LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, was in the familiar spot as the favorite during the opening hours of wagering in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which began a three-day run Thursday at noon Eastern.

As of 4:30 p.m., and with $22,945 in the win pool, the field was the 2-1 favorite, followed by Cairo Prince (11-1), Honor Code (14-1), Candy Boy (14-1), Shared Belief (15-1), and five more between 16-1 and 19-1. Another $6,573 had been bet in the exacta pool.

Some under-the-radar scrambling for a Kentucky Derby foothold will take place Saturday at Turfway Park, where 11 3-year-olds will have an audition of sorts for the track’s only Derby-points event when running in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though billed as a rematch between Withers Stakes one-two finishers Samraat and Uncle Sigh, Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct is far from a two-horse race. The presence of Financial Mogul, In Trouble, Harpoon, and Extrasexyhippzster add intrigue to a race that most likely will produce at least one starter for the May 3 Kentucky Derby.

The Gotham winner has run in the Kentucky Derby in each of the past four years, though Hansen’s ninth-place finish in 2012 has been the best finish during that span.

[bc_video_id:317434:]HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The mere mention of No Nay Never will elicit a giant smile from trainer Wesley Ward. Engage in a conversation about his undefeated colt, and Ward becomes almost giddy.

“I guess you can tell I am really excited about this horse and the race this weekend,” Ward said after chatting at some length about No Nay Never and his matchup with Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Havana at Gulfstream Park in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Swale Stakes.

Trainer Bill Kaplan was extremely pleased with East Hall’s fourth-place finish in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream, a performance that earned the improving 3-year-old five Kentucky Derby qualifier points. East Hall overcame a terrible starting position – post 12 on the extreme outside – and speed-favoring course to rally from last to finish 6 1/2 lengths behind Wildcat Red and General a Rod in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth. East Hall had finished third behind the same pair in the Gulfstream Park Derby on Jan. 1.

Len Riggio barely had time to savor his first graded stakes victory as an owner when he was attempting to win his second.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Jockey Calvin Borel had some insight into Street Strategy before he ever teamed up with the promising 3-year-old this winter at Oaklawn Park. It was Borel who guided the horse’s sire, Street Sense, to victory in the 2007 Kentucky Derby.

Street Strategy, who is part of the field for Friday’s featured eighth race, a first-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles, shares a number of similarities with his sire, said Borel. The horse enters Friday’s race off a 6 1/2-length maiden special weight win in his two-turn debut Jan. 30.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Rick Porter of Fox Hill Farm said he has privately purchased 50  percent interest in Texas Two Step, an impressive 3-year-old debut winner at Oaklawn Park that he will race in partnership with the WinStar Farm operation of Kenny Troutt. Porter on Wednesday said the horse will be shipped to trainer Chad Brown at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida.

Brown trains Normandy Invasion, the fourth-place finisher in last year’s Kentucky Derby, for Porter.

I miss Shared Belief.

I miss the clarity he provided after his dominating wins in the Hollywood Prevue and CashCall Futurity.

I miss the opportunity to see a potential superstar on the track in the early Kentucky Derby prep races.

Not sure if Shared Belief will have enough time to make the Derby. Foot issues are like no other issues. They linger.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Corey Nakatani was looking. So, too, was his agent, Tony Matos, as was trainer Gary Contessa. At this time of year, everyone is looking, either for the right horse to get to the Kentucky Derby or the right rider to take you there.