ARCADIA, Calif. - For the second time in less than four years, trainer Bob Baffert has lost a client with whom he won the Kentucky Derby, and with whom he had grown close. Four years ago, only months after War Emblem won the Derby, owner Prince Ahmed bin Salman died, reportedly of a heart attack, in Saudi Arabia.

Less than two months ago, Bob Lewis, with whom Baffert won the 1997 Derby with Silver Charm, also died. But unlike the survivors of Salman - who in short order dispersed their racing holdings - Lewis's widow, Beverly, and oldest son, Jeff, continue to head the stable.

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Michael Matz has been training racehorses for less than 10 years. On that, he's relatively inexperienced. But he brings a lifetime of top-tier horsemanship to the endeavor, having been an Olympic-class show jumper for two decades.

Matz rode in the Olympics for the first time at Montreal in 1976. A lesson learned that year, Matz said, is what has compelled him to map out a decidedly nontraditional route to the Kentucky Derby with his unbeaten colt Barbaro, who will be favored on Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

Brad Free reports that leading Kentucky Derby contender Brother Derek worked six furlongs in 1:11 at Santa Anita on Sunday, and will have one more work before the Santa Anita Derby on April 8.

Marty McGee reports that Lane's End winner With a City will go straight to the Kentucky Derby without another prep run.

Chuck Dybdal reports that California Derby winner Cause to Believe, who worked six furlongs at Golden Gate Fields on Friday, will have one more work before he ships to Hawthorne for the April 8 Illinois Derby.

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When the Grade 2, $500,000 Lane's End Stakes is run on Saturday at Turfway Park, it will mark the biggest race to date on the artificial Polytrack surface. Polytrack has been warmly received by trainers who race and train over it, and trainer John Ward Jr. cited it this week as one of the reasons he is sending his unbeaten colt Strong Contender to Turfway for his stakes debut.

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WHO'S HOT: Discreet Cat, who captured his lone start last year at Saratoga and was a runaway winner of his 2006 debut last week at Nad Al Sheba, is the only newcomer to this week's Derby Watch top 25. He is 40-1 on the Kentucky Derby future line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form's national handicapper. Cause to Believe, who won last Saturday's California Derby, is now 30-1 after being 40-1 one week ago.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Quite a bit has been expected from A.P. Warrior. Such is the yoke a $1.3 million yearling, by A.P. Indy, has hanging around his neck. By last fall, A.P. Warrior seemed on the verge of becoming one of the West Coast's top Kentucky Derby prospects. He finished only three-quarters of a length behind Brother Derek in the Norfolk Stakes, then crushed Bob and John by four lengths in an allowance race.

What would Jerry do? That was the question that struck fear into the hearts of rival jockeys and their agents every spring, when the specter of Jerry Bailey loomed over every good Kentucky Derby prospect.

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