May 2 First and foremost, Call to the Derby Post would like to apologize for not posting an updated weekly report during the greatest week of all, Derby week. Hopefully, though, many of you took advantage of the special coverage offering a horse by horse breakdown of the Derby contenders. This coverage is still available under Derby 125 Results. Now to the Derby itself. Experienced handicappers called it the most wide open field in history as early as Wednesday of last week, and you know when those guys are fooled that an intense upset is possible. Charismatic had little as two weeks in between races before the Derby, and this in a field criticized for its inexperience and maturity. Even D. Wayne Lukas during the week said he had never trained a horse harder for the Derby. Should we have been tipped off by this? Not only was Charismatic the third longest shot in the Derby at above 30-1, but he was the third longest shot ever to win the Derby. Hey, if it takes those types of long shots to beat you, then over the long haul you'll do OK. Menifee showed similarities to Victory Gallop and also extreme Belmont potential. His late rally fell just a bit short, but another quarter mile or so and Menifee would be in the lead. An impressive charge. Cat Thief managed to hold the lead longer than expected, but as par his course drifted near the wire but held on to show to finish in the money. Prime Timber came in a game fourth, while Worldly Manner, finishing in seventh, also held the lead for awhile. Although Worldly Manner did not come in the money, he did impress and pleased his owners. The horses from Dubai, for at least now, deserved to have an eye kept on them. The two greatest disappointments in the race for Call to the Derby Post were Vicar and Stephen Got Even. Both Shane Sellers and Nick Zito complained about the bumpy conditions of the race, and pretty much said that due to the heavy traffic during the first turn, their horses were kept so wide out that they never were able to recuperate. Still, a look at the posts of the winners show the winner out of post 17, the place horse in 19 and the show horse in 11. Needless to say, post position does not account for much, and it's more luck than anything else that guides home the winner. Part of this reality had some owners, trainers and jockeys a little bit concerned. Some complained about the random quality of the results, and even offered up the saying that sometimes the best horse doesn't win. Well, it's nice to still know that every horse has a chance, but this chance to so many horses should not be at the price of sacrifice. Many jockeys in particular, like Gary Stevens, Shane Sellers and others, were quite thankful they just made it through the race. Several horses had knicks over their legs due to being kicked, some other horses nearly tripped and the jockeys themselves had some trouble staying aboard. One jockey said that he and others sometimes do in the Derby what they wouldn't normally do year round. (Well, us too at Call to the Derby Post. We don't usually drink mint juleps all day everyday either.) Still, if both the jockeys and the trainers--and keep in mind these are the most experienced, professional and successful of the sport--have honest complaints about the safety of the race, then it merits a serious look at a maximum field number lower than twenty. We are not necessarily endorsing that idea, but rather the exploration of whether or not safety to either jockey or horse is compromised due to overcrowding in the Derby. That should be a prime concern, if only to maintain the integrity of the sport and of the Derby. As a final point, Call to the Derby Post will thank you for attending this year's version of the Kentucky Derby. More to come throughout the Triple Crown season, plus more until we search for redemption in the handicapping of Derby 126. April 20 Charismatic will head to the Derby with a win in $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland over the weekend. Charismatic surpassed Yankee Victor, who finished in front of Bob Baffert's Finder's Gold. Charismatic, ridden by Jerry Bailey set a stakes record by running the 1 1/16 miles race in 1:41.06. The favored Texas Glitter finished off the pace in tenth. Charismatic has winning connections: he is trained by D. Wayne Lukas and owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis; both indicated this colt was headed to the Derby. What is at question is his mount: Jerry Bailey is currently set to run Worldly Manner. There's a wild brew stirring out of Oaklawn Park and the Arkansas Derby. Call to the Derby Post just wants to know which horses are running and will leave the dirty work to the proper authorities. Come next Wednesday afternoon we'll see who's running and base our judgments from there. April 13 Call to the Derby Post, as well as the rest of the racing world, was hoping this past weekend's trio of races would help clear up the Derby picture. No one got what they expected, and now the Derby picture is muddied even more. With his second victory in three starts was Menifee, who beat what has to be considered the toughest field of horses during any prep race thus far in '99 during the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes in Keeneland. Menifee, ridden by Pat Day, took charge down the stretch and held off the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Cat Thief, who had Shane Sellers aboard. The Elliott Walden-trained horse is now a sure bet to run in the Derby, and will most likely retain Day as jockey. Day had ridden Cat Thief in each of that horse's five last races. Cat Thief now has two seconds and two thirds in his four starts this year and will also be headed to the Derby, as will third place finisher and Florida Derby winner Vicar. Kimberlite Pipe, the Louisiana Derby winner, finished fourth and may also head to Churchill Downs. Nick Zito's Wondertross was the favorite, but finished a disappointing seventh in the nine-horse field. Lemon Drop Kid and Pineaff also were close to the group down the stretch, though only Lemon Drop Kid looks to still make the trip to Louisville. Wondertross will also probably still head towards the Derby. Saturday wasn't all bad for trainer Nick Zito. His disappointment in the Blue Grass Stakes was eased with a victory in the $600,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Zito, who trained '94 Derby winner Go For Gin, now looks like he has three horses for Derby 125: Adonis, Stephen Got Even and Wondertross. Adonis, winning for the third time in his last four starts, won wearing blinkers for the first time and with Jorge Chavez aboard. Also coming in the money in the 1 1/8 mile race was Best of Luck in second, and Cliquot in third. The 2-1 favorite Badge finished fourth. Finishing off Saturday's triple crown was the surprising Valhol in the $300,000 Arkansas Derby. Valhol was the second longest shot of the seven-horse field, and was ridden by Billy Patin. Many more questions surround those who were defeated yesterday. Certain was a distant second and 2-year old champ Answer Lively finished out of the money. Rebel Stakes champ Etbauer was also defeated, as was promising Ecton Park. Torrid Sand, the longest shot of the field, finished third in the crazy race. It appears that Valhol may now make the trip to the Kentucky Derby. The bulk of the prep race season is now complete, and the only thing that looks definite is that this year's Derby field will not only by very wide open, but very full as well. Twenty horses is not out of the question for this year's race, and while the more the merrier does make for a more festive Derby party, it also makes for one heck of a time handicapping the race. More frequent updates are to follow as the big day approaches. April 6 First off is First American, who comes from out of nowhere to enter Call to the Derby Post's top ten list of contenders with his victory in the $250,000 Flamingo Stakes at Hialeah. Ridden by Jose Velez, Jr., First American won his first race since last September, and upset heavily favored Prime Directive. First American trainer Eduardo Caramori confirmed that his horse is Derby-bound. Making their first starts in stakes competition, Forty One Carats was able to place, while Vision and Verse showed. Prime Directive, the 4-5 favorite, finished a way distant sixth in an eight-horse field. Although First American had not come in the money in his three previous starts, he did finish under three lengths behind Vicar in the Florida Derby. Pat Byrne confirmed that his horse Prime Directive is no longer an option for the Kentucky Derby. Why is Call to the Derby Post so high on First American? Because this horse seems to race at his best when chasing a leader, which is something the eventual Derby winner will inevitably have to during the Derby itself. How do we know First American is up for making an impressive run in the home stretch, besides his performance in the Flamingo? His sire is Quiet American, who was bred for distance. Who is Quiet American? The last horse to run in the Kentucky Derby whose sire was Quiet American was '98 Derby champ Real Quiet. Due to this lineage, it will be hard to pass on First American during Derby wagering. But not all the action over the weekend took place in Florida. On the West Coast, Bob Baffert's recent luck took a turn for the better with an impressive romp to victory by General Challenge, who now may be the Derby favorite. Not only did Baffert take first place, but he took second as well with Prime Timber. Baffert has had tremendous success in recent years at the Santa Anita. Last year, he took first and third with Real Quiet and Indian Charlie, respectively, a finish that set a precedent for the Derby. The year before Cavonnier won the Santa Anita before placing in the Derby by just a nose to Grindstone. Prime Timber actually went off as the favorite; Desert Hero, who has come in the money before during the prep race season, finished third. General Challenge wore blinkers for the first time and was ridden by Gary Stevens. Prime Timber, who run on what had been just the day before an injured foot, took his third second place finish to complement his three victories in six starts. Now that's a trend you'd like to bet on to continue in the Derby. Prime Timber had David Flores up, while Corey Nakatani had the ride on Desert Hero. It is still unclear if Desert Hero will make the trip to Louisville. Hold on to your hats this coming weekend. With the Blue Grass Stakes, the Wood Memorial and the Arkansas Derby, the prep reace season will near its end and provide if not a picture of the Derby favorites at least the cast and crew who will take part in the 125th running of the Kentucky Derby. Moving off the track to online, the Kentucky Derby was full of news on the Internet this past week. First, the 1961 Kentucky Derby trophy was found during an auction on eBay. The trophy was bought for almost an auction house record of $4,200 and will be returned to its rightful owner, former jockey John Sellers. Sellers won the 1961 Derby with Carry Back. Hey, could this be the year for fellows named Sellers? For more, CNET's News.com offers further coverage. And from the auction block to the world of new media comes a sign of the Kentucky Derby leaping into the next century. Although Derby 125 might not make it, near future runnings of the Derby may well be broadcast live over the Internet. The Industry Standard reported that Steve Fugitte, who runs Internet operations for Churchill Downs, is trying to coordinate with ABC, who broadcast the Derby on its Wide World of Sports program, so that this year's running can be cybercast from a live video feed. Fugitte also runs the Kentucky Derby "Road to the Roses" Fantasy Challenge. Needless to say, Call to the Derby Post supports this effort full heartedly, and is thrilled at being a part of bringing the Kentucky Derby to the Internet, even if it can't come close to offering video coverage like Mr. Fugitte hopes to do. For more info, check out the Industry Standard's article. March 30 There was not a lot of action in the past week, which will be made up for en force next week with the running of the Flaming Stakes and Santa Anita Derby. But though there was not quantity there was quality in Derby news. On the positive side, trainer Nick Zito, who won the Derby in 1991 with Strike the Gold, picked up another Derby candidate for this year's Derby when Stephen Got Even won the $750,000 Gallery Furniture.com Stakes, formerly the Jim Beam Stakes, at Turfway Park. On the negative side, the Bob Baffert-trained Straight Man, who went off as the 2-1 favorite, finished a disappointing fourth. Beyond the fillies Excellent Meeting, who more than likely will opt for the Kentucky Oaks, and Silverbulletday, Baffert's primary 1999 Derby hopefuls are General Challenge and Prime Timber. On top of Stephen Got Even, Zito has Wondertross in his stable. Wondertross, who finished second in the Florida Derby, is co-owned by George Steinbrenner and will run in the Wood Memorial. Moving to the NBA, the Rick Pitino-owned The Groom is Red, also trained by Zito, finished sixth. Although The Groom is Red will also run in the Wood, he has not won since last October. As Call to the Derby Post has already harped on, jockey Shane Sellers remains hot, taking Stephen Got Even to victory. K One King placed, with Epic Honor holding on to show. Whew. All that in just one race. I guess that's what a Jim Beam heritage will do for you. March 23 A name we haven't seen before has come to us out of Aqueduct. Winning the Grade III Gotham Stakes was Badge, who was ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan. Apremont had been the favorite, but tired in the stretch; Robin Goodfellow came in just three quarters of a length behind Apremont to show. Badge collected an impressive third win in four starts, and will stay at Aqueduct at least through the Wood Memorial. In other races over the week, Pineaff pulled off a wondrous comeback in taking the lead past Menifee in the Tampa Bay Derby. The loss was quite a shock to Menifee, who lost for the first time in four starts and disappointed as the heavy favorite. The track was worsened due to morning rain, but that didn't stop Pineaff, who won with Jose Santos riding. Pat Day, who won the 1998 Tampa Bay Derby aboard Parade Ground, placed with Menifee, while Doneraile Court showed. Both Pineaff and Menifee are pointed to the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. Menifee is trained by Elliot Walden, the trainer of Victory Gallop. And over at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, Etbauer held off a fast closing Desert Demon to win the $125,000 Rebel Stakes. Desert Demon had been the first choice, but Etbauer was the second and won the 1 1/16 race to claim his third straight victory. Mike Smith rode the victor, while Julie Krone was aboard Desert Demon. Kutsa finished third. Out of the eleven-horse field Jim'smrtee was seventh, while Temperence Time was eighth. March 16 Wow, what a weekend it was. While the mystery of which trainer will probably win Derby 125 isn't very strong, trying to pick from his stable is quite the opposite. This weekend's action featured several Derby prep races, and let Call To The Derby Post warn you, you're about to read Bob Baffert's name a lot. If you're looking for a horse with tournament experience, your might put your faith in Vicar. At the Florida Derby the drama was high as four horses dueled down the stretch of the mile-long race, with Vicar finishing just a nose ahead of Wondertross, who is trained by Nick Zito. Vicar claims the majority share of the $750,000 purse. We saw Vicar pull out another close victory only three weeks ago when he took the Fountain of Youth stakes by a neck in front of D. Wayne Lukas's Cat Thief. Cat Thief chased Vicar down the stretch this time as well, but unlike the Fountain of Youth, Wondertross and Certain were close in tow. Vicar now looks like a strong Derby contender; he will next race on April 10 in the Blue Grass Stakes, then most assuredly hop on over to Churchill Downs for the Derby on May 1. As earlier reported in Call To The Derby Post, Shane Sellers is a hot jockey to watch and rode Vicar to victory last Saturday. Carl Nafzger's only other Derby horse was Unbridled, who won the Derby in 1990. Vicar, whose record in six starts includes four wins and a second, is trained by James Tafel. Other notables in the ten-horse field were Aly's Alley, finishing seventh, and Grits'n Hard Toast, who wound up ninth. The first Bob Baffert order of business is to mention his victory with the fillies over the weekend, Silverbulletday in the Fair Ground Oaks in New Orleans, Excellent Meeting in the Santa Anita Oaks in Arcadia, Calif. Silverbulletday won with Gary Stevens aboard. While Baffert and Stevens do comprise an almost overpowering tandem, no filly has won the Derby since Winning Colors in 1988; in all only three fillies have won the Derby. But, joining in Silverbulletday in looking to become a fourth is Excellent Meeting, who as a 1-10 favorite and with Kent Desormeaux aboard, won by a neck over Tout Charmant. Excellent Meeting might by headed for the Santa Anita Derby May 3. Now for more Baffert. Two of Baffert's horses reached a first on Saturday: Prime Timber wore blinkers for the first time, and leading-Derby contender Exploit lost for the first time. Prime Timber took the $250,000 San Felipe Stakes in Santa Anita with a two-length victory over his stablemate Exploit. Prime Timber was ridden by David Flores, Exploit by Chris McCarron. Like Vicar, Prime Timber also carries a fine record, with three wins and two seconds in five starts. Folks, that type of record begs for wagering money. High Wire Act, with the legendary Eddie Delahoussaye aboard, finished third. Exploit, whose last victory was at the San Vincente Stakes, had been undefeated in five starts, so five wins and one second in six total starts equally begs for wagering money. And you want another blessing for Exploit? ESPN SportsZone pointed out the last two second-place finishers in the San Felipe Stakes to be the similarly Bob Baffert-trained Silver Charm and Real Quiet. If that doesn't draw your attention, go home. Returning to the Fair Grounds in New Orleans takes us to some exciting action in the Louisiana Derby, where 21-1 Kimberlite Pipe posted a surprising victory over two horses Call To The Derby Post regards highly: Answer Lively and Ecton Park. Robbie Albarado rode Kimberlite Pipe in the 1 1/16 miles, $600,000-added race; the winner is owned by Prairie Star Racing and John Gunther. Interestingly, the last time Kimberlite Pipe ran he finished third to Ecton Park and Answer Lively in another 1 1/16 miles race at New Orleans' Fair Grounds. All three look to be headed on the road to Louisville. A disappointment for Call To The Derby Post was the performance of General Challenge, who although trained by Baffert and ridden by Stevens finished a tiring fifth out of an eight-horse field. This, plus the results of the other races this weekend, has caused a shift in Call To The Derby Post's list of top ten conntenders. March 9 In the El Camino Real Derby held at Bay Meadows, Cliquot, out of 505 Farms, won by a head to win the $200,000 Grade III race. Cliquot went off as the favorite and had jockey David Flores aboard. Charismatic charged Cliquot nearing the wire, but could not close the full gap and wound up in second. The 7-5 second choice, No Cal Bread, did not show a strong finish and finished third, about 3 1/2 lengths behind Charismatic. No future plans for Cliquot or any other El Camino Real Derby races were reported. Not much else to report on the Derby prep race scene, though next weekend will make up for it. On Saturday the 13 both the Florida Derby and the Louisiana Derby will be held; on Sunday the 14th the San Felipe Stakes will be run. There will be lots to report next week, as well as a probable shift in the Call To The Derby Post top ten list of Derby contenders. For those interested in early Derby wagering, Churchill Downs will opening the second round of its Derby future pool shortly. Also, the Courier-Journal is sponsoring its Road to the Roses Fantasy Challenge again this year. Sign up as early as possible, pick your stable of 10 horses, one jockey and one trainer and hope for the best. It's not money that's on the line. Rather, it's a far more valuable purse than that: two clubhouses tickets to Derby 126! Good luck! March 2 Keep an Eye on Past Derby Champions Call To The Derby Post will admit it did not know who Jim'smrtee was, but he upset Temperance Time in the Southwest Stakes. On the other hand, learning he is the son of Lil E. Tee, '92 Derby winner, was not shocking. Hey, you never know. It's early still. Jim'smrtee will next start in the Rebel Stakes. Kutsa finished second in the race while King of Scat was third. Another former Derby winner, 1993's Sea Hero, has a son winning in preparation for Derby 125. Desert Hero pulled in front by a head against Prime Timber to win the $200,000 San Rafael Stakes. Corey Nakatani was aboard; Capsized finished third. There are several statistical patterns you will read about when handicapping the Kentucky Derby, but some stats can only go back certain years. The surest pattern is that Derby winners breed Derby winners--maybe not as sires necessarily, but somewhere down the line. If both Desert Hero and Jim'smrtee were running in the Derby this year, at least one would garner Call To The Derby Post's wagering money. Call To The Derby Post would also like to point out a fact of the Derby prep race season: jockey Shane Sellers has ridden not one contender so far but two. He won with Ecton Park in the Risen Star, and took Vicar to victory in the Fountain of Youth. Sellers may have a choice to make come race time, so watch out for some maneuvering with mounts. Two more Derby contenders can be thrown on to the pile. Lemon Drop Kid pulled in his first 3-year old victory, defeating Cryptodiplomacy with John Velazquez aboard. Lemon Drop Kid's trainer, Scotty Schulhofer, said that most likely the Blue Grass Stakes would be next. Also pulling in a victory at Gulfstream over the weekend was Menifee, who with jockey Pat Day aboard maintained a perfect record after three starts. Menifee will take at least one more prep race before entering the Blue Grass Stakes as well, setting up some exciting action even before the big race. The Daily Racing Form reported that General Challenge, whom as you can tell by the above chart rates very high with Call To The Derby Post, will next race in the Louisiana Derby on March 14. General Challenge is trained, of course, by Bob Baffert. So far he is unbeaten in three starts, most notably the Santa Catalina Stakes on Jan. 31. February 23 Not even halfway through the Kentucky Derby prep season and the devastating injury bug that removed so many horses from Derby 124 is starting to plague Derby 125. After a surprise win in the Lecomte Handicap, Some Actor fractured his right hind pastern in a workout and will be out of training for the next three to four months. Some Actor was scheduled to run in the Risen Star Stakes, but now will look to late summer for his next race instead. Some Actor is a winner of three of his six starts. Unfortunately, Some Actor was not the only horse labeled out of the Triple Crown this week. The D. Wayne Lukas-trained Cape Canaveral, who along with General Challenge and Exploit was considred one of the top Derby hopefuls from California, was taken out of training due to an injury in his right front shin. The injury has caused some sticky issues in the Future Derby wagering, which is new this year. Bets already made on Cape Canaveral are non-refundable; it is too bad this new pool has suffered a serious and troubling setback so soon in its first year of existence. Cape Canaveral had been schedule to run in the Feb. 28 San Rafael Stakes, but hopes to return to training after at least a 90-day layoff. With Cape Canaveral out of the Triple Crown, D. Wayne Lukas now rests his hopes with, among others, Cat Thief. Two year old champion Answer Lively was upset in the $125,000 Risen Star Stakes. Eliot Walden's colt Ecton Park, out of former Derby runner Forty Niner, ridden by Shane Sellers, upset Answer Lively by a nose. Ecton Park's record is now 2 for 4, while Kimberlite Pipe held on for third. Notable horses finishing out of the money include Desert Demon, Brialliantly and Mountain Range, who finished 12th out of 12. Anwer Lively, the 7-10 favorite, finished fifth. February 16 There's lots to report, so let's get straight to the action. Recapping the most recent prep races takes through Golden Gate Fields for the Golden State Mile. The $100,000 race was won by Epic Honor, who after a tough run was guided to victory by jockey Lonnie Meche. Epic Honor passed Brave Gun, who was able to hold on for second, while Sixoutasix showed. The favorite for the race was a three-horse entry owned by Jerry Hollendorfer: High Noon Meeting finished fifth, Absolute Harmony seventh and Voice of Destiny. What's next for Epic Honor? Trainer Jeff Bonde said it would either be the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields on March 6, or possibly the Gallery Furniture.com Stakes (formerly the Jim Beam Stakes) at Turfway Park on March 27. The Daily Racing Form reported that possible Derby contender Kettle Won has fallen behind in his training, and his timetable might be stetched a bit. One of the more impressive horses at Saratoga last summer, Kettle Won has not raced since his victorious debut at that time. His trainer, Todd Pletcher, still hopes to race his horse in an allowance race at Gulfstream. Who says Churchill Downs isn't trying to liven up the Kentucky Derby? There has been much anticipation for this year's Derby future betting, and the first phase of this new form of Derby wagering is under way. Churchill Downs' linemaker Mike Battaglia set the betting with 24 betting interests, comprised of 23 top horses and a mutuel field composed of every other nominee for the Derby. And the favorite right now? Well, it's everybody else. The mutuel field, made up of 373 horses, is set as the 6-1 favorite, while Exploit is the first individual horse at 8-1. Listen up Derby handicappers: Mike Battaglia has some disturbing comments for those who like to pick the Derby winner. "There's no standout in this year's group of Derby contenders, and it looks like it could be the most wide-open Derby we've seen in years," he said. That is not music to the ears of Call To The Derby Post, but there's a long way to go yet. Maybe Mike is just trying to hype the field as the favorite, or is trying to drum up interest in the race. Well, we'll see later on how wide-open the field really is. If you are interested in the Future Wager, your best bet (no pun intended) is to follow the Web site of Churchill Downs. They will be updating the odds during the three different wagering periods and will be provide more up-to-date info on this wagering pool. Call To The Derby Post will follow the odds and how that might affect picking the winner, but will not make any recommendations for the Future Wager betting. February 9 The future-book favorite to win the 125th running of the Kentucky Derby, especially after his victory in the San Vicente Stakes, today is Exploit, owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis and trained by Bob Baffert, a combination that produced 1997 Derby winner Silver Charm. Exploit, ridden by Chris McCarron, ran his unbeaten streak to five. Exploit received competition from only two other horses: Aristotle, who lost by only a neck after a tight stretch run, and Yes It's True, who gave way in the stretch after leading early. After the victory yesterday at a distance of 7/8 of a mile, Exploit will most likely turn next to the mile-long San Rafael Stakes on Feb. 28. Last year a slew of injuries left a solid crop of Derby contenders out of the race. It didn't take long for the injury bug to strike in 1999 either. After winning the Hutcheson, Bet Me Best came out of the race with an injury to his right knee and will be out of action until late summer, scratching him for the 1999 Triple Crown races. Bet Me Best has won all six of his starts, though the Hutcheson was even more impressive due to the first-class competition. Bet Me Best is owned by the Preston brothers and trained by Elliot Walden, the same combination that produced last year's Belmont champ Victory Gallop. February 2 Some Actor, trained by Tom Amoss and owned by Jim MacIngvale, prevailed in the Lecomte on Jan. 30, but he wasn't the key noise maker of the day. Actually, it was the fact that Answer Lively, last year's 2-year old champ, failed to make any noise at all in finishing seventh that was the biggest news of the day. The 1-2 favorite in the one-mile race finished 7 1/4 lengths off the leader. Some Actor, a sone of Noactor, won for the third time in six starts. Desert Demon, the Gallery Furniture Juvenile winner, lost by just a nose to the winner, while Silver Chadra finished 1 1/2 lengths behind Desert Demon. The second-choice of the race, Holy Bull third-place finisher Mountain Range, came in 13th out of the 14-horse field. Making his first run around two turns in the mile and a sixteenth Santa Catalina Stakes, General Challenge placed himself in the top tier of Derby prospects with an impressive win. The 4-5 favorite was ridden by Gary Stevens and is trained by Bob Baffert. General Challenge caught up to and passed eventual runner-up Buck Trout, who was a 9-5 second choice, in the early stretch, built a half-length lead at the eighth pole then won by three lengths. Finishing one length behind Buck Trout to show was Brilliantly. Brave Gun, who finished second in the Golden Gate Derby, scratched and may run again in the Golden State Mile on Feb. 15. The seven-furlong, $150,000 Hutcheson provides some early season fireworks, with Elliot Walden's Bet Me Best improving his perfect record to 6 for 6 by winning by a head over Texas Glitter. The two ran together for practically the entire race, which featured some very fast fractions. Walden labeled the Kentucky Derby an "extreme stretch" for Bet Me Best, who might at least make it to the Gotham Stakes or maybe the Fountain of Youth. Bet Me Best was the third choice, while Texas Glitter was the favorite at 6-5. Cat Thief, making his first start since finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, rallied to finish third though he did not challenge the leaders. Cat Thief is trained by D. Wayne Lukas. January 25 Not much "news" to report today, but here is a look at some of the names that may stand out on Derby Day, and at the very least are the horses to keep an eye on during the Derby prep races: Grits'n Hard Toast won the Holy Bull Stakes, although many are still skeptical of the T.V. Smith owned-horse. This might help to silence the skeptics: comparisons are being made between this horse and last year's Derby winner Real Quiet. Both struggled in their early starts, then made a significant improvement with the jump to longer races and the addition of blinkers. They also both finished third in the Brown & Williamson Kentucky Jockey Club race. Elliot Walden, who trained last year's Derby and Preakness runner-up and Belmont winner Victory Gallop, is back again this year with a full stable of conteders. Two names to watch out for are Ballard High and Menifee, a half-brother to 1983 Derby runner-up Desert Wine. Although it's still early, you've got to love the name and the record of Bet Me Best, who going into the Hutcheson will have a perfect record of 5 wins in 5 starts. Nick Zito enters the fray with the $1 million yearling Doneraile Court, and the Rick Pitino-owned The Groom is Red. Carl Nafzger, who won the Derby with Unbridled in 1990, shows up this year with Vicar, who disappointed in the Holy Bull, as well as Temujin and Davey's Cutlass. Quickly running through some more names, we get to D. Wayne Lukas's Cat Thief, who was third in the Breeders' Cup, and John Tammaro's Aly's Alley, who won the Kentucky Cup Juvenile. Trainer Frank Alexander is banking on Lucky Roberto and Silk Broker, while Scotty Schulhofer has a strong contender in Lemon Drop Kid, and Legal Street for insurance. Call To The Derby Post likes horses to have good sires, and Casanova Star can claim A.P. Indy as his father, so watch out there. Call To The Derby Post has been burned on foreign-bred horses in the past (see Arazi in 1992) but there are two contenders this year from, of all places, the Persian Gulf. Owner Sheik Mohammed is hoping Worldly Manner and Comeonmom can fair better than the Derby's past foreign-bred horses, and he might have a shot. Unlike these past horses, the Sheik's colts are both American horses who were bought after they won important 2-year old stakes in the United States. Closer to home, there is a very strong horse coming out of Louisiana in Answer Lively, trained by Bobby Barnett. Answer Lively is looking to buck the odds, however. No horse who has won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile has ever gone on to win the Derby, with Timber Country in 1995 the only one to win a Triple Crown race (the Preakness Stakes). Lukas also has a horse running in the Bayou in Time Bandit, who won the Bashford Manner and was runner-up in the Kentucky Cup. From Florida, Lukas brings Cape Canaveral and the well-liked Yes It's True. Although there are many other names to think about, this section will wrap-up with Bob Baffert's horses, all of whom at this point can be considered legitimate Derby contenders: Exploit, Prime Timber, General Challenge and Baffert's two fillies, Silverbulletday and Excellent Meeting. January 18 The Derby prep races began on Saturday the 16th with the Holy Bull Stakes, held at Gulfstream Park in Florida. The first major test for 3-year-olds was the 1 1/16 $100,000 race won by Grits'n Hard Toast. Jockey Robbie Davis led Grits'n Hard Toast to the win after entering the final furlong in fourth. The surprise winner paid $31.20, $10.20 and $5.00. The 2-1 second choice, Doneraile Court, edged out Mountain Range to place; Mountain Range did hang on for a show finish. The favorite of the race, the 6-5 Vicar, faded down the stretch and finished fifth in the seven-horse field. Insiders reported this to be weak field for the Holy Bull, usually an early showcase for Derby hopefuls. Grits'n Hard Toast won two of six starts as a 2-year-old. The Holy Bull, previously the Preview, provided 1994 Derby winner Go For Gin, and 1996 Belmont winner Editor's Note. Doneraile's Court is trained by Nick Zito and is a son of Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. Mountain Range, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, was ridden by Pat Day. In other racing on the 16th, Epic Honor ran down entrymate Blue Tune in a driving finish to win the $150,000 Golden Gate Derby by a length and a half. Epic Honor was ridden by Lonnie Meche and is trained by Jeff Bonde. With the win, Epic Honor gains the nod as one of Northern California's top 3-year-olds and a legitimate Triple Crown candidate. Bonde said both Epic Honor and Blue Tune, ridden by Russel Baze, may run in the El Camino Real Derby at Bay Meadows on March 6, the next major Derby prep race in Northern California. The odd-on entry of Absolute Harmony and Voice of Destiny finished out of the money. Bob Baffert's leading Kentucky Derby hopeful, Prime Timber, has been ill, although Baffert still thinks the horse can get back on schedule and compete in the Derby. Baffert will be going for his third consecutive Derby win.