TRIPLE CROWN RATINGS

REMARKS: The debate will rage for the next three weeks about whether Southland-based Mister Frisky or Summer Squall, the best in the East, should be favored in the Kentucky Derby on May 5.

Mike Battaglia, the oddsmaker at Churchill Downs, is unsure right now. Since neither horse will run again before the Derby, Battaglia wants to see how they train before making up his mind.

Trainer Charlie Whittingham has made up his mind. “I like Laz’s horse,” Whittingham said, referring to Laz Barrera, who trains Mister Frisky. “He’s going to have a month between races, and going into a tough race like the Derby, that should help. Summer Squall ran pretty well in the Blue Grass (at Keeneland last Saturday), but I didn’t think he was overly impressive.”

Although Whittingham, too, is Southland-based, his objectivity toward the Derby has increased now that he won’t be running Warcraft in the race. Warcraft, third to Mister Frisky in the Santa Anita Derby, is now being pointed toward the Preakness, the second race in the Triple Crown series.

Warcraft’s last start was his sixth in 10 weeks, the kind of pace that Summer Squall has been subjected to. Because of a leg injury and a respiratory bleeding problem, Summer Squall’s training as a 3-year-old was delayed by three weeks at the start of the year and his victory in the Blue Grass came in his third start in four weeks.

The absence of Warcraft from the Derby means Whittingham won’t take a horse to Kentucky for the first time in five years. Whittingham won the Derby with Ferdinand in 1986 and Sunday Silence last year, finished 12th with Lively One in 1988 and lost a chance to run in 1987 when Temperate Sil became ill.

Whittingham would have been bucking history as well as a tight schedule if he had sent Warcraft to the Derby. The last horse to win the Derby who didn’t run as a 2-year-old was Apollo in 1882.

Neil Howard, who never has run a horse in the Derby, would just as soon not be favored with Summer Squall. “I’d like to be 30-1 or 40-1,” Howard said.

No trainer should want to be favored in the Derby. The last betting choice to win was Spectacular Bid in 1979. The beaten favorites since then have been Rockhill Native; the entry of Proud Appeal and Golden Derby; Air Forbes Won; the entry of Marfa, Balboa Native and Total Departure; the entry of Life’s Magic and Althea; Chief’s Crown; Snow Chief; Demons Begone; Private Terms; and the entry of Easy Goer and Awe Inspiring.

If Champagneforashley wins Saturday’s Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and Wicked Destiny captures the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, the Kentucky Derby would have three undefeated horses running in the same year for the first time in its modern history. Mister Frisky (16) has the longest all-winning streak that the Derby has ever seen.

While undefeated, Champagneforashley has run in minor races, such as the Tampa Bay Derby and a minor stake for New York-breds at Aqueduct. At least seven challengers will run in the Wood--Country Day, Yonder, Thirty Six Red, and the couplings of Senor Pete and Adversarial and Burnt Hills and Pendleton Ridge. Pendleton Ridge is a maiden who races for King owner Bruce McNall and Wayne Gretzky.

The Arkansas Derby field is limited to 14 horses, and that limit might be reached Saturday. Wicked Destiny, whose credentials are marginal, probably won’t be favored. Tarascon and Hawaiian Pass, horses who had troubled trips in the Rebel Handicap at Oaklawn on March 31, are back, Hawaiian Pass with Laffit Pincay riding instead of Fernando Toro. Tarascon was third as the 3-10 favorite in the Rebel and Hawaiian Pass ran fourth.

Some of the others in the Arkansas Derby will be Rebel winner Nuits St. Georges, Real Cash, Bright Again, Silver Ending, Slew of Angels and Penguin, an unheralded contender who has been working spectacularly at Oaklawn. Real Cash is one of trainer Wayne Lukas’ three Kentucky Derby prospects, along with Land Rush, the runner-up in the Blue Grass, and the filly Hail Atlantis, who will run Friday at Oaklawn against 3-year-old fillies in the Fantasy.

Pat Day, who is Summer Squall’s jockey, will ride Bright Again, who was second to Summer Squall in the Jim Beam Stakes at Turfway Park.

Other minor Derby preps are the California Derby Saturday at Golden Gate Fields, the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland a week from today and the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs on April 28.

Advisory panel for The Times’ Triple Crown Ratings: Lenny Hale, vice president for racing at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga; Frank (Jimmy) Kilroe, vice president for racing at Santa Anita; and Tommy Trotter, racing secretary at Gulfstream Park.

Career Horse S 1 2 3 Earnings 1. Mister Frisky 16 16 0 0 $541,085 2. Summer Squall 8 7 1 0 785,078 3. Champagneforashley 5 5 0 0 280,580 4. Unbridled 10 3 2 4 519,234 5. Land Rush 9 2 3 1 139,737 6. Shot Gun Scott 10 5 1 2 573,475 7. Smelly 14 6 4 1 287,804 8. Real Cash 8 3 0 0 186,225 9. Thirty Six Red 9 3 2 1 216,115 10. Wicked Destiny 3 3 0 0 182,880