Naysayers voice their opinions

Sometimes, it seems, there are more reasons horses can’t win the Kentucky Derby than reasons they can.

Some say that Curlin, the undefeated chestnut colt who won the Arkansas Derby by 10 1/2 lengths, can’t win Saturday at Churchill Downs because he has run only three races.

Some say that Street Sense, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by a record 10 lengths on the Churchill dirt in November, won’t win because no BC Juvenile champion ever has.

Others say that none of Todd Pletcher’s five possible starters will win because his attention is too divided.

And some say that Hard Spun, who hasn’t been among the early favorites but turned in a blazing final workout Monday, won’t win because he went too fast and will be spent.

Veteran clockers timed Hard Spun’s five-furlong workout in 57.60 seconds, the fastest Derby week work at that distance since 1973, according to unofficial Derby historians. That colt, Forego, worked five furlongs in 57 seconds and finished fourth in the Derby.

Steve Asmussen, trainer of Curlin, one of the potential favorites, dismissed much of the analysis.

“We’re not running against history,” he said. “We’re running against the others.”

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The winner of Saturday’s Derby will earn a $1-million bonus if he beats Barbaro’s 6 1/2 -length winning margin of last year, the largest in 60 years.

The bonus, offered by Yum Brands, would be shared equally among the winning owner, trainer, jockey and the Barbaro Memorial Fund founded by the National Thoroughbred Racing Assn.

Yum Brands, the parent company of restaurant chains, including KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, has been the sponsor of the Derby since last year.

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Doug O’Neill, the trainer from Hollywood Park with three possible Derby runners, said that Cobalt Blue, owned by Merv Griffin, was not yet certain for the Derby after finishing seventh in the Illinois Derby.

“The beauty of Merv is, he really, truly wants to put the horse first,” O’Neill said. “He wants to be involved so badly, but at the same time he doesn’t want to jeopardize the potential for Cobalt Blue to still be a really good horse.

“We were obviously disappointed in the Illinois Derby and a little disappointed in the work last week.

“We’re going to go day to day. It will be Merv’s call. As far as I’m concerned, he looks great and is doing great. I do agree this can be a really grueling race for a lot of horses.”

O’Neill also trains Great Hunter and Liquidity, both owned by J. Paul Reddam of Sunset Beach.

robyn.norwood@latimes.com