KENTUCKY DERBY Surprising season coming into focus

Today's final round of major preps will sort out the Derby picture.
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT
AP RACING WRITER
The Kentucky Derby picture might finally come into focus.
In one of the more confusing years for sorting out the Derby lineup, today's final round of major preps -- the Wood Memorial in New York, the Blue Grass in Kentucky, and the Arkansas Derby -- should go a long way in clearing things up.
Take it from Todd Pletcher, the only trainer with a 3-year-old entered in each race: This season has been unpredictable.
"Every Saturday, there have been different horses stepping up," said Pletcher, who sends out Value Plus in the Wood, Limehouse in the Blue Grass, and Purge in the Arkansas Derby. "No one has gone about it as consistently as normal. That's why it is the way it is."
Pletcher already has a Derby horse in Pollard's Vision, winner of last week's Illinois Derby. He could have three more tonight.
Value Plus, a tall and speedy gray colt, will be among the Wood favorites off his runner-up effort in the Florida Derby. Master David, trained by Bobby Frankel, is the 5-2 morning-line choice despite making his first start in more than two months.
Limehouse, winner of the Tampa Bay Derby, has been a Blue Grass afterthought in a field that includes the promising Lion Heart, San Felipe winner Prechinatthebar -- trained by Bob Baffert -- and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Action This Day.
Smarty Jones, 5-for-5 for trainer John Servis, is the horse to beat in the Arkansas Derby, but Purge is the third choice at 5-1. Smarty Jones beat Purge in the Rebel by 23/4 lengths last month.
"It's definitely a wide-open year," said Beau Greely, who trains Borrego, the second choice in the Arkansas Derby. "At this point, any horse who can go a mile-and-a-quarter could come up and win the race."
All three preps are 11/8 miles; the Derby is 11/4 miles.
Surprising year
The prep season has seen more than its share of surprises. Friends Lake won the Florida Derby at odds of 37-1, Castledale won the Santa Anita Derby at odds of 30-1, and Sinister G took the Lane's End Stakes at 16-1.
The road to the Derby has not been going well for trainer Nick Zito, who began with three top contenders but could be down to one: Blue Grass starter The Cliff's Edge. The colt is 0-for-2 this year, but he closed well for third in the Florida Derby.
Last Friday, Eurosilver was pulled off the Derby trail with a neck gland infection, and Birdstone was scratched from the Blue Grass on Thursday because of a high white blood cell count.
Zito also saddles long shot Royal Assault in the Wood.
Race preview
A look at the preps:
UWood Memorial: The Derby favorite could come from this race, which has produced three of the last four champions at Churchill Downs -- Fusaichi Pegasus (2000), Monarchos (2001) and Funny Cide (2003). Master David, with Alex Solis aboard, won the Sham at Santa Anita on Feb. 8. He missed the Florida Derby with an illness, but a win would earn the colt enough money to lock in a Derby spot, and perhaps even the favorite's role.
"I feel very fortunate to be on the Derby trail," said Peter Minikes of Georgica Stable, which owns Master David. "The question is whether or not he's good enough." Also in the 11-horse field are Baffert's Consecrate, Eddington and Sinister G.
UBlue Grass: A competitive field of eight, including four stakes winners -- Action This Day, Limehouse, Lion Heart and Preachinatthebar. "It's the toughest prep race there is," said Lion Heart's trainer Patrick Biancone.
UArkansas Derby: With a win, Smarty Jones not only heads to Louisville as one of the favorites, but with a chance for a $5 million bonus offered by Oaklawn Park for a horse winning the Rebel, Arkansas Derby and Kentucky Derby. Also in the field is Hasslefree, perhaps D. Wayne Lukas' final chance to make it to this year's Kentucky Derby. The four-time Derby-winning trainer has saddled at lease one horse in the race 22 of the last 23 years.
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