Strong first appearance for Barbaro

FRIDAY, APRIL 28
Clear, track fast; 56¦

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Kentucky Derby favorite Brother Derek and the undefeated Barbaro got their first feel for the Churchill Downs racetrack Friday after shipping to town the previous afternoon, and they were a study in contrast during their morning routines. The appearance of two of the leading candidates for this year's Derby highlighted Friday's training session, which also featured workouts by three prospective members of the Kentucky Oaks field.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Seaside Retreat just might be the longest shot in the 132nd Kentucky Derby on May 6, but he was the focus of attention when he worked on Thursday morning at Churchill Downs, and not only among his connections.

Mark Casse, the trainer of Seaside Retreat, had said before the drill that his colt's status for the Derby hinged on a satisfactory workout. And after Seaside Retreat worked five furlongs in 59.40 seconds under jockey Patrick Husbands, Casse said Seaside Retreat was in.

Danny Peitz doesn't ever train a full barn of horses, but his Churchill Downs string is especially short this spring.

"I'm a one-horse stable right now, I guess," Peitz said earlier this week.

Count Seaside Retreat in

THURSDAY, APRIL 27
Clear, track fast; 50¦

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - There once was a well-worn path to the Kentucky Derby. A horse had to get plenty of experience at 2, have a slight vacation, then prep in several races at 3, culminating in a race like the Wood Memorial or Blue Grass Stakes, then head straight to Churchill Downs for as much training as possible over that surface. Get used to the track, get used to the surroundings, get a slice of Derby pie, the thinking went.

Lawyer Ron looks strong galloping two miles

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With nearly half the prospective starting lineup for the 2006 Kentucky Derby not yet in attendance and the majority of the final local workouts scheduled for the weekend, training hours at Churchill Downs on Wednesday presented limited opportunities to make any serious assessments of this year's Derby hopefuls. The two most significant impressions during the morning were made by Arkansas Derby winner Lawyer Ron and the bone-chilling temperatures in the low 40's, which even had the local hardboots shivering.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - If ever there were a year in the modern era to mark a changing of the guard among Kentucky Derby jockeys, this could be it.

The 132nd Derby will be the first since three Hall of Fame jockeys hung up their tack: Gary Stevens, Jerry Bailey, and Pat Day, who accounted for six Derby victories among them. And although everyday horseplayers are aware of the vacuum created by their retirements, casual sports fans might experience a real awakening to these seismic changes when the Derby is run May 6 at Churchill Downs.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The countdown for the 132nd Kentucky Derby on May 6 began in earnest Monday, three time zones away from Churchill Downs, when four of the race's leading contenders, including probable favorite Brother Derek, turned in seven-furlong workouts at both Santa Anita and Hollywood Park.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Throw another vexing variable into your Kentucky Derby equation.

Showing Up won like a good horse in the final major Derby prep, the Grade 2 on Saturday at Keeneland, adding yet another intriguing element to what already was a challenging Derby.