KENTUCKY DERBY PROFILES

A quick look, in order of post position, at the 15 horses that will run in today’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

1. Dr. Bobby A.--Even a muddy track shouldn’t be enough to help this overmatched colt, who is a son of Dr. Carter and a grandson of Dr. Fager. Dr. Bobby A. won the Cherry Hill Mile in the mud, his only stakes victory, and ran fifth, beaten by five lengths, as Killer Diller won the Garden State Stakes on April 14.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 12 3 3 2 $162,907

2. Killer Diller--One of two sons of Pleasant Colony in the race--Pleasant Tap is the other--Killer Diller is a grandson of Alydar. Pleasant Colony won the 1981 Derby, and Alydar finished second to Affirmed in 1978. Winless in four starts as a 2-year-old, Killer Diller scored his first victory in his fifth start, in January, and won the Garden State Stakes to earn a trip here. Neither his trainer, Frank Alexander, nor his jockey, Jamie Bruin, has ever been in a Derby.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 9 3 1 2 $145,700

3. Pendleton Ridge--The historical deck is stacked against this late-running colt for a variety of reasons--only three previously non-winning horses have ever won the Derby; horses unraced as 2-year-olds haven’t won the Derby in this century, and Derby winners usually have more experience. He will be ridden for the first time by Laffit Pincay, the colt’s fourth jockey in as many races.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 3 0 2 0 $48,180

4. Video Ranger--Like Pendleton Ridge, this colt is a son of Cox’s Ridge and wasn’t highly regarded by trainer Wayne Lukas, who lost him on a $40,000 claim at Santa Anita in January. Video Ranger came from last place to finish second, 4 1/2 lengths behind Mister Frisky, in the Santa Anita Derby, but Eddie Delahoussaye didn’t think enough of him to ride him in the Derby, so Ron Hansen will have the mount.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 6 1 2 1 $132,650

5. Mister Frisky--If the morning line holds up, Mister Frisky will not be favored for only the second time in his career. The first time was in his American debut at Santa Anita on Feb. 10, when he won the San Vicente Stakes. Mister Frisky added victories in the San Rafael Stakes and the Santa Anita Derby, and by winning today could break Citation’s record for consecutive victories.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 16 16 0 0 $541,085

6. Real Cash--One of three horses who will try to give Lukas his second Derby victory. The son of Tank’s Prospect also is trying to become the first California-bred to win the Derby since Decidedly in 1962. Since winning the San Felipe Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita, Real Cash has run in two 1 1/8-mile races, finishing fourth after being the early leader in the Santa Anita Derby, and placing second to Silver Ending in the Arkansas Derby.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 9 3 1 0 $286,225

7. Fighting Fantasy--Several of the Derby horses have come into the race after facing problems, but none has been surrounded by tragedy, as has this speedy colt. Ray Cottrell Sr., who owns the horse, has a 7-year-old granddaughter who has been hospitalized with a brain tumor. On Friday, those at Fighting Fantasy’s barn were shaken when the colt’s exercise rider, Kevin Albritton, was crushed by a Cottrell 2-year-old and hospitalized with a broken pelvis. Fighting Fantasy has run at six tracks; he won in the mud at Turfway Park, but was fourth on an off track at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 12 5 2 0 $187,276

8. Unbridled--The Florida Derby winner couldn’t beat Summer Squall in the mud at Keeneland in the Blue Grass Stakes, finishing third after making a mild late run. Unbridled is trained by Carl Nafzger, one of the hottest conditioners in racing. The horse has been training superbly since arriving here and has the late run that frequently pays off in the Derby.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 10 3 2 4 $519,235

9. Pleasant Tap--Trainer Chris Speckert said his colt was handicapped by trying to make up ground at speed-favoring Santa Anita, and Pleasant Tap closed late to finish two lengths behind Home at Last in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 24. Before that, Pleasant Tap had a fever in Kentucky and had to be scratched from the Blue Grass.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 8 2 2 1 $123,655

10. Silver Ending--Trainer Ron McAnally says that he’s paying more for his Derby tickets than it cost to buy Silver Ending, a $1,500 yearling who is running here off a 3 1/4-length victory in the Arkansas Derby. At Oaklawn Park, Silver Ending delivered a late punch while not being intimidated as he came through on the rail. Courage can be a valuable quality for a horse in a race that is sometimes run as a free-for-all.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 8 4 0 3 $638,900

11. Thirty Six Red--If there’s such a thing as a horse staring down other horses, Thirty Six Red has that ability. In the Wood Memorial, he was surrounded--by Burnt Hills, trying to hold on, and by Champagneforashley, trying to rally. Thirty Six Red dug in and won, with only a head and a length separating the three finishers. Two weeks before that, Thirty Six Red also won the Gotham. Other than Mister Frisky and Summer Squall, he is the only horse going into the Derby with a winning streak.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 11 3 2 4 $578,515

12. Burnt Hills--This stablemate of Pendleton Ridge missed 10 days of training because of a fever and couldn’t run in the Louisiana Derby. Since then, he has run two strong races at Aqueduct, finishing third in the Gotham and second in the Wood. The truth is, though, Burnt Hills has never won going farther than six furlongs.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 7 3 3 1 $263,410

13. Summer Squall--He doesn’t bowl anyone over with his slight appearance, but the winner of the Jim Beam Stakes and the Blue Grass Stakes cranks out victory after victory. With 28 owners, Summer Squall will test the staying power of the Derby winners’ circle if he’s victorious.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 8 7 1 0 $785,078

14. Land Rush--Another runner from the Lukas barn, Land Rush improved over his Santa Anita form to run second behind Summer Squall in the Blue Grass. His bad post position could be improved by Angel Cordero, an aggressive jockey who has ridden in 15 Derbies, winning with Cannonade, Bold Forbes and Spend a Buck.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 9 2 3 1 $139,737

15. Power Lunch--A maiden until he won against non-winners at Oaklawn Park in early March, this colt is here because Calumet Farm told Lukas to run him. Fourth in the Jim Beam and third in the Arkansas Derby, he wasn’t close to the winners in either race.

Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Purses 8 1 3 1 $100,175