Upset wins by Take Charge Indy in the Florida Derby, Daddy Long Legs in the United Arab Emirates Derby, and Hero of Order in the Louisiana Derby this past weekend left the pecking order of contenders for the May 5 Kentucky Derby less defined than it was a week ago, created great debate over the performances of horses and riders involved in those races, and caused considerable upheaval on the graded stakes earnings list, which seems certain, yet again, to determine the Derby

It’s around this point on the Kentucky Derby trail that we separate the men from the boys, at least from a graded earnings standpoint. Potential is sometimes eclipsed by cold hard cash.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bob Baffert will have three runners in Saturday’s $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, but his roster may not be known until entries are taken on Wednesday.

[SANTA ANITA DERBY: Early look video, news updates, watch the race live]

Evidently, the siren call of the Kentucky Derby has become more alluring than ever. The prospective field for the Grade 2, $500,000 Illinois Derby this Saturday is bursting at the seams as the connections of 3-year-olds with even a hint of ability scramble for last-second graded earnings that might secure a Derby berth.

NEW ORLEANS – Russian-immigrant trainer Gennadi Dorochenko goes about his business in an unconventional manner. Morning workouts? Those, Dorochenko – a former jockey – shuns, calling them the province of trainers who want merely to impress owners. What Dorochenko does is race. His horses run far more frequently than those of most American trainers. They run a lot, and they lose a lot. At Fair Grounds this meet, Dorochenko had started 136 horses before Sunday. Six had won.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Working for the first time since his second-place finish in the Palm Beach Stakes, Dullahan breezed five furlongs in 1:02.19 shortly after the first renovation break Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

Dullahan, who missed several days of training as a result of a popped splint bone discovered shortly after the Palm Beach, broke off at the half-mile pole and finished around the turn at the mile pole. He posted splits of 24.94 seconds for the quarter and 49.66 for the half before galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.72.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Take Charge Indy, Union Rags, and El Padrino all emerged from Saturday’s Florida Derby in good shape, their respective trainers said Sunday morning, and all will be pointed to the May 5 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Patrick Byrne, trainer of Take Charge Indy, said the Florida Derby winner “looks fresh this morning.”

“He cooled out really quick last night,” Byrne said.

Byrne said Take Charge Indy would leave for Churchill Downs by van April 11, arriving on April 12, and would not have a workout until he gets to Kentucky.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Racing fans were undeterred by Union Rags being defeated Saturday as an odds-on choice in the Florida Derby when settling on the colt as a lukewarm 9-2 favorite in the third and final pool of the 2012 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which closed 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday after the customary three-day run.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Despite being defeated Saturday as the odds-on favorite in the Florida Derby, Union Rags was the 7-2 favorite heading into the final day of wagering into Pool 3 of the 2012 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Trainer Aidan O’Brien said he brought 3-year-olds Daddy Long Legs and Wrote to Dubai with the idea that if they ran well in the UAE Derby they would be considered for the Kentucky Derby.

O’Brien and the Coolmore team for which he trains may be Louisville-bound after Daddy Long Legs rolled to a 1 1/4-length victory over the French-bred - and Triple Crown nominee - Yang Tse Kiang in Saturday’s $2 million UAE Derby at Meydan. Wrote finished third, beaten only two lengths.