LEXINGTON, Ky. – Compared to Paddy O’Prado, Dullahan already has quite a head start on the Triple Crown trail. While Paddy O’Prado was a late-blooming type who needed to get into the Kentucky Derby through the back door two years ago, Dullahan already has sufficient graded earnings to make the Derby field after winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity last fall at Keeneland.

ARCADIA, Calif. – In the winner’s circle following the Santa Anita Derby on Saturday, the scores of employees of owner Paul Reddam who stuffed themselves into the enclosure along with I’ll Have Another began chanting “CashCall, CashCall,” and while it may have been a shout out to their boss’ business, it was an appropriate rallying cry for this year’s Kentucky Derby, because it appears a large influx of cash is going to be needed to make the Derby field.

Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas is a four-time Kentucky Derby winner and is tied with legendary trainer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons for most Triple Crown race victories (13). He has won 18 Breeders’ Cup races, owns four Eclipse Awards for outstanding trainer and was the first trainer to earn more than $100 million in purse money. Simply put, Lukas is one of the greatest conditioners of high-quality Thoroughbreds of all time.

There will be Southern California-based runners in two major Kentucky Derby preps in Arkansas and Kentucky this weekend.

The Bob Baffert-trained Bodemeister will be ridden by Mike Smith in Saturday’s $1 million Arkansas Derby. Sunday at Santa Anita, Bodemeister, second to Creative Cause in the San Felipe, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40.

“He just cruised around there,” Baffert said.

Baffert will also start Secret Circle, the winner of the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 17, in the Arkansas Derby.

STICKNEY, Ill. – Done Talking was en route by horse van Sunday from Illinois to Maryland after winning the Grade 3, $500,000 Illinois Derby on Saturday at Hawthorne Race Course, but the horse probably will hit the road again before too long, with his connections aiming for the May 5 Kentucky Derby.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Gemologist and Alpha, separated by a neck when first and second, respectively, in Saturday’s Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, were reported to be in good shape Sunday morning and will both be pointed to the Kentucky Derby on May 5 at Churchill Downs.

STICKNEY, Ill. – Done Talking rebounded from a dull performance in the March 3 Gotham Stakes and captured the Illinois Derby by three-quarters of a length over Morgan’s Guerrilla early Saturday evening at Hawthorne Race Course.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Allowed to coast along on an uncontested lead, just as in the Swale four weeks earlier, Trinniberg romped to an unchallenged victory in a slow-motion renewal of Saturday’s Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes.

Although Trinniberg’s opening half-mile of 47.41 seconds was hindered to some extent by a headwind, as was Broadway Alibi’s half in 47.25 wiring the Comely a race earlier, veteran rider Willie Martinez basically stole the race in broad daylight. Consider that New York-bred maidens went almost a full second faster to the half through the same wind earlier in the day.

ARCADIA, Calif. – When trainer Doug O’Neill was going through a barren stretch in recent years, owner Paul Reddam never wavered from his corner. And though both O’Neill and Reddam could have reached out for a more prominent rider for their top 3-year-old I’ll Have Another, they stuck with Mario Gutierrez.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Pletcher left Aqueduct following last year’s Wood Memorial scratching his head after heavily favored Uncle Mo faded to third, throwing his Kentucky Derby aspirations into disarray.