WHO’S HOT

Even though Hansen beat Union Rags and Creative Cause in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to secure the Eclipse Award for the division, and even though he scored a decisive victory from an outside post in the Gotham in his most recent start, Hansen still seemingly is dogged by doubts over whether he’s good enough, especially going 1 1/4 miles, to win the Kentucky Derby on May 5.

He was a fat 26-1 in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby future wager, closed at 9-1 in Pool 2 – which was the weekend of the Gotham – and was 8-1 in Pool 3, behind Union Rags, and the same price as Creative Cause.

It is no big deal to win the Kentucky Derby with your first mount. Check that – it’s a very big deal. It just won’t get you a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records.

I keep staring at my Hall of Fame ballot, not quite sure what to do. The 10 horses, trainers, and jockeys are all quite deserving. The rules say I can vote for all 10 or any of the 10.

Obviously, if I vote for all 10, I am actually not voting at all. So what to do?

Shouldn’t Calvin Borel automatically be in the Hall just for winning the Kentucky Derby three times in four years? That never happened before and won’t happen again – unless Calvin wins this year and next.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The dash for graded cash is on at Oaklawn Park.

The Arkansas Derby, which is the final $1 million prep for the Kentucky Derby, drew a field of 11 when entries were taken on Wednesday. And most in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile race will need a significant finish to advance on the road to Louisville.

Hansen was assigned post 4 as a heavy favorite in the biggest field in years for the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes, which will be run Saturday for the 88th time at Keeneland.

Thirteen 3-year-olds were entered in the 1 1/8-mile Polytrack race, the most since 14 went postward in 1974. Hansen, the nearly white colt who was the 2-year-old champion of 2011, will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez in his final prep for the May 5 Kentucky Derby.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – There has been one constant in the Arkansas Derby the last two years – Jon Court.

Court rode Line of David to victory in 2010 and last year won aboard Archarcharch. On Saturday, Court will be out to win an unprecedented third consecutive running of Oaklawn Park’s richest race when he teams with the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Optimizer.

“I love my chances,” said Court, 51. “I love the way the horse is training.”

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mark Casse has run just one horse in the Kentucky Derby, a 52-1 shot who wound up 10th, but he is quite familiar with Churchill Downs. As a young man, Casse was the leading trainer at Churchill at the 1988 spring meet before branching out into other racing-related endeavors. He returned to training with a vengeance in recent years, having won the Sovereign Award as the top trainer in Canada four times, including 2011.

MIAMI – Trainer Agustin Bezara said Monday that he will nominate Reveron to the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland on April 21, with the thought of perhaps running the Florida Derby runner-up in a last-ditch attempt to earn enough graded stakes money to get into the Kentucky Derby field.

As of Monday, Reveron, winner of the ungraded Gulfstream Park Derby on New Year’s Day, had $220,000 in graded earnings, which put him 23rd on the list. If the Kentucky Derby field overfills as expected, the 20 3-year-olds with the most graded stakes earnings will be allowed to run.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Cozzetti, an improving 3-year-old for trainer Dale Romans, will be part of an Arkansas Derby field that had 11 potential starters as of Monday. He is scheduled to fly from Florida to Oaklawn Park on Wednesday, the same day entries will be taken for the 1 1/8-mile race that is to be run Saturday.