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The Preakness Stakes on Saturday might be drawing the most interest this week at Pimlico, but it could be argued that the best race of the week will be run the day before, when an outstanding field of older horses, headed by Funny Cide, competes in the Grade 1, $500,000 Pimlico Special. Funny Cide won the Preakness here in 2003, two weeks after winning the Kentucky Derby. The Special, run at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles, was supposed to be part of Funny Cide's campaign in 2004, but unseasonably hot weather that week caused trainer Barclay Tagg to keep Funny Cide out of the race. This year, Funny Cide will be making his seasonal debut in the Special. The weather is mild. And Funny Cide is raring to go, having completed his serious preparation with a seven-furlong drill in 1:25.40 on Sunday morning at Belmont Park. "He's doing great," Tagg said Monday from Belmont. "I sure am eager to see him run. He likes it there. And the timing is right for me." Funny Cide got a late start this year. He needed extra time in Florida to recover from a minor injury in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic, then had to work off a few extra pounds he picked up. He was scheduled to run in a New York-bred stakes race last month, but Tagg balked at his hefty weight assignment. As it turns out, the late start works for Tagg, who thinks Funny Cide might have been over the top at the end of his 2003 and 2004 campaigns. "Both times he ran in the Breeders' Cup he had to ship into hot climates," Tagg said. "He ran in the Triple Crown in 2003, and last year he had run nine times before the Breeders' Cup. It's not like he was sleeping. This year, he'll have six races. Other than Friday, he'll run in New York. This year the Breeders' Cup is at Belmont. The weather should be cool. And it'll be in our own back yard. I want to have him a bit fresh for it." Funny Cide drew post 2 in the field of nine for the Special. His rivals include the first three finishers from the Oaklawn Handicap - Grand Reward, Second of June, and Eddington - as well as Pollard's Vision and Badge of Silver, the one-two finishers in the National Jockey Club Handicap at Hawthorne, and Offlee Wild, who comes off a powerful win in the Excelsior Breeders' Cup Handicap at Aqueduct. "It looks like a very competitive spot to me," said Richard Dutrow Jr., who trains Offlee Wild. The Special is the 11th race on a 12-race card. Also Friday, trainer Todd Pletcher will run either Ashado or Colony Band in the Grade 3, $150,000 Pimlico Distaff at 1 1/16 miles for older fillies and mares. The other will run in the Shuvee Handicap at Belmont Park on Saturday. Runway Model, who was sixth in the Kentucky Oaks, will look to rebound in the Grade 2, $200,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, which drew a moderate field of six 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles. The wickedly fast Maddalena is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the Grade 3, $100,000 Miss Preakness Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going six furlongs. Nicole's Dream, who won the Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill Downs, meets Elusive Diva in the $75,000 The Very One Stakes at five furlongs on turf for older fillies and mares.

After losing his mount on High Limit early this week, jockey Ramon Dominguez didn't have to wait long to pick up another ride for the 130th Preakness Stakes on May 21.Delaware Park-based trainer Robert Bailes said Dominguez will ride Scrappy T, who did not run in the Kentucky Derby last Saturday, in the second leg of the Triple Crown at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.Scrappy T, owned by Marshall Dowell of Virginia, won the Withers Stakes in New York, then skipped the Derby to prepare for the Preakness. He ran a distant third to Bellamy Road in the Grade I Wood Memorial at Aqueduct (N.Y.) on April 9.Dominguez learned from his agent, Steve Rushing, that trainer Bobby Frankel would change jockeys on High Limit. High Limit ran last among 20 horses in the Derby. After the race, Frankel said High Limit apparently was clipped from behind and his hind quarters cut. On Wednesday, Pimlico listed High Limit as a possible Preakness starter.Dominguez was aboard Scrappy T for an early morning workout Wednesday at DelPark. The horse has never finished out of the money in nine career starts: three wins, four second-place finishes and two thirds."The horse went great [Wednesday] and I'm glad to get another mount like this," said Dominguez, the leading rider at DelPark the past two years. "Mr. Bailes told me that in the beginning of his career, the horse had a lot of speed. He told me now he rates nicely off the pace."Bailes said a factor in choosing Dominguez was his familiarity with Pimlico."I sat down with the owner, and Ramon was high on our list," Bailes said. "The fact Ramon knows the Pimlico track so well played into it."Dominguez rode High Limit in his first five career starts through the Derby, including two wins at DelPark. Frankel kept Dominguez after he took over training of the horse from Anthony Dutrow this year, and Dominguez won the Louisiana Derby in March."I was disappointed to lose the mount on High Limit. I like the horse a lot," Dominguez said. "I don't know what happened in regard to me [losing the mount]. After the horse ran so bad, I don't really blame them for making a change. That's how the business goes sometimes."I talked to Mr. Frankel the day after the Derby to see how the horse was doing. He didn't say anything about the mount then."Bailes said he believes Scrappy T is capable of winning the Preakness."He had some problems and his saddle slipped in the Wood," Bailes said. "Unless he had a huge race in the Wood, we weren't thinking of the Derby. He came back and ran a big race in the Withers."We decided to let the other big boys sort of tire each other out a little and take our shot in the Preakness. It's worked out pretty good so far."Bellamy Road in Belmont?Bellamy Road has not been ruled out of the Belmont Stakes on June 11, although it is unlikely that the beaten Kentucky Derby favorite owned by Yankees boss George Steinbrenner will be healthy enough to run in the final leg of the Triple Crown.Edward Sexton, who runs Steinbrenner's Kinsman Farm in Ocala, Fla., said Wednesday that the popped splint in Bellamy Road's left front leg was "a very minute injury" and the 3-year-old colt would resume light training in two weeks."He'll be back in full training in three to four weeks," Sexton said. "The Belmont is looking doubtful, but we'll just have to see what happens."Lemonade salesAlex's Lemonade Stand raised nearly $11,000 at the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks last weekend, the children's cancer charity reported. The owners of Delaware Park-based Afleet Alex also donated a portion of the horse's third-place Derby winnings.Alex's Lemonade Stand also has been invited to the Preakness, as it pursues its goal of raising $5 million in 2005.

Giacomo's stunning Kentucky Derby victory at 50-1 odds hasn't scared the competition away. The colt can expect to see some of the same rivals and a few new ones in Baltimore in two weeks for the second leg of the Triple Crown. Jockey Mike Smith was still smiling Sunday, a day after riding Giacomo to the second-biggest upset in Derby history. They defeated 72-1 long shot Closing Argument by a half-length. "I got up this morning, said my prayers and I said, `Is this really true? Did I really win it?'" he said outside Giacomo's barn at Churchill Downs.Typical of his low-key nature, winning trainer John Shirreffs had already returned to Southern California, leaving others to keep buzzing about his colt's stunning rally from 18th place to first. If all goes well, Giacomo is expected to ship to Pimlico for the May 21 Preakness. Asked if Giacomo could win that race, Smith said, "Without a doubt. I believe in him a lot." Count Bobby Frankel among the skeptics. "You wouldn't think he's a Triple Crown horse. You got to like the horses who didn't fire in the Derby to win the Preakness," he said, referring to 5-2 favorite Bellamy Road and Afleet Alex. Frankel's horse High Limit finished last; he was badly cut and bled, but not seriously enough to rule him out of the Preakness. Nick Zito's best finish among his five entries was seventh by Bellamy Road, owned by New York Yankees boss George Steinbrenner. Zito was clearly subdued Sunday, but resolved to try again in two weeks. "We'll send something there. I don't know what," he said. Also expected for the 1 3-16th-mile Preakness is third-place Afleet Alex, who will ship to Baltimore on Wednesday. "It's a little shorter race, it's in our backyard and if he runs with the same courage, they will have to outrun him like they do most times. We have a heck of a shot," trainer Tim Ritchey said. "He is walking around the barn bucking and squealing this morning, so obviously he came out of the race well."

Trainer Nick Zito leads all trainers this year with five candidates for the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), including the likely favorite Bellamy Road. But what about the Todd Squad? Todd Pletcher has a trio of talented runners: Bandini, Coin Silver, and Flower Alley. "Obviously, we've got their works coming up, which will be the most important part of the equation as far as the training goes, but at this point I'm very happy with where we are," said Pletcher, who has sent out nine previous Derby starters, including 2001 runner-up Invisible Ink and 2000 third finisher Impeachment. Pletcher also discussed his three 2005 Derby prospects on an individual basis. Here's what he had to say about their running styles: Bandini, winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) and second in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II). "To me, he's a perfect kind of horse to ride because he's not going to let anybody steal anything and yet, if they're flying, he can sit back as far as he needs to. He's versatile that way. He's tractable. You can kind of place him where you want, and he's got enough tactical speed away from there to maybe get you out of some situations if you need to. Yet, if you need to bring him back to you a little bit after you get him started, he's kind enough to do that." Coin Silver, winner of the Lexington Stakes (gr .II). "I'll go back to the old thing everybody else says: These 3-year-olds transform quickly this time of year. What we've got to hope is that the change in tactics, getting him off the pace, is what made the difference (in the Lexington). That it wasn't just the sloppy track. Or that we get a sloppy track for him in the Derby. He's not a colt that when you look at his p.p.s or his numbers you say, 'Wow. This horse was beaten 30 lengths, 40 lengths and now all of a sudden ...' He's always been knocking on the door, on the verge of stepping into that next level. Hopefully, the change in tactics, getting him off the pace a little bit, was what made that little improvement that we were looking for." Flower Alley, winner of the Lane's End Stakes (gr. II) and second in the Arkansas Derby (gr. II). "I think in order for him to succeed, he needs to be farther back than he's been. Maybe the blinkers are going to take care of this, but he's still a pretty green colt. I think what's happened in the last couple of spots is that he's broken, put himself in a good position, and then, because he's a little bit green, he starts looking around. He gets a little bit of dirt in his face and he starts to back up, so (jockey Jorge) Chavez has been 'no, you can't back up now, I need to you to stay here.' I think in this race (the Derby) we need to let him back up a little bit. If he wants to back up into 12th, 14th, whatever it is, let him back up. Let him get comfortable and then make a run. We can't chase them for a mile and a quarter. We've got to let him settle and make his run, so I'm hoping that the blinkers take away a little bit of that and maybe keep him focussed enough so that Chavez can leave him alone and he'll lay in the middle of the pack. But I don't want him (Chavez) knuckling him at the five-eighths pole like he was in the Arkansas Derby because you just can't make that long of a run." Pletcher also addressed Bandini's performance in the Blue Grass Stakes and some people's contention that Spanish Chestnut acted as a rabbit, setting it up the race perfectly for the son of Fusaichi Pegasus. "Bandini doesn't necessarily need a rabbit," Pletcher claimed. "Patrick Biancone trains Spanish Chestnut, and if he decides to run him in the Derby, then that's what they're going to do. The horse's last two races haven't been great, but prior to that, he was one of the leading candidates on the West Coast. So, if you look at it that way, he's got every much as right to be in there as Going Wild or some of the other horses whose last couple of races haven't been good. Everybody made a big deal after the Blue Grass: 'Oh Bandini didn't run as good as everybody said because Spanish Chestnut was in there as a rabbit.' Well, he was a rabbit for the whole field. He cleared the field. High Fly got a perfect stalking trip right off of him, which they said before the race they wanted to do, and had absolutely no excuse. We were parked three wide on both turns and ran by everybody and now they're saying, 'Oh, the Blue Grass wasn't a good race, Keeneland's a bad racetrack, and I didn't want to win the Blue Grass anyway.' Geez. There have been a lot of horses that haven't necessarily won the Blue Grass that come back to win the Derby, but I wouldn't think too many of them were beaten double-digit lengths." Pletcher also talked about how he thought the Derby would be run in general. "I think Bellamy Road, Spanish Chestnut if he goes (will be in front), and Consolidator is going to want to be part of the pace," the trainer said. "I think you're going to see a low :46 half – a :46.18.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 24, 2003) - Churchill Downs has made an adjustment in the process for the selection of post positions for the Kentucky Derby that will now place the random draw that establishes the order of selection at the closing of entries for the race. The change in the process means that the "blind" draw that establishes the order in which post positions for Kentucky Derby 129 are to be selected will now be conducted in the Churchill Downs Racing office at the official closing of entries. The actual selection of post positions by authorized agents for each Kentucky Derby entry will continue to be the centerpiece of the Kentucky Derby Post Position Selection telecast on ESPN, which this year is scheduled to be part of a special "ESPN SportsCenter at the Kentucky Derby" scheduled for 5:00-6:00 p.m. (all times EDT) on Wednesday, April 30. The "blind" draw for selection order and subsequent selection of post positions for the Kentucky Derby has been conducted during a special one-hour ESPN telecast since 1998, when Churchill Downs modified its post draw process for the Derby to allow participants in the race to select the starting positions for their horses. Before that change, post positions for the race had traditionally been established by a single random draw known as the "Pill Pull" during which the starting positions for each horse were determined by numbered balls, or "pills," drawn one-by-one from a bottle. Under the adjusted process, the field for the Kentucky Derby and the order of post position selection will be set at the time of closing of entries, which usually occurs between 11:00 a.m. and Noon. The Derby field will also be made available to the public at that time. There is no also-eligible list for the Kentucky Derby and no change in the official list of entries for the race will be permitted after the close of entries. Along with the move of the blind draw for post selection order from the ESPN Kentucky Derby Post Position Selection telecast, the change will also eliminate a "discussion period" for owners and trainers that had also been part of the program. "The Kentucky Derby Post Position Selection process was created in an effort to attract new fans to our race and the sport of Thoroughbred racing by incorporating more drama and strategy to the proceedings and we think it has succeeded," said Steve Sexton, president of Churchill Downs. "ESPN has done a marvelous job with the Derby Post Selection telecast and this change will allow its talented hosts, reporters and analysts a better opportunity to achieve that goal during this important hour of Kentucky Derby Week television coverage." "The change in the draw process allows our show to give the viewer more insight into the horses that will break from the post positions drawn and the people that train and ride them," said Bill Graff , ESPN coordinating producer. "The suspense of the draw makes this one of the most unique and exciting events on ESPN and in all of sports." Churchill Downs, the world's most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America's greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN) also operates Trackside Louisville, an off-track betting and training facility. Churchill Downs will conduct the 129th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 3, 2003. The track's 2003 Spring Meet will be held April 26 through July 6. Churchill Downs has served as host to the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships a record five LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 24, 2003) - Churchill Downs has made an adjustment in the process for the selection of post positions for the Kentucky Derby that will now place the random draw that establishes the order of selection at the closing of entries for the race. The change in the process means that the "blind" draw that establishes the order in which post positions for Kentucky Derby 129 are to be selected will now be conducted in the Churchill Downs Racing office at the official closing of entries. The actual selection of post positions by authorized agents for each Kentucky Derby entry will continue to be the centerpiece of the Kentucky Derby Post Position Selection telecast on ESPN, which this year is scheduled to be part of a special "ESPN SportsCenter at the Kentucky Derby" scheduled for 5:00-6:00 p.m. (all times EDT) on Wednesday, April 30. The "blind" draw for selection order and subsequent selection of post positions for the Kentucky Derby has been conducted during a special one-hour ESPN telecast since 1998, when Churchill Downs modified its post draw process for the Derby to allow participants in the race to select the starting positions for their horses. Before that change, post positions for the race had traditionally been established by a single random draw known as the "Pill Pull" during which the starting positions for each horse were determined by numbered balls, or "pills," drawn one-by-one from a bottle. Under the adjusted process, the field for the Kentucky Derby and the order of post position selection will be set at the time of closing of entries, which usually occurs between 11:00 a.m. and Noon. The Derby field will also be made available to the public at that time. There is no also-eligible list for the Kentucky Derby and no change in the official list of entries for the race will be permitted after the close of entries. Along with the move of the blind draw for post selection order from the ESPN Kentucky Derby Post Position Selection telecast, the change will also eliminate a "discussion period" for owners and trainers that had also been part of the program. "The Kentucky Derby Post Position Selection process was created in an effort to attract new fans to our race and the sport of Thoroughbred racing by incorporating more drama and strategy to the proceedings and we think it has succeeded," said Steve Sexton, president of Churchill Downs. "ESPN has done a marvelous job with the Derby Post Selection telecast and this change will allow its talented hosts, reporters and analysts a better opportunity to achieve that goal during this important hour of Kentucky Derby Week television coverage." "The change in the draw process allows our show to give the viewer more insight into the horses that will break from the post positions drawn and the people that train and ride them," said Bill Graff , ESPN coordinating producer. "The suspense of the draw makes this one of the most unique and exciting events on ESPN and in all of sports." Churchill Downs, the world's most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America's greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN) also operates Trackside Louisville, an off-track betting and training facility. Churchill Downs will conduct the 129th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 3, 2003. The track's 2003 Spring Meet will be held April 26 through July 6. Churchill Downs has served as host to the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships a record five times.

A sloppy track at Keeneland Saturday brought out the best in Peachtree Stable's surprising Coin Silver, who romped to victory in the $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stake (gr. III) in his stakes debut. Trainer Todd Pletcher said afterward that he plans to add the late arriving 3-year-old son of Anees-Beyond a Doubt (Conquistador Cielo) to his Kentucky Derby (gr. I) roster, which includes Bandini, who won the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland a week ago. The victory came at the expense of 3-5 favorite Rockport Harbor, who fought the track conditions while racing wide throughout, tossing in the towel in the stretch to finish sixth. Coin Silver, sent off at 13-1, broke outward for Javier Castellano and hit the starting gate, bumping with Storm Surge as Actxecutive and Going Wild dueled on the front end. Coin Silver was able to save ground for most of the trip, moving into contention coming out of the far turn while splitting rivals. He quickly took over from the new leader, Storm Surge, in upper stretch and pulled away to a 3 1/2-length win while under a hand ride from Castellano. Sort It Out, trainer Bob Baffter's last chance to reach this year's Run for the Roses, moved with Coin Silver coming off the turn and loomed a threat but could not match the winner, gaining second by 3 1/2 lengths with Storm Surge finishing third. Forever Wild was fourth, 11 1/2 lengths behind the winner. The final time was 1:45 3/5 on a sloppy track. Coin Silver had won just once previously, breaking his maiden two starts back at Gulfstream Park March 5. A month later, he returned to run third as the 4-5 choice in a first-level allowance race, beaten by three lengths. Overall, Coin Silver has a 2-1-1 record in five starts. His winner's share of $201,500 is enough to qualify the darby bay colt for the Kentucky Derby. Trainer John Servis wouldn't rule out a start for Rockport Harbor in the Kentucky Derby in two weeks in spite of the disappointing Lexington effort. "Rocky," who lost for the first time in five starts when he ran second in the Rebel (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park March 19 in his 2005 debut, has fought several obstacles on the Triple Crown trail. With regular rider Stewart Elliott aboard, Rockport Harbor pressed the leaders from fourth while stuck on the outside but never threatened. "He seems fine," Servis said. "Stewart said he just never got hold of the track the whole way and that happens. You haven't heard the last of him. He'll be back in all his glory." Actxecutive, with Going Wild a head behind on his outside, set the early pace of :23 and :46 2/5 before backing up as Going Wild assumed the lead after six furlongs in 1:12. However, Going Wild tired in the stretch with Gary Stevens aloft, finishing fifth, four lengths in front of Rockport Harbor. Actxectuve finished last in the field of seven. Coin Silver paid $28.80, $10, and $5.60. Sort It Out returned $6.20 and $4.20 while rounding out a $127.40 exacta. Storm Surge's show was $4.20.

Wertheimer and Frere's homebred Colony Band took an early lead and never trailed en route to a 3 1/4-length win in Wednesday's featured $109,700 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland.Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old daughter of Dixieland Band ran the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:46.15. The filly won for the fourth time in 12 starts and earned $68,014.Colony Band, ridden by John Velazquez, paid $3.60, $2.80, and $2.40 as the 4-5 favorite in the seven-horse field.La Reason, a 30-1 longshot with Corey Lanerie riding, rallied from last place to finish second and paid $14.20 and $6. Ender's Sister, ridden by Javier Castellano, was 16 lengths back in third and returned $2.60. "She did it easy," said Velazquez. "This was the first time I've ridden her, and she seems to have a lot of class. I think she has a good future." "I wasn't surprised when she made the lead because she's shown a lot of speed in the morning," said Pletcher's assistant, Tristan Barry. "She breezed so well over this track, we were very optimistic." Colony Band, who began her career in France, has won four of 12 lifetime starts, with two wins and one second in three starts since arriving in the U. S. following her 2004 European campaign.