The list of wagering interests for first of three pools in the 2003 Kentucky Derby Future Wager is scheduled to be released on Tuesday.

The four-day pool opens at noon (all times EST) on Thursday, Feb. 13 and continues through Sunday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. Each of the pools will include 24 wagering interests that include 23 individual horses and a mutuel field that includes all other 3-year-old Thoroughbreds. The wagering interests are selected by a three-member committee that consists of Mike Watchmaker, the national handicapper for the Daily Racing Form; Brad Free, West Coast correspondent for the DRF; and John Asher, vice president, racing communications at Churchill Downs.

Additional KDFW pools are set for March 13-16 and April 3-6. In addition, a first-ever Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will be conducted along with KDFW Pool 3 from April 3-6.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager is entering its fifth year and total wagering for its three pools has risen from $676,233 in its inaugural season in 1999 to a record $1,503,806 in 2002.

The mutuel field has been favored in Pool 1 in each of the four previous years of the Future Wager. War Emblem, the upset winner of the 2002 Derby, was a member of the mutuel field in all three of the KDFW pools.

West -- A race that figured to confirm the status of the highly-touted Empire Maker as a major threat to win the 129th running of the Kentucky Derby instead served as an introduction to an intriguing new Derby contender.

R.D. Hubbard and C. Sczesny's Man Among Men, a son of Gentleman who had been concentrating on turf racing, returned to the dirt to upset Empire Maker by a length in Friday's $75,000 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita.

Jockey Alex Solis guided the 9-1 longshot past fading pacesetters Truckle Feature and Ten Most Wanted on the turn for home in 1 1/8 miles race and had plenty left to hold off Empire Maker, who rallied from last under Jerry Bailey but could seriously threaten the winner. Man Among Men started his career on the dirt last summer in a race in which he finished a distant eighth behind major Kentucky Derby contender Kafwain. His next three starts were on the grass and included two allowance victories and a fourth-place finish as the favorite in the Generous Stakes (Grade III) in late November at Hollywood Park. Although the Sham was his first start since that loss, trainer Gary Mandella believed his colt deserved the opportunity to prove on the main track whether he should merit Kentucky Derby consideration.

"He's a different horse now," said Mandella. "He's a little more professional. That's what seasoning gets you. When you know a horse can run all day, you've got to go back on the dirt and find out."

As for the 2-5 favorite Empire Maker, Bailey said the best races lie in the future for the son of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled.

"He's physically fit, but he's not real razor-sharp mentally yet," said Bailey. This was only his third race and he hadn't run in a while. Considering all that, he ran a good race."

The winner covered 1 1/8-miles on a "fast" track in 1:48.39. The Bob Baffert-trained Spensive finished third, two lengths back of the top pair.

The Neil Drysdale-trained son of Deputy Minister, a half-brother to 2000 Breeders' Cup Mile (GI) winner War Chant, ran erratically down the stretch under jockey Kent Desormeaux as he won for the second time in three career races. Desormeaux said the colt jumped tire tracks left by a tractor in that stretch run.

"That's all about maturing and next time he'll know what to expect," he said. "I think the most encouraging thing about him is his cat-like agility and his speed."

Drysdale, who teamed with Desormeaux to win the 2000 Kentucky Derby with Fusaichi Pegasus, was pleased with the successful lesson for his 1-5 favorite.

"We planned to let him experience some competition and that's what he got today," said Drysdale, who also trained War Chant. "He seemed to be gawking a bit when he made the lead and Kent had to remind him what to do. He jumped the tire tracks and wound up on the wrong lead, but was good enough to win anyway."

Ministers Wild Cat covered the one-mile distance in 1:36.89 over a "fast" track.

East -- Overbrook Farm's homebred Boston Park, who had come up short in several meetings with some of the better colts in his generation, found a stakes field to his liking as the D. Wayne Lukas-trained colt scored a frontrunning upset over the previously unbeaten Grey Comet in Saturday's $75,000 Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct.

Shaun Bridgmohan guided the son of 1996 juvenile Boston Harbor through moderate early fractions in the 1 1/16-mile race over Aqueduct's inner track and the held off the late-running Grey Comet by a length. Boston Harbor covered the distance in 1:44.60. It was the third win in 11 career starts for Boston Park.

Torre and Zim, the odds-on favorite, faltered after a mild bid at the head of the stretch and finished fifth.

Jeremy Rose was aboard the Tim Ritchey-trained son of hot young sire Elusive Quality as he covered the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.07 while scoring his first career stakes win. It was also the first stakes triumph for Delaware-based owner Walter Wienkowitz, who has been involved in racing for nearly 40 years.

Southeast -- Four-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas hopes to have a better idea about his Derby hand after the coming weekend as he will saddle two promising young horses in stakes company at Florida's Gulfstream Park. Lukas will run Overbrook Farm's Ozzie Cat in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth (GI) and Robert and Beverly Lewis' Scrimshaw in the seven furlong Hutcheson (GIII) on the Fountain of Youth undercard on Feb. 15.

The former is a son of Storm Cat who has just one win in eight races, but he was beaten by only a neck in his most recent race in the Golden Gate Derby (GIII) at Golden Gate Fields. Scrimshaw finished a troubled third to Domestic Dispute in the Santa Catalina (GII) last time out at Santa Anita.

Midwest -- The prospective field for Sunday's Risen Star (GIII) at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans remains fluid in the days leading up to the race.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he would decide by Tuesday whether to ship unbeaten Indy Dancer to the Fair Grounds or keep the colt at Gulfstream Park to run in the Fountain of Youth. California-based Bobby Frankel was reported over the weekend to be leaning against a run by Peace Rules in the Risen Star, but D. Wayne Lukas plans to ship recent Florida grass winner Deep Shadow to New Orleans for a try on the main track.

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