It does appear Lucky's trainer, Bob Baffert, will send West Virginia Derby and Iowa Derby winner Concord Point from the West Coast. There is also a reasonable chance Santa Anita Derby winner Sidney's Candy will come cross-country as well. Locally based trainer Butch Reid plans to run Afleet Again, fourth in the Travers and a son of the very hot sire, Afleet Alex, winner of the 2005 Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Purses on Pa. Derby Day are expected to total around $1.65 million. The following Saturday (Oct. 2), there will be a female rider challenge. All of the races will be for fillies and mares. Purses will total $1.5 million. And the $750,000 Cotillion for 3-year-old fillies is definitely getting the wonderful Blind Luck, winner of the Kentucky Oaks and Alabama Stakes. Her main rival for the 3-year-old filly championship, Devil May Care, also could drop in for the race. Havre de Grace, second in the Delaware Oaks and Alabama to Blind Luck and locally trained, could also run in the Cotillion - unless she tries the boys in the Pa. Derby. And that could happen.