LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Thunder Snow is officially in, Battalion Runner and Malagacy are officially out, Lookin At Lee and Sonneteer are now in the field, Girvin took a big step toward making the race, J Boys Echo worked at Churchill Downs, and both Gormley and Royal Mo worked at Santa Anita, all part of a busy Saturday on many fronts seven days out from the Kentucky Derby on May 6. Thunder Snow’s participation had been expected, but owner Godolphin Racing finally made it official on Saturday in a press release. Thunder Snow, the winner of the United Arab Emirates Derby in his last start, was expected to arrive here on Sunday and get to the track to train on Tuesday morning following his U.S. Department of Agriculture-mandated, 42-hour quarantine. “Following discussions with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, His Highness made the decision that Thunder Snow is to go for the Kentucky Derby,” trainer Saeed bin Suroor said in the press release. Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai, runs Godolphin. Thunder Snow “is a big, strong colt who is improving all of the time and acts on dirt, and we are looking forward to seeing him take on the best 3-year-olds in America,” Suroor said. “The Kentucky Derby is a great race and one of the few major international contests Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin has yet to win.” Godolphin is 0 for 9 in the Derby. Similarly, trainer Todd Pletcher followed through Saturday on what he had been intimating, saying both Battalion Runner and Malagacy would not run. Pletcher was not satisfied with the way Battalion Runner worked here on Friday. He said he was not as sharp as he was prior to his second-place finish in the Wood Memorial. He said Battalion Runner would be freshened at WinStar Farm and return in the Dwyer Stakes at Belmont on July 8 to begin a summer campaign. Malagacy, the winner of the Rebel Stakes, was fifth in the Arkansas Derby in his last start. He will await the Preakness Stakes on May 20, Pletcher said. The defections of Battalion Runner and Malagacy officially put Lookin At Lee and Sonneteer in the field. Steve Asmussen said Corey Lanerie will ride Lookin At Lee, and he named Ricardo Santana Jr. on Untrapped, who did not have a confirmed rider before Saturday. Kent Desormeaux will ride Sonneteer for his brother, trainer Keith Desormeaux. All those developments left Royal Mo as the bubble horse, currently 21st on the points list. Girvin, who has been dealing with a quarter crack in his right front, got back to the track on Saturday and worked five furlongs at Keeneland in 59.60 seconds, his second work since his victory in the Louisiana Derby four weeks ago. He is scheduled to remain stabled at Keeneland until Wednesday morning, the deadline for all Derby runners to be on the grounds at Churchill Downs. Here at Churchill Downs, J Boys Echo worked five furlongs in company in 1:01.21 over a track rated “good” following overnight thunderstorms. It was an above-average work for a horse who often turns in uninspiring drills. “We’ve been trying to bring him along gradually in his races and works to have him ready to peak on Derby Day,” trainer Dale Romans said. Romans said the track “was in great shape this morning despite all the rain last night.” “Even though it got pretty dark again shortly before he worked, I wasn’t worried because it never rains on Derby horses,” Romans said. Royal Mo worked six furlongs in 1:13 on Saturday morning at Santa Anita. His stablemate Gormley worked seven furlongs in 1:26.20. Both Gormley and Royal Mo are scheduled to fly to Kentucky on Monday. Entries are due on Wednesday morning, and posts are drawn later that morning. A maximum of 20 can be in the main body of the race, with up to four also-eligibles, all determined by points earned in designated Derby preps. Scratch time is 9 a.m. Friday. If a horse in the main body of the race is withdrawn from the Derby after Friday morning, the also-eligibles are out of luck. – additional reporting by Steve Andersen, Nicole Russo, and Mike Welsch