Kentucky Derby Capsules

1. LIMEHOUSE (30-1)

Post: No. 3. Owner: Dogwood Stable. Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Jockey: Jose Santos.

Sire: Grand Slam. Dam: Dixieland Blues. Record: 9-5-0-3. Earnings: $575,435.

Comment: Unbeaten in two starts at Churchill Downs.... One of those victories was in a $114,000 stakes on Derby Day last year.... He has won at 1 1/16 miles but seems suspect at 1 1/4 miles, given how he lost ground in the stretch of the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass on April 10.... Santos won with Funny Cide a year ago.... Pletcher, a former assistant to Wayne Lukas who has become one of the country’s leading trainers, is searching for his first Derby victory.

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2. SONG OF THE SWORD (30-1)

Post: No. 4. Owner: Paraneck Stable. Trainer: Jennifer Pedersen. Jockey: Norberto Arroyo Jr.

Sire: Unbridled’s Song. Dam: Appealing Ms Sword. Record: 5-3-1-1. Earnings: $211,100.

Comment: Has been third and second in his two starts in graded races after winning his first three starts over the inner track at Aqueduct.... Sire was the beaten favorite in the 1996 Derby....This is the first Derby runner for the New York-based Pedersen, one of two female trainers in today’s race -- the other is Kristin Mulhall with Imperialism. She is also one of the many trainers used by owner Ernie Paragallo.... Arroyo is also a Derby rookie.

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3. LION HEART (10-1)

Post: No. 5. Owner: Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith. Trainer: Patrick Biancone. Jockey: Mike Smith.

Sire: Tale Of The Cat. Dam: Satin Sunrise. Record: 5-3-2-0. Earnings: $500,800.

Comment: Viewed the likely pacesetter and questionable at 10 furlongs.... Unbeaten in three starts as 2-year-old, has been second in both races this year, losing to Imperialism in the San Rafael and The Cliff’s Edge in the Blue Grass.... Can’t do worse than Biancone’s other Derby starter, Brancusi, who finished last in a field of 16 in 2003.... Smith, in racing’s Hall of Fame, has never won the Derby and has lost favorites -- on Prairie Bayou, 1993; Holy Bull, 1994, and Unbridled’s Song, 1996.

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4. ACTION THIS DAY (30-1)

Post: No. 6. Owner: B. Wayne Hughes. Trainer: Richard Mandella. Jockey: David Flores.

Sire: Kris S. Dam: Najecam. Record: 6-2-1-0. Earnings: $822,084.

Comment: Hasn’t finished better than fourth in three starts since winning a weak Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.... No Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner has won the Derby.... Had some problems with his back that Mandella says have been remedied.... Hughes was the principal owner of Atswhatimtalknabout, who finished fourth in last year’s Derby.... Flores, who also rode Atswhatimtalknabout, finished third with Free House in 1997.

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6. FRIENDS LAKE (15-1)

Post: No. 7. Owner: Chester and Mary Broman. Trainer: John Kimmel. Jockey: Richard Migliore.

Sire: A.P. Indy. Dam: Antespend. Record: 5-3-0-1. Earnings: $695,600.

Comment: It will be interesting to see how the high-strung colt handles the hubbub.... Trying to become the second consecutive New York-bred to win the Derby, joining Funny Cide.... Hasn’t raced since winning the Florida Derby, but Kimmel isn’t concerned about the layoff and Friends Lake did win a stakes at Belmont Park after a 55-day layoff as a 2-year-old.... Migliore, a veteran rider who competes year-round in New York, is winless in three Derby mounts and his best finish was a fifth with Wheelaway in 2000.

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7. MINISTER ERIC (30-1)

Post: No. 8. Owner: Gerald Ford. Trainer: Richard Mandella. Jockey: Pat Day.

Sire: Old Trieste. Dam: Musical Minister. Record: 8-2-3-2. Earnings: $437,971.

Comment: Has yet to win a graded stakes, but neither had Alysheba when he won the Derby in 1987.... Earned his ticket here with an allowance victory against a suspect field April 14 at Keeneland.... Second to Action This Day in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.... Day, who annually dominates the standings at Churchill Downs, has won the Derby, with Lil E. Tee in 1992.... This colt’s sire set a fast pace in the 1998 Derby before fading to 10th as a 32-1 longshot.

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8. MASTER DAVID (12-1)

Post: No. 9. Owner: Georgica Stable and Stephen Mack. Trainer: Bobby Frankel. Jockey: Alex Solis.

Sire: Grand Slam. Dam: Nadra. Record: 7-2-4-1. Earnings: $268,756.

Comment: A narrow loser in the Wood Memorial, he’s coming in more lightly regarded than Empire Maker, the beaten favorite in last year’s Derby who was also trained by Frankel.... Began his career running on the turf in England and hasn’t been worse than third in four starts since coming to the U.S.... Solis is winless in 13 Derby mounts, but has finished second three times, including with the Frankel-trained Aptitude in 2000.

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10. IMPERIALISM (15-1)

Post: No. 10. Owner: Steve Taub. Trainer: Kristin Mulhall. Jockey: Kent Desormeaux.

Sire: Langfuhr. Dam: Bodhavista. Record: 15-5-4-1. Earnings: $437,605.

Comment: Purchased privately earlier this year by Taub, a Santa Monica car dealer and longtime horse owner who has been on a roll in 2004.... The gray has an indented right eye, which makes it difficult for him to see horses coming from behind.... Victor Espinoza opted for Borrego, so Desormeaux, who won the Derby with Real Quiet in 1998 and Fusaichi Pegasus four years ago, will ride Imperialism for the first time.... Mulhall, 21, is the youngest trainer to start a horse in the Derby.

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11. THE CLIFF’S EDGE (4-1)

Post: No. 11. Owner: Robert La Penta V. Trainer: Nick Zito. Jockey: Shane Sellers.

Sire: Gulch. Dam: Zigember. Record: 8-4-2-1. Earnings: $835,258.

Comment: The likely favorite, having won both of his starts at Churchill Downs and coming off a victory in the Blue Grass, the best of the three Derby preps, on April 10....Was considered the third best of Zito’s 3-year-olds, behind Birdstone and Eurosilver, early this year.... Scored his Churchill victories as a 2-year-old....Sellers is hoping 13 is his lucky number, being winless in 12 Derby mounts.

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12. BORREGO (20-1)

Post: No. 12. Owner: Brad Scott, Jon Kelly and Ralls and Foster LLC. Trainer: Beau Greely. Jockey: Victor Espinoza.

Sire: El Prado. Dam: Sweet As Honey. Record: 7-2-3-0. Earnings: $399,580.

Comment: He’s stuck on seconds, having been the runner-up in three consecutive races, including the Arkansas and Louisiana derbies.... This will be Greely’s first Derby starter.... Espinoza will be making his first appearance since he guided War Emblem to a wire-to-wire upset in 2002.... Although it is difficult to imagine this chestnut winning, he should relish the distance and could find his way into the exotics.

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13. BIRDSTONE (50-1)

Post: No. 13. Owner: Marylou Whitney Stables. Trainer: Nick Zito. Jockey: Edgar Prado.

Sire: Grindstone. Dam: Dear Birdie. Record: 7-5-0-0. Earnings: $450,660.

Comment: Declared the probable Derby winner by some after he broke his maiden by 12 1/2 lengths in his debut at Saratoga last summer. . . . Since then, he has won two of four, but was a disappointing fifth as the 3-5 favorite in the Lane’s End at Turfway Park on March 20. . . . His sire won the 1996 Derby, beating Cavonnier by a nose. . . . Zito has won the world’s most famous race twice, with Strike The Gold in 1991 and Go For Gin in 1994.

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14. READ THE FOOTNOTES (12-1)

Post: No. 14. Owner: Klaravich Stables. Trainer: Richard Violette Jr. Jockey: Robby Albarado.

Sire: Smoke Glacken. Dam: Baydon Belle. Record: 7-5-0-0. Earnings: $450,660.

Comment: Ran the best race of any 3-year-old this year when he edged the now-injured Second Of June in the Fountain Of Youth on Feb. 14 at Gulfstream Park.... He regressed a month later in the Florida Derby, finishing fourth at even money, prompting Violette to train him up to the Kentucky Derby.... This will be the first Derby runner for Violette and Klaravich Stables.... Albarado’s best finish in six tries in the event was a fifth with Request For Parole in 2002.

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15. SMARTY JONES (9-2)

Post: No. 15. Owner: Someday Farm. Trainer: John Servis. Jockey: Stewart Elliott.

Sire: Elusive Quality. Dam: I’ll Get Along. Record: 6-6-0-0. Earnings: $878,355.

Comment: In line for a $5-million bonus if he wins the Derby because of earlier victories in the Rebel and Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.... Will be one of the favorites, although a lot of observers are still wary about his ability to cope with 1 1/4 miles.... Had no problem winning at nine furlongs last month, taking the Arkansas Derby by 1 1/2 lengths.... Trying to become the second Pennsylvania-bred to win, joining Lil E. Tee, who scored in 1992.... First Derby runner for Someday Farm, Servis and Elliott.

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16. CASTLEDALE (15-1)

Post: No. 16. Owner: Greg Knee and Frank Lyons. Trainer: Jeff Mullins. Jockey: Jose Valdivia Jr.

Sire: Peintre Celebre. Dam: Louju. Record: 10-3-4-1. Earnings: $559,623.

Comment: Sixth in his main track debut in the San Rafael Stakes, the Irish-bred fared a lot better in the Santa Anita Derby, winning by a head at 30-1.... Lost some weight after winning that race and there was some fear he might not make the trip to Kentucky .... Mullins also won the Santa Anita Derby last year with Buddy Gil, who finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby.... Co-owner Lyons, who works as an analyst for TVG, was the trainer of Desert Stormer when she won the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Belmont Park.

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17. POLLARD’S VISION (20-1)

Post: No. 17. Owner: Edgewood Farm. Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Jockey: John Velazquez.

Sire: Carson City. Dam: Etats Unis. Record: 10-3-2-3. Earnings: $445,811.

Comment: Blind in his right eye, the colt is named in honor of Red Pollard, the one-eyed rider of Seabiscuit.... His sire was a sprinter so Pollard’s Vision didn’t seem likely to handle longer distances, but he was going away at the finish of the Illinois Derby, which is 1 1/8 miles.... Velazquez has yet to win the Derby in six tries, but he could arguably be called the best rider in the country.... Churchill Downs will be the eighth track Pollard’s Vision has run over.

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18. TAPIT (8-1)

Post: No. 18. Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds. Trainer: Michael Dickinson. Jockey: Ramon Dominguez.

Sire: Pulpit. Dam: Tap Your Heels. Record: 4-3-0-0. Earnings: $549,800.

Comment: Like Fusaichi Pegasus, trying to win the Derby in his fifth race.... Owned by Ron Winchell, the son of the late Verne Winchell, the founder of Winchell’s Donuts.... Dickinson is a high-percentage trainer who runs horses infrequently and is best known for having Da Hoss ready to win the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Mile, though the horse had had only one race in 22 months.... Dominguez can become the first jockey to win with his first Derby mount since Ron Franklin won with Spectacular Bid in 1979.

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19. PRO PRADO (30-1)

Post: No. 19. Owner: Mrs. James Winn. Trainer: Bob Holthus. Jockey: John McKee.

Sire: El Prado. Dam: Mama’s Pro. Record: 7-3-0-3. Earnings: $213,784.

Comment: Finished third behind Smarty Jones in three consecutive races in Arkansas.... All three of his victories have been in sprints.... Third Derby starter for veteran trainer Holthus. He finished 13th with Our Trade Winds in 1972 and fourth with Proper Reality in 1988.... McKee was the leading rider at Oaklawn Park and had success at Churchill Downs while still an apprentice.... Pro Prado is one of three grays in the field, joining Tapit and Imperialism.

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20. QUINTONS GOLD RUSH (20-1)

Post: No. 20. Owner: Satish Sanan and Jay Manoogian. Trainer: Steve Asmussen. Jockey: Corey Nakatani.

Sire: Wild Rush. Dam: Hollywood Gold. Record: 5-2-1-0. Earnings: $295,500.

Comment: Transferred to Asmussen after running fourth for former trainer Mike Mitchell in the Santa Anita Derby, the chestnut won the Lexington with a gorgeous trip.... Nakatani is back aboard and he finished fourth in his two previous collaborations with Quintons Gold Rush.... Sanan, who races as Padua Stables, has had one previous starter, Exchange Rate, who finished 12th at 59-1 in 2000.... The Derby will be the colt’s third race in 28 days.

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Order of horses: By saddlecloth numbers. Odds: Morning line (in parenthesis). Post: Today, 3:04 p.m., TV: Ch. 4 PDT (Coverage begins 2 p.m.).; Scratched: No. 5 Wimbledon (leg injury) and No. 9 St Averil (sore front feet)