A LOOK AT THE DERBY FIELD

A look at the 16 horses (in order of post position) running today in the 112th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs:

1. FERDINAND--A sentimental choice because of his connections--trainer Charlie Whittingham, 73, and jockey Bill Shoemaker, 54. Because he was beaten soundly by Snow Chief in the Santa Anita Derby, Ferdinand was given little chance even before he got the disadvantageous No. 1 post position. Moves up, though, because of Whittingham, a long-time opponent of running a 3-year-old this far--1 miles--this early and a trainer who wouldn’t be here if he didn’t think he had a chance.

2. MOGAMBO--An erratic colt who runs well every other race. If the pattern holds, he will win today, coming off an unimpressive second to a staggering Broad Brush in the Wood Memorial. Trained by LeRoy Jolley and ridden by Jacinto Vasquez, who combined for Derby wins with Foolish Pleasure in 1975 and the filly Genuine Risk in 1980. Mogambo will run in the interests of both Peter Brant and Calumet Farm, which Friday paid $10.5 million for a 50% interest in the colt.

3. WISE TIMES--Ran to his only stake win April 12 in the Lexington at Keeneland, against a field that lacked the caliber of today’s. Englishman Phil Gleaves, who trains Wise Times, worked him 1 miles here in 2:09, possibly the first time a horse has worked the Derby distance since Affirmed won the race in 1978.

4. BOLD ARRANGEMENT--Beware of the pattern that sometimes befalls foreign horses running in the United States --their first start off the plane is a good one, but the next one can be disappointing. “Especially if you run them back too soon,” said Ferdinand’s trainer, Charlie Whittingham, who has had years of experience with imports. Bold Arrangement, a recent arrival from England, was a fast-closing third in the Blue Grass. He is the first English-based horse to run in the Derby since Sir Tristram, who finished 11th in 1974.

5. ICY GROOM--One of at least three horses--Vernon Castle and Zabaleta being the others--whose trainers have been apprehensive about running in the Derby. As a result, Eddie Gregson is out and Sam Ramer is in for saddling duties today. After a second, six lengths behind Snow Chief, in the Santa Anita Derby, Icy Groom went backward, running fourth in the Blue Grass. After the race, Eddie Delahoussaye got off Icy Groom to ride Vernon Castle today.

6. SOUTHERN APPEAL--In the press box, there’s a regular Derby pool to pick the race’s last three finishers, and Southern Appeal is getting a lot of support in this exercise. Why is this recently undistinguished Maryland horse here? To see if he can remember how he won the Laurel Futurity, which was seven months ago and the colt’s only stakes win.

7. VERNON CASTLE--A California Derby winner has never won the Kentucky Derby, but Vernon Castle will try to shatter that record coming off just three lifetime starts. He is not without his supporters, however, and a neutral observer, two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer, Laz Barrera, gives the handsome Seattle Slew colt a chance.

8. RAMPAGE--The Arkansas Derby winner moves up because of jockey Pat Day, who is 0 for 3 in the Kentucky Derby. Day has been no better than 11th with two lackluster runners and with Vanlandingham, who was injured in the race.

9. BROAD BRUSH--Despite winning the Wood, the stamina of this son of Ack Ack has been questioned. That aspect is arguable, but Broad Brush’s gauche behavior in several of his races is a matter of record. He ducks and drifts, behavior that has perplexed trainer Dick Small.

10. BADGER LAND--Second to Snow Chief in the Florida Derby, trainer Wayne Lukas’ colt then won the Everglades and the Flamingo while his rival returned to California. Badger Land has been training superbly at Churchill Downs after being the first Derby horse to arrive here about three weeks ago.

11. WHEATLY HALL--If the Derby were a beauty contest, this stunning bay colt would be a unanimous winner. Carrying 11 pounds less than he’ll try to handle today, Wheatly Hall ran second, 1 1/2 lengths behind Rampage, in the Arkansas Derby. That was the first stakes race for Wheatly Hall, who has raced only four times.

12. SNOW CHIEF--This colt’s only bad race in 13 starts was a sixth-place finish after hurting his shins at Hollywood Park last June. Since then, he’s been first eight times, second twice or third once in 11 starts. He comes into the Derby with a five-race winning streak, not having lost since he finished second to stablemate Darby Fair on an off track at Hollywood in November.

13. BACHELOR BEAU--Winner against an ordinary field in the Blue Grass, Bachelor Beau before that had gone winless in six straight. The colt wasn’t even scheduled to run in the Blue Grass--the Lafayette and the Derby Trial had been on the schedule--but he got sick for a few days after running third in the Jim Beam Stakes in late March and his schedule was revised. He is a speed horse who ran on the lead by himself in the Blue Grass, but he won’t be permitted that luxury today--owing to the presence of Groovy, Zabaleta, Broad Brush and Wheatly Hall.

14. GROOVY--He has a new rider, Laffit Pincay, and a new trainer, Howard Crowell. Craig Perret and Petro Peters represented him for his third-place run in the Wood. Winner of a minor stakes in Florida, this speedball has been close while being unable to beat the top horses in New York, Mogambo and Zabaleta.

15. ZABALETA--Sons of Shecky Greene aren’t supposed to be handle the 1 miles of the Derby, but Zabaleta is here, anyway. After winning the seven-furlong Bay Shore this year at Aqueduct, Zabaleta stopped in the Gotham, finishing fourth, and hung in the stretch of the Garden State Stakes, finishing second to Fobby Forbes.

16. FOBBY FORBES--The rumors are unfounded that owner Robert Brennan, the iconoclastic operator of Garden State Park, will watch the Derby on television from the Downs Cafe, a seedy watering hole across the street from Churchill Downs. Brennan, who lured Derby winner Spend a Buck away from the Preakness last year by attaching a $2-million bonus to his own Jersey Derby, will be given all the amenities by Churchill. Despite winning the Garden State Stakes in his last start, Fobby Forbes was placed with four other horses in the pari-mutuel field, prompting the cocky Brennan to say: “That’s going to ruin my price and probably cost me a new Jaguar.”