FULL FIELD LIKELY FOR SATURDAY'S ARKANSAS DERBY

A full field of twelve three-year-olds carrying the Triple Crown hopes of their connections could be in the starting gate on Saturday for the 67th running of the $500,000 Arkansas Derby.

The mile-and-an-eighth contest is the traditional feature race on the closing day card of the live racing season at Oaklawn Park. This year's Arkansas Derby will be telecast on the NBC Network as part of a show focusing on both the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and the Arkansas Derby. The Arkansas Derby is also the final leg of the national Big Three Pick Three wager, which includes the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct with the Blue Grass and Arkansas Derby.

On Wednesday post positions will be drawn for the race at 11:30 a.m. in the Lower Paddock area. Fans are encouraged to come out and watch the festivities in person. The draw is also shown via satellite to simulcast partners from coast to coast.

Invaders from both coasts will be taking on a number of locally-based runners with their eyes set on competition in the Kentucky Derby, Saturday, May 3, following a good effort in the Arkansas Derby.

The local contingent is headed by Rebel Stakes winner Crowned King. The surprise Rebel winner will again have Chandra Rennie in the saddle. No female rider has ever won an Arkansas Derby up to this point.

Heading the invading runners will be the winner and runner-up in the recent Tampa Bay Derby. The Tampa Bay winner, Region of Merit, races in the distinctive colors of Calumet Farm and has won four in a row, following a loss in his racing debut last October at Belmont Park. Eibar Coa, who has ridden the son of Touch Gold to his last three scores, has the riding assignment once again from trainer Christophe Clement

Aristocat, second in the Tampa Bay Derby, has two wins and two seconds in four career starts, but both losses were to Region of Merit. Trainer Todd Pletcher, who won back-to-back Arkansas Derbies in 2000-2001 with Graeme Hall and Balto Star, has tabbed Rene Douglas to handle the riding chores on the late-running Aristocat.

From the west coast, trainer Gary Mandella has sent Man Among Men to regain the stature he had as a major Triple Crown prospect. The son of Gentlemen owns a shocking victory over heavy Triple Crown favorite, Empire Maker, in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in February, but ran poorly in the ensuing San Felipe. He'll be ridden by Alex Solis, who piloted Victory Gallop to his 1998 Arkansas Derby win.

Also coming from the west coast will be Ten Cents A Shine, from the barn of trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Lukas ranks as the winningest trainer of major Racing Festival of the South races and won back-to-back Arkansas Derbies in 1984-1985 with Althea, the only filly Derby winner, and Tank's Prospect. Ten Cents A Shine will have the riding services of Mike Smith, winning rider in the exciting Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park this past weekend aboard the champion mare, Azeri.

At this point the prospects for the Arkansas Derby include Aristocat, Boogie On, Cat Genius, Christine's Outlaw, Comic Truth, Crowned King, Defrere's Vixen, Eugene's Third Son, Man Among Men, Region of Merit, Saint Liam, Sell To Survive, Sir Cherokee, and Ten Cents A Shine.

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