have two Derby starters -- Indian Express and Kafwain.
"Losing Vindication was very tough -- he was my star," said Baffert, who won the Derby and Preakness with Silver Charm in 1997, Real Quiet in 1998 and War Emblem in 2002. "But you can't look back. If the Bulls lost Michael Jordan, they'd go on and keep playing. You deal with it and hope you get there."
Bobby Frankel is here, too, with perhaps the strongest pair of 3-year-olds since Calumet Farms sent out Citation and Coaltown to a 1-2 finish in the 1948 Derby. The Hall of Fame trainer looking for his first Derby win will saddle expected favorite Empire Maker, winner of the Florida Derby and Wood Memorial, and Peace Rules, winner of the Louisiana Derby and Blue Grass Stakes.
"I think we're in really good shape," said Frankel after both colts put in final workouts Sunday morning.
Even though three of the most well-known trainers are Derby bound, a likely field of up to 19 will be missing some familiar names -- both equine and human.
Other top horses out
Besides Vindication, other Derby contenders knocked off the trail due to injury include Badge of Silver, the filly Composure, Man Among Men, Sky Mesa and Toccet.
On the trainers side, two-time Derby winner Nick Zito will miss the race for the second year in a row. Zito ranks eighth on the Derby starters list with 12 -- two behind Baffert (14 after Saturday) and 29 behind all-time leader Lukas (41 after Saturday).
"We'll just do a better job of recruiting for next year," said Zito, who won the 1991 Derby with Strike the Gold and the '94 Derby with Go For Gin.
Todd Pletcher won't have a starter, either, despite leading all trainers with 28 early Derby nominations. Three of his colts -- Aristocat, Indy Dancer and Lion Tamer -- didn't run well enough in their final preps to merit a Derby start.
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