Southeast -- Juddmonte Farm's regally-bred Empire Maker has raced but three times in his young career and his only victory came last fall in a maiden race at Belmont Park, but despite those seemingly spotty credentials the Bobby Frankel-trained colt is the 9-5 morning line favorite among seven 3-year-olds entered in Saturday's $1 million Florida Derby (Grade I) at Gulfstream Park.

The son of Unbridled, who won the Florida Derby on his way to a victory in the 1990 Kentucky Derby, is favored over a field that includes such horses as Fountain of Youth (GI) winner Trust N Luck; Supah Blitz and Midway Cat, the 2-3 finishers in the Fountain of Youth; unbeaten Senor Swinger; and Indy Dancer, the beaten favorite in the Risen Star (GIII) at the Fair Grounds. That is partly a reflection of the promised displayed by Empire Maker in a third-place finish behind the highly-regarded Toccet in last fall's Remsen (GII) at Aqueduct and a runner-up finish to Man Among Men in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita. But Frankel's high regard for the colt is the main reason that Empire Maker is favored to make the mile and an eighth Florida Derby his first stakes victory.

"This is my best Kentucky Derby shot," said Frankel. "This is the horse that we felt all along was the one that could get us there and he should be starting to peak about now."

Frankel is so high on Empire Maker that his mind was on the colt even after his upset victory in last week's Louisiana Derby (GII) with Edmund Gann's Peace Rules. "The main one is running next Saturday," Frankel told reporters in New Orleans.

Empire Maker will be ridden by Jerry Bailey and Frankel will race the colt in blinkers for the first time.

"I'm putting blinkers on him now and I expect that he will be more into the bridle early," said Frankel. "I could have put them on earlier, but I'm glad I didn't because he might have peaked too soon."

Trainer Patrick Biancone took Whywhywhy off the Kentucky Derby trail because of concerns about his ability to succeed at longer distances, but Saturday's seven-furlong Swale (GII) on the Florida Derby undercard should fit him perfectly.

Whywhywhy faded to fifth in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, a performance that convinced Biancone that his colt was destined to sprint.

"I think he should move forward off that race," said Biancone. "I never really trained him as a stayer, even up to that race."

Whywhywhy, ridden by jockey Edgar Prado, is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the race in a field of eight that also includes the well-regarded Posse, Conservation, First Blush, Massive and Midas Eyes.

Some late-developing Kentucky Derby hopefuls may emerge from a 1 1/8-mile allowance race on the Florida Derby undercard. The field includes Indy Flag, Christine's Outlaw, Affable, and Captain Fantastic.

Two colts that are coming off of impressive allowance wins at Gulfstream -- Michael Tabor's Aristocat and Calumet Farm's Region of Merit -- will be looking to boost their Kentucky Derby credentials as they make their respective stakes debuts in Sunday's $250,000 Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Christophe Clement-trained Region of Merit will be ridden by Eibar Coa is the 5-2 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile race. The son of Touch Gold will break from the outside post in the field of nine. The Tom Proctor-trained Strength Within is listed as the 7-2 second choice and the Todd Pletcher-trained Aristocat is next 4-1.

West -- B. Wayne Hughes' highly-regarded Atswhatimtalknbout has generated much talk in Southern California since a dazzling win in his career debut in January. Sunday's $250,000 San Felipe (GII) at Santa Anita will provide the Ron Ellis-trained son of 1992 "Horse of the Year" A.P. Indy with a chance to prove he is worthy of the hype.

Atswhatimtalknbout is one of the major contenders in the field of 10 in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe. The colt is coming off a sharp victory in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Santa Anita that was his second win in three career starts. He will face a strong field in Sunday's race that includes Domestic Dispute, the Bob Baffert-trained winner of the Santa Catalina (GII); Man Among Men, who defeated Florida Derby favorite Empire Maker in the Sham Stakes; Siberland, runner-up in the Turf Paradise Derby; and Ten Cents A Shine, runner-up in the Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at Churchill Downs and the beaten favorite in the Fountain of Youth (GI) who makes his first start for his new trainer, four-time Kentucky Derby winner D. Wayne Lukas.

Ellis is hoping for a big effort from Atswhatimtalknbout -- but not necessarily his best.

"He's been on a pattern (of improvement)," Ellis told Daily Racing Form. "I'd like him to start a new pattern. I want him to peak in the next two races, not this one."

Ellis hopes his colt's next two races will be the Santa Anita Derby (GI) and the Kentucky Derby.

Baffert appears ready to add James McIngvale's During to his list of Kentucky Derby contenders. The son of Cherokee Run, who has yet to be nominated to the Kentucky Derby and Visa Triple Crown, scored a sharp win in a one-mile allowance race on Wednesday at Santa Anita. Baffert said that During, a runner-up to Atswhatimtalknbout in his previous start, would run next in the Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct on April 12.

East -- The star of Maryland's 3-year-olds, four-time stakes winner Cherokee's Boy, will make a bid to be the toast of New York when he runs in Saturday's $200,000 Gotham Stakes (GIII) at Aqueduct.

The race, traditionally run at a distance of one-mile, will be run this year at a mile and 70 yards on Aqueduct's inner track because weather problems have hampered the track's efforts to reopen its main track.

Apprentice Ryan Fogelsonger, the winner of the 2002 Eclipse Award as America's top apprentice jockey, will ride for trainer Gary Capuano as Cherokee's Boy breaks from the outside post in a field of 11.

"It is a big test for the horse, but I think he deserves a chance to go up and see what he's got," said Fogelsonger. "He gets better each time."

Other contenders in the field for the 51st running of the Gotham include Maryland invader Gimmeawink, Grey Comet, Alysweep, and Torre and Zim.

Midwest -- Thoroughbred Times reported Friday that John C. Oxley's unbeaten Sky Mesa is definitely off the Kentucky Derby trail and trainer John Ward, Jr. would now point the colt toward the Belmont Stakes (GI), the final jewel of the Visa Triple Crown.

Sky Mesa has been out of action since a victory in the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (GII) in October and his training has been slowed in recent weeks by a foot bruise. Ward said that the son of Pulpit was shipped to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky. earlier this week and underwent a thorough examination by Dr. Larry Bramlage. Ward said the bruise is still there, but Bramlage found no other problems.

"The great thing is we're not dealing with anything joint-related," Ward said. "I think the Belmont Stakes (G1) would be within his reach and is the most logical next step. It's still a question mark, though. We just have to have patience."

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