Today’s Other 3-Year-Old Races : Demons Begone Is Favored to Win the Arkansas Derby

In addition to the 64th running of the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, there will be three other races today for Kentucky Derby contenders.

Demons Begone, considered an early favorite for the Derby, drew the inside post and was made the 2-5 choice over a lackluster field in the $500,000 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.

Lookinforthebigone, coupled with Fast Forward in a Wayne Lukas-trained entry, is expected to offer the biggest challenge to Demons Begone, owned by John Ed Anthony’s Loblolly Stable.

You’re No Bargain, True Diplomacy and Ile De Jinsky, a maiden, round out the field for the 1 1/8-mile race.

Harriman and Templer Hill were assigned co-high weights for the $154,950 Garden State Stakes at Garden State Park. Both colts have been asked to carry 124 pounds in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Harriman, winner of three of five starts this year, has career earnings of $181,005. All three of the colt’s victories have been in stakes.

Templer Hill comes into the Garden State Stakes with two victories in five starts this year and career earnings of $168,363.

Other major contenders in the field are Mr. S.M., who finished second in the Cherry Hill Mile; Irish Bear, an allowance race winner at Aqueduct in New York last week, and Clever Secret, a Wayne Lukas colt that finished fifth in the Jim Beam Stakes but has lost to Templer Hill twice this year.

Favored Blanco and four other Triple Crown nominees will race in the $300,000 California Derby at Golden Gate Fields.

Blanco, who didn’t run as a 2-year-old, has two wins and two seconds in four starts, including the Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields March 28.

Jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, who will be seeking his second consecutive win in the 1 1/8-mile Cal Derby, said he could end up atop Blanco in the Kentucky Derby.