NEW YORK – Not surprisingly, the national stakes schedule on the Saturday before the Kentucky Derby is a light one. The richest race of the day is the Grade 3, $250,000 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields. The highest-graded stakes of the day – in fact, the only other graded race of the day – is the Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Margarita at Santa Anita. Bachelor Stakes This is the feature at Oaklawn Park and it will be very interesting to see how Landeskog fares after a smashing debut win earlier in the meet. Landeskog disputed a strong early pace and then ran away from 11 opponents through the stretch to score by almost six lengths and earn a Beyer Figure of 88, which is the best last-out Beyer in this field. Moreover, the soundly beaten runner-up came back to win his next start, notching an eight-point Beyer improvement. Certainly, without any other considerations, Landeskog is already a serious threat to win back. Yet, he has every right to run even better in his second career start. But I’ll take a shot against him. On the day of his debut, Landeskog rode a rail that seemed to be extremely live, and on Saturday he’ll really have to go early with all of this race’s other speed, which will be breaking to his outside. This is a good spot for a horse who can sit off the early lead, but the likely suspects have issues. Ninth Street has a best Beyer of only 73 and Nitrous, who did not have the trouble last time that his comment line in his past performances says he had, isn’t fast against the clock either. Frosted Ice is interesting, but this will be his first start in seven months and (not that it matters much anymore) his first try outside of New York-bred competition. Gray Attempt would figure to be able to sit while cutting back to a sprint after being overmatched in the Arkansas Derby most recently, but so far he’s given every indication that he’s a need-the-lead type. So I’ll take the other one cutting back from a route, Classy John. :: DERBY WATCH: Top 20 Kentucky Derby contenders with comments from Jay Privman and Mike Watchmaker Classy John was in too deep last time in the first division of the Rebel, but all five of his prior starts were sharp. He romped at first asking last summer at Saratoga on the Travers undercard and in December he won two stakes at Fair Grounds over Louisiana-breds. But the race that suggests Classy John could fit Saturday’s anticipated pace scenario was his near miss two starts back in the Premier Night Prince Stakes. Classy John tracked an opponent’s early lead that night and did so going one mile. He could easily do the same at this more suitable shorter distance. San Francisco Mile Bowies Hero and River Boyne are by far the most accomplished members of this field. But Bowies Hero will be making his first start in over eight months, and I’d like to see an outing from him. River Boyne, who was brutalized by a lack of pace last time when fourth in the Kilroe Mile, must overcome a tough outside post. Souter is my play, even if he breaks only one box inside of River Boyne. Souter is stepping up, but he is in career form, having won his last two, and three of his last four. But what I find most appealing is his positional speed, which will allow him first run on the two bigger names here. Elusive Quality Stakes Although the weather in the New York City area is supposed to become clear on Saturday, the turf for this headliner of the first Saturday card of the Belmont spring/summer meet will likely be off given the forecast for a good bit of rain Friday and Friday night. That puts me off Big Handsome, who I would like under different conditions, but who I won’t take on off ground considering he’s had only three well-spaced starts in the last 1 1/2 years. Instead, it puts me on Emmaus. I admit Emmaus is a pick based largely on faith. But Emmaus made his first eight starts in Europe on some deep ground, so unlike others in this field, he will be suited by off turf. He did show some ability winning three of his first four starts, and not only is he aggressively spotted here by his new connections, they were also able to secure Jose Ortiz for the mount. I take both as strong signs of stable confidence.