Most people’s recollections of school field trips involve museums and much yawning.

The young men and women from the North American Racing Academy were treated to something far more engaging Monday. On the Churchill Downs backstretch while awaiting the works and morning training of Kentucky Derby and Oaks competitors, they listened to retired Hall of Fame jockeys Chris McCarron and Pat Day recount their Derby experience from 1987.

Even people not in the NARA group stopped by to listen, taking in the comments of the two Derby-winning riders.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Both the likely field, and perhaps even the likely favorite, for the 139th Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs came into sharper focus Monday, when Code West, Govenor Charlie, Tiz a Minister, and Winning Cause all were officially taken out of consideration for the Derby, and Florida Derby winner Orb turned in an eye-catching workout that, combined with his improving form, may propel him to favoritism over the heretofore acknowledged favorite, the unbeaten Verrazano.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Cameras were clicking on the Churchill Downs backstretch Monday morning, the norm in the media storm of Derby Week. Most were focused on the racetrack, capturing the leading Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks runners as they galloped and breezed around the track.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Joel Rosario is going so good these days that even when he finishes second, he wins.

Rosario was aboard Overwhelming on Monday morning when that 3-year-old maiden served as a workmate for Orb in that colt’s final timed drill at Churchill Downs in preparation for Saturday’s $2 million Kentucky Derby.

[DERBY WATCH: Top 20 Kentucky Derby contenders with odds and video]

Longines, the watch-making company, has reached a long-term agreement with Churchill Downs Inc. that will give the company the naming rights for the Kentucky Oaks, Churchill announced on Monday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky -- The likely field for the 139th Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs came into sharper focus Monday, when trainer Bob Baffert finally made it official that neither Govenor Charlie nor Code West would run, trainer Todd Pletcher decided to pass the race with Winning Cause, owner Stephen Young said Tiz a Minister would not travel from California, and trainer Mike Maker added Fear the Kitten to the prospective line-up.

[bc_video_id:290780:]LOUISVILLE, Ky. – When it came to this year’s Kentucky Derby workouts, they saved the best for last.

The majority of the final Derby works were already in the books by the time the racetrack opened for training Monday morning at Churchill Downs. Only one important piece of business remained, a final breeze from Florida Derby winner Orb, who delivered all that everybody expected and then some.[:slideshow-right:]

Courtesy Gainesway FarmTapit

Wood Memorial runner-up Normandy Invasion is looking to give Rick Porter his first Kentucky Derby victory after the owner came close twice before, and could give trainer Chad Brown his first win in the classic in his first attempt.

Owner Stephen Young and trainer Paul Aguirre will decide on Monday whether Tiz a Minister, who finished third in Saturday’s $300,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park, will make a quick turnaround in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Aguirre has reserved a spot on a horse transport plane to Kentucky for Tiz a Minister on Tuesday. He said on Sunday that he will rely on Young to make the final call.

[DERBY WATCH: Top 20 Kentucky Derby contenders with odds and video]

[bc_video_id:290689:]LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Saturday’s workout mayhem led to a relatively calm Sunday morning at Churchill Downs, where a couple of Kentucky Oaks workers stole most of the thunder, at least temporarily, from this year’s Kentucky Derby field.

With half the prospective Derby lineup having worked on Saturday, many of those drills moved forward 24 hours because of weather and track considerations, only Code West breezed on Sunday and afterwards  his status as a Derby starter was deemed “very unlikely” by trainer Bob Baffert.