Tampa Bay Derby

Few horses rally from as far off the pace as Pineaff, but his upset of Menifee in the Tampa Bay Derby in March has earned him the favorite's role in Monday's $300,000 Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park. Pineaff is the 122-pound highweight and will break from the rail in a field of 11 drawn yesterday for the 21st running of Pennsylvania's richest race, over 11/8 miles. Marlon St. Julien will ride the son of 1992 Preakness winner Pine Bluff for trainer Ken McPeek. Pineaff has not started since finishing ninth in the Belmont Stakes on June 5 but has been training at Churchill Downs.

With the 127th running of the Kentucky Derby only four weeks away, the serious contenders are separating themselves from the mere pretenders. Here is a look at several of the top prospects for the May 5 classic at 1 1/4 miles for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs: Point Given overcame a very wide trip to win the San Felipe in decisive fashion on March 17 at Santa Anita. Improving with each start, this stretch-running son of 1995 Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch is trained by Bob Baffert, who saddled Captain Steve to win the $6 million Dubai World Cup on March 24. Point Given could give West Coast trainers their seventh consecutive victory in the Kentucky Derby after decades of dominance by Eastern connections.

After Hard Spun's impressive victory in Saturday's $500,000 Lane's End Stakes at Turfway Park, a horse with Philadelphia-area connections will be a serious contender for the May 5 Kentucky Derby for the fourth consecutive year. Hard Spun is preceded at the Run for the Roses by Smarty Jones (first in 2004), Afleet Alex (third in 2005), and Barbaro (first in 2006). Owned by Wilmington native Rick Porter, Hard Spun scored by 31/4 lengths after racing just off the pace and three wide in the 11/8-mile test.

This could be the day for the Lemon Drop Kid. The bay colt has run only once this year - a winning allowance race at Gulfstream Park - and he won just two of his six races as a 2-year-old, but he looks like a big story waiting to happen. Today, at Keeneland Racetrack in Lexington, Ky., against one of the toughest Blue Grass Stakes fields in the race's 75-year history, could be the day. "I think he can beat these horses," said Scotty Schulhofer, the colt's Hall of Fame trainer.

Tomorrow, 6:15 p.m. post time (Race 12) Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore TV: Channel 10, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Wagering info: 1-888-BET-INFO or www.phonebet.com . Distance: 1 3/16 miles. Weights: 126 each. Purse: $1.1 million. First place: $710,000. Second place: $220,000. Third place: $110,000. Fourth place: $55,000. Up next: Belmont Stakes, June 5 Staff picks DICK JERARDI 7 Lookin At Lucky 9 Caracortado 8 Super Saver 5 Yawanna Twist ED BARKOWITZ 7 Lookin At Lucky 8 Super Saver 6 Jackson Bend 10 Paddy O'Prado STAN HOCHMAN 2 Schoolyard Dreams 8 Super Saver 10 Paddy O'Prado 7 Lookin At Lucky The Preakness field 1 AIKENITE Morning line: 20-1 Owner: Dogwood Stable Trainer: Todd Pletcher Jockey: Javier Castellano Career earnings: $300,806 2010: Starts: 4. 1st: 0. 2nd: 1. 3rd: 1 Career: Starts: 8. 1st: 1. 2nd: 2. 3rd: 3 Last three: Derby Trial (2nd)

Frank DeFrancis, the high-profile chairman of Pimlico Race Course, was working the crowd at the Preakness Stakes' Alibi Breakfast yesterday morning. One of his messages as he moved among the tables was that Pimlico's new owners - he and his partners bought the track in December - would not tinker with the racing surface. In past years, Pimlico's track was finely tuned - with a road-grader - to produce a fast time for the Preakness. The hard surface also produced horses who became body-sore, and it undoubtedly contributed to some breakdowns.

Here on this track at Belmont Park last July, jockey Richard Migliore was thrown into the path of onrushing horses when his mount broke down at the top of the stretch. He slammed to the ground, tumbled, rolled, and was stepped on and crushed. It appeared that the 35-year-old father of three had ridden his last race. Twice he was wheeled into surgery to mend a compound fracture of his right arm. The surgeon could make no promises. Migliore, who had survived a near-fatal neck injury in a 1988 spill, went back to Belmont one day while he was healing and walked out to the site of the accident.

Richard R. Kennedy had no doubt in early February that his 3-year-old colt Afleet would be something special. The Toronto lawyer and real-estate investor also had a top filly, One From Heaven, and the stablemates had a workout together in Florida. "Afleet ripped her head off," Kennedy said. It was an impressive effort for a colt who had never started and, in fact, would not make his first start until May. One From Heaven has turned out to be a top-level runner, winning Woodbine Race Course's Grade I Selene Stakes in June.

Arlington Classic winner Lost Code and Jerome Handicap victor Afleet are expected to head a strong, competitive field for Sunday's $300,000 Pennsylvania Derby, Philadelphia Park's premier race. Track officials said yesterday that they had commitments from the trainers of nine 3-year-olds to run in the Grade II, 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby, with some others likely to enter on Friday. In addition Lost Code and Afleet - both Grade I winners - major stakes winners Templar Hill, War and Phantom Jet are expected for the ninth running of the state's richest horse race.

With a few equipment tweaks and a new running style, Hansen is on his way to becoming one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby. Fitted with a new bit and running without blinkers for the first time, the near-white Hansen showed he can run from off the pace, too, by winning the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday. It marked the first time in his four wins the speedy 3-year-old colt didn't lead wire-to-wire. "That's my job," Hansen's trainer Mike Maker said, referring to the changes he made after the colt's only defeat, a second-place finish in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream on Jan. 29 following a stumble at the start.

When: Today, 6:32 p.m. (11th race) Where: Belmont Park, Elmont, N.Y. TV: 6ABC, beginning at 5 p.m. Wagering info: 1-888-BET-INFO or www.phonebet.com Distance: 1 1/2 miles Weights: 126 pounds Purse: $1 million. First place: $600,000 Second place: $200,000 Third place: $110,000 Fourth place: $60,000 Fifth place: $30,000   Staff picks   DICK JERARDI 11 First Dude 5 Fly Down 6 Ice Box 9 Stately Victor ED BARKOWITZ 6 Ice Box 3 Uptowncharlybrown 11 First Dude 5 Fly Down STAN HOCHMAN 3 Uptowncharlybrown 6 Ice Box 4 Make Music for Me 2 Spangled Star   Dick Jerardi's breakdown of the field   1 DAVE IN DIXIE Morning line: 20-1 Owner: Ike and Dawn Thrash Trainer: John Sadler Jockey: Calvin Borel Earnings: $75,150 2010: Starts: 3. 1st: 0. 2nd: 1. 3rd: 0. Career: Starts: 5. 1st: 1. 2nd: 1. 3rd: 0. Last three: Illinois Derby (5th)

Tomorrow, 6:15 p.m. post time (Race 12) Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore TV: Channel 10, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Wagering info: 1-888-BET-INFO or www.phonebet.com . Distance: 1 3/16 miles. Weights: 126 each. Purse: $1.1 million. First place: $710,000. Second place: $220,000. Third place: $110,000. Fourth place: $55,000. Up next: Belmont Stakes, June 5 Staff picks DICK JERARDI 7 Lookin At Lucky 9 Caracortado 8 Super Saver 5 Yawanna Twist ED BARKOWITZ 7 Lookin At Lucky 8 Super Saver 6 Jackson Bend 10 Paddy O'Prado STAN HOCHMAN 2 Schoolyard Dreams 8 Super Saver 10 Paddy O'Prado 7 Lookin At Lucky The Preakness field 1 AIKENITE Morning line: 20-1 Owner: Dogwood Stable Trainer: Todd Pletcher Jockey: Javier Castellano Career earnings: $300,806 2010: Starts: 4. 1st: 0. 2nd: 1. 3rd: 1 Career: Starts: 8. 1st: 1. 2nd: 2. 3rd: 3 Last three: Derby Trial (2nd)

The Grade I $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct takes center stage Saturday as two big hitters make their final prep for the May 5 Kentucky Derby. Todd Pletcher's Circular Quay and Barclay Tagg's Nobiz Like Shobiz head the field for the 11/8-mile race (live on ESPN, same-day replays on ntra.com). "I can't do much more now except get out there and ride him myself," said Tagg. "He's done everything I've asked. " Pletcher also has Cowtown Cat in Saturday's Grade II $500,000 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne.

After Hard Spun's impressive victory in Saturday's $500,000 Lane's End Stakes at Turfway Park, a horse with Philadelphia-area connections will be a serious contender for the May 5 Kentucky Derby for the fourth consecutive year. Hard Spun is preceded at the Run for the Roses by Smarty Jones (first in 2004), Afleet Alex (third in 2005), and Barbaro (first in 2006). Owned by Wilmington native Rick Porter, Hard Spun scored by 31/4 lengths after racing just off the pace and three wide in the 11/8-mile test.

Here on this track at Belmont Park last July, jockey Richard Migliore was thrown into the path of onrushing horses when his mount broke down at the top of the stretch. He slammed to the ground, tumbled, rolled, and was stepped on and crushed. It appeared that the 35-year-old father of three had ridden his last race. Twice he was wheeled into surgery to mend a compound fracture of his right arm. The surgeon could make no promises. Migliore, who had survived a near-fatal neck injury in a 1988 spill, went back to Belmont one day while he was healing and walked out to the site of the accident.

Few horses rally from as far off the pace as Pineaff, but his upset of Menifee in the Tampa Bay Derby in March has earned him the favorite's role in Monday's $300,000 Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park. Pineaff is the 122-pound highweight and will break from the rail in a field of 11 drawn yesterday for the 21st running of Pennsylvania's richest race, over 11/8 miles. Marlon St. Julien will ride the son of 1992 Preakness winner Pine Bluff for trainer Ken McPeek. Pineaff has not started since finishing ninth in the Belmont Stakes on June 5 but has been training at Churchill Downs.

This could be the day for the Lemon Drop Kid. The bay colt has run only once this year - a winning allowance race at Gulfstream Park - and he won just two of his six races as a 2-year-old, but he looks like a big story waiting to happen. Today, at Keeneland Racetrack in Lexington, Ky., against one of the toughest Blue Grass Stakes fields in the race's 75-year history, could be the day. "I think he can beat these horses," said Scotty Schulhofer, the colt's Hall of Fame trainer.

Richard R. Kennedy had no doubt in early February that his 3-year-old colt Afleet would be something special. The Toronto lawyer and real-estate investor also had a top filly, One From Heaven, and the stablemates had a workout together in Florida. "Afleet ripped her head off," Kennedy said. It was an impressive effort for a colt who had never started and, in fact, would not make his first start until May. One From Heaven has turned out to be a top-level runner, winning Woodbine Race Course's Grade I Selene Stakes in June.