KENTUCKY DERBY CAPSULES

*--* 1. SORT IT OUT (50-1) Post: No. 1. Owner: Stonerside Stable LLC and Preferred Partners. Trainer: Bob Baffert. Jockey: Brice Blanc. Record: 12-4-2-1. Earnings: $272,375. Sire: Out Of Place. Dam: Vex. Comment: Privately purchased earlier in the year, he didn’t exactly stamp himself as a threat in three subsequent races.... Finished second in the Lexington and third in a weak WinStar Derby at Sunland Park after checking in eighth in the Louisiana Derby in his first start for Baffert.... Bred in New York, he has picked up three of his victories on the inner track at Aqueduct.... Longshot, and deservedly so. 2. ANDROMEDA’S HERO (50-1) Post: No. 2. Owner: Robert LaPenta. Trainer: Nick Zito. Jockey: Rafael Bejarano. Record: 6-2-0-3 Earnings: $180, 270. Sire: Fusaichi Pegasus. Dam: Marozia. Comment: The least accomplished of Zito’s five entrants.... Sire won the 2000 Kentucky Derby, becoming the first favorite since Spectacular Bid in 1979 to do so.... Churchill Downs will be the seventh track at which he has run, joining Keeneland, Calder, Gulfstream Park, Tampa Bay Downs, Turfway Park and Oaklawn Park.... Beaten by nearly seven lengths by Afleet Alex in Arkansas the Derby. 3. SUN KING (15-1) Post: No. 3. Owner: Tracy Farmer. Trainer: Nick Zito. Jockey: Edgar Prado. Record: 7-3-0-2. Earnings: $452,150. Sire: Charismatic. Dam: Clever But Costly. Comment: Considered by some the best of Zito’s quintet earlier in 2005, his stock dropped after his less-than-stellar performance in the Blue Grass. Did win his first two starts of the year, but against suspect opposition.... Sire won the 1999 Derby at 31-1, then won the Preakness before suffering a career-ending injury in the Belmont Stakes.... Prado, in his sixth Derby, finished third with Peace Rules two years ago. 4. NOBLE CAUSEWAY (12-1) Post: No. 4. Owner: My Meadowview Farm. Trainer: Nick Zito. Jockey: Gary Stevens. Record: 6-2-3-0. Earnings: $245,780. Sire: Giant’s Causeway. Dam: Mimi’s Golden Girl. Comment: Purchased for $1.15 million as a yearling, the chestnut is improving with each start and should like the distance.... Stevens will ride for the first time and the jockey, who has switched his base to Kentucky, is a three-time Derby winner. He won with Winning Colors in 1988, Thunder Gulch in 1995 and Silver Charm in 1997.... Since finishing fifth in his debut on the Belmont Park turf course last fall, Noble Causeway hasn’t been worse than second. 5. COIN SILVER (20-1) Post: No. 5. Owner: Peachtree Stable. Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Jockey: Patrick Valenzuela. Record: 5-2-1-1. Earnings: $232,560. Sire: Anees. Dam: Beyond A Doubt. Comment: It’s the first Derby mount for Valenzuela since he was 15th with Union City in 1993. He won the race with Sunday Silence in 1989.... Coin Silver didn’t begin his 3-year-old campaign until Feb. 5, finishing second against maidens at Gulfstream Park. Won the Lexington over a sloppy surface at Keeneland by 3 1/2 lengths at 13-1 on April 23 in his first appearance in a graded stakes. 6. HIGH LIMIT (12-1) Post: No. 6. Owner: Gary and Mary West. Trainer: Bobby Frankel. Jockey: Ramon Dominguez. Record: 4-3-1-0. Earnings: $552,000. Sire: Maria’s Mon. Dam: Known Romance. Comment: Suffered first loss when favored in Blue Grass, but did finish second, three lengths clear of the rest of the field. Has yet to demonstrate he can win a race from off the lead.... Frankel has had Derby starters in five of last six years, but is searching for his first win. The Hall of Fame trainer was second with Aptitude in 2000 and again with favored Empire Maker in 2003.... Initial starter for the Wests. 7. FLOWER ALLEY (20-1) Post: No. 7. Owner: Melnyk Racing Stables. Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Jockey: Jorge Chavez. Record: 4-2-1-1. Earnings: $521,660. Sire: Distorted Humor. Dam: Princess Olivia. Comment: Distorted Humor also sired 2003 Derby upset winner Funny Cide. A win by this $165,000 yearling would be an even bigger surprise.... Lightly raced colt has yet to be worse than third, but his only stakes victory was against a suspect field in the Lane’s End at Turfway Park on March 26.... Chavez already has one Derby upset on his resume, winning with 10-1 shot Monarchos in 2001. 8. GREATER GOOD (20-1) Post: No. 8. Owner: Lewis Lakin. Trainer: Bob Holthus. Jockey: John McKee. Record: 8-5-0-1. Earnings: $466,275. Sire: Intidab. Dam: Gather The Clan. Comment: Entered the Arkansas Derby with three consecutive wins, but failed to threaten that afternoon and finished a dozen lengths behind Afleet Alex.... He has won at Churchill Downs. The late runner won the Kentucky Jockey Club, a Grade II, here last fall by nearly two lengths at 4-1.... Greater Good is Holthus’ fourth Derby runner. His best previous finish was fourth with Proper Reality in 1988. 9. GREELEY’S GALAXY (15-1) Post: No. 9. Owner: B. Wayne Hughes. Trainer: Warren Stute. Jockey: Kent Desormeaux. Record: 4-3-0-0. Earnings: $358,480. Sire: Mr. Greeley. Dam: Ascot Starre. Comment: Had to be supplemented for $200,000 and needed late defections to make the field. The sentimental choice of some who would like to see Stute, 83, win his first Derby .... A troubled sixth in his debut Jan. 15 at Santa Anita, the improving colt has won three times since.... Hughes has had Derby runners the last two years, finishing sixth with 2-year-old champion Action This Day in 2004. 10. GIACOMO (50-1) Post: No. 10. Owner: Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss. Trainer: John Shirreffs. Jockey: Mike Smith. Record: 7-1-2-2. Earnings: $226,716. Sire: Holy Bull. Dam: Set Them Free. Comment: The hype has yet to match the performance for this homebred. His only victory was against a so-so field of maidens last fall at Santa Anita and he has burned a lot of money since. He has lost twice as the favorite in five subsequent races and also has a pair of losses at 7-2.... First Derby starter for Shirreffs.... Will probably make a menacing move at some point, then, if form holds true, he will lose his punch.

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*--* 11. HIGH FLY (8-1) Post: No. 11. Owner: Live Oak Plantation. Trainer: Nick Zito. Jockey: Jerry Bailey. Record: 6-5-0-1. Earnings: $897,300. Sire: Atticus. Dam: Verbasle. Comment: Has won the Fountain Of Youth and Florida Derby for Zito after winning three of four races for former trainer Bill White.... His pedigree isn’t considered conducive to traveling 1 1/4 miles but he has outrun his bloodlines so far. Didn’t show any signs of weakening in the Florida Derby while winning by 1 1/2 lengths at 6-5.... Bailey has two Derby wins, the latest with Grindstone in 1996. 12. AFLEET ALEX (9-2) Post: No. 12. Owner: Cash Is King LLC. Trainer: Tim Ritchey. Jockey: Jeremy Rose. Record: 8-6-2-0. Earnings: $1,315,800. Sire: Northern Afleet. Dam: Maggy Hawk. Comment: Trying to follow in the footsteps of Smarty Jones and follow a win in the Arkansas Derby with another in the Kentucky Derby.... Recovered from a subpar performance in the Rebel to win the Arkansas Derby by eight lengths. Has been worse than second only once.... This will be the first Derby mount for Rose, who drew some criticism for his ride when the colt was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall. 13. SPANISH CHESTNUT (50-1) Post: No. 13. Owner: Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor. Trainer: Patrick Biancone. Jockey: Joe Bravo. Record: 8-3-2-1. Earnings: $208,420. Sire: Horse Chestnut. Dam: Baby Rabbit. Comment: Like Going Wild, Spanish Chestnut figures to be prominent early and nowhere late.... Owned by the same people who race contender Bandini, and there are some who believe he is running to help ensure a quick pace.... Like several other California-based 3-year-olds, he didn’t fare well when he went on the road, finishing sixth in both the Lane’s End and Blue Grass. 14. WILKO (20-1) Post: No. 14. Owner: Susan Roy and J. Paul Reddam. Trainer: Craig Dollase. Jockey: Corey Nakatani. Record: 14-3-2-6. Earnings: $1,039,074. Sire: Awesome Again. Dam: Native Roots. Comment: Worked very well at Hollywood Park last weekend and could be coming up to his best effort of the year.... Winless in three races since his 28-1 stunner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in his U.S. debut last fall. Has run four times on the main track, winning once and finishing third twice.... First Derby starter for Dollase.... Reddam was one of the partners in Ten Most Wanted, who finished ninth in the 2003 Derby. 15. BANDINI (6-1) Post: No. 15. Owner: Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor. Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Jockey: John Velazquez. Record: 5-3-1-0. Earnings: $564,180. Sire: Fusaichi Pegasus. Dam: Divine Dixie. Comment: Put everything together when beating arguably the strongest field in a Derby prep in last month’s Blue Grass at Keeneland. He won by six lengths after sitting a few lengths off the early pace.... A $500,000 yearling purchase and one of three horses Pletcher will be running in the Derby.... Velazquez, who won the Eclipse Award in 2004 as the nation’s top jockey, is winless with seven mounts in the Derby. 16. BELLAMY ROAD (5-2) Post: No. 16. Owner: Kinsman Stable. Trainer: Nick Zito. Jockey: Javier Castellano. Record: 5-4-0-0. Earnings: $611,400. Sire: Concerto. Dam: Hurry Home Hillary. Comment: A deserving favorite, based on two runaway wins in his only starts of 2005, one a record-setting 17 1/2 -length victory in the Wood Memorial.... Owner George Steinbrenner finished 11th with his last Derby starter, Blue Burner in 2002.... Bellamy Road’s sire was ninth in the 1997 Derby.... The concern with Bellamy Road is how he’ll react if he’s unable to make the lead, as he did in his two recent wins. 17. DON’T GET MAD (30-1) Post: No. 17. Owner: B. Wayne Hughes. Trainer: Ron Ellis. Jockey: Tyler Baze Record: 6-3-1-1. Earnings: $190,412. Sire: Stephen Got Even. Dam: Class On Class. Comment: The last horse to win the Derby Trial and the Derby was Tim Tam in 1958.... Yet to lose in three starts at Churchill Downs, but was winless in three starts at Santa Anita earlier this year.... All of his wins have been around one turn, which is why many believe he is simply a late-running sprinter. His best finish in a graded stakes was a second to Fusaichi Rock Star in the San Vicente, a Grade II, on Feb. 13 in Arcadia. 18. CLOSING ARGUMENT (30-1) Post: No. 18. Owner: Philip and Marcia Cohen. Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin. Jockey: Cornelio Velasquez. Record: 7-3-2-2. Earnings: $586,984. Sire: Successful Appeal. Dam: Mrs. Greeley. Comment: Scored biggest win in the Holy Bull, a Grade III, at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 5 and he handed Derby contender High Fly his only loss that day.... Distant third in the Blue Grass, finishing nine lengths behind Bandini.... First Derby starter for McLaughlin, a former Lukas assistant who consistently wins at a high percentage.... Colt purchased for $100,000 as a 2-year-old at a Florida sale. 19. GOING WILD (50-1) Post: No. 19. Owner: Bob and Beverly Lewis. Trainer: Wayne Lukas. Jockey: Jose Valdivia Jr. Record: 9-3-3-1. Earnings: $229,670. Sire: Golden Missile. Dam: Pola. Comment: Has lost his last two by a combined 57 1/4 lengths and has yet to win anywhere other than Santa Anita. Was an 0-for-3 maiden before he arrived in Arcadia, then won three in a row.... Lost by 41 lengths to Bellamy Road in the Blue Grass, then to Coin Silver by 16 1/4 lengths in the Lexington.... Lukas has pulled some Derby upsets before, but a win by this colt would be among the biggest surprises. 20. BUZZARDS BAY (20-1) Post: No. 20. Owner: Fog City Stable. Trainer: Jeff Mullins. Jockey: Mark Guidry. Record: 8-3-1-2. Earnings: $559,440. Sire: Marco Bay. Dam: Lifes Lass. Comment: Provided Mullins with a record third consecutive win in the Santa Anita Derby, but the trainer’s other two winners of that race didn’t fare well in Kentucky. Buddy Gil finished sixth in 2003 and Castledale was 14th a year ago.... Has trained well and Mullins has been quoted as saying he’s coming up to this race better than Buddy Gil and Castledale did.... Guidry was 10th with Deputy Warlock in 2000 and 14th with Balto Star a year later.

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