ATSWHATIMTALKNBOUT - The "Hollywood" horse Atswhatimtalknbout turned in his final major exercise for the 129th Kentucky Derby on a lovely Sunday morning at Churchill Downs, drilling five furlongs in :59 2/5 under David Flores, who will get a leg up for Saturday's Run for the Roses. The handsome son of A.P.Indy, whose five lifetime starts have all come this year at Santa Anita, went out right after the mid-morning renovation break and skipped over the oval. Accompanying him was stablemate Carthage, a fast 3-year-old winner. When Flores and "Ats" returned through the six-furlong gap, the veteran California rider had a big smile on his face. "He handled this track so much better than Santa Anita," Flores said. "He likes it. I could feel it right away when he broke off at the pole. He seems much better - his mind. I'm feeling good (about him). I've got that feeling. And he's hardly blowing. This was a very good work." Track clockers caught D. Wayne Hughes and Biscuit Stables' runner in splits of :12 3/5, :25, :36 3/5 and :48 3/5 en route to his final clocking. The colt wore blinkers for the drill and will have them again when he goes postward in the mile and one-quarter Derby. "He wore what I'd call a French cup blinkers today," trainer Ron Ellis noted back at Barn 41. "It's a scaled-back version of half blinkers. There isn't much to them, but they may be enough for him. David (Flores) said that when he went to that other horse (Carthage), he never even looked at him. That's a first for him. He's usually turning his head when he's next to other horses. But today he was all business. David was very encouraged by the work and, of course, that makes me very happy. Carthage is a very fast horse and I was actually concerned that he might outwork 'Ats' this morning. But that class element kicks in and that's the difference." Atswhatimtalknbout was a very game second in the San Felipe Stakes March 16, then was a non-threatening fourth in the Santa Anita Derby April 5. Ellis feels subsequent tests and circumstances tell him that his colt "wasn't himself" for his last start. "I just think he was a little off - a little under the weather that day," the trainer stated. "And, though he's going to wear the blinkers Saturday, I don't think they're the key for him. I don't think the lack of blinkers got him beat in the Santa Anita Derby, and I don't think him wearing them will make him win the Kentucky Derby. I think we've just got to get him back to feeling as good as he was when he ran that really good race (beaten a nose) in the San Felipe. If we do that - and he's giving us signs that he is feeling good - then I think we'll be all right. "Still, I don't think the blinkers are going to hurt him, so he'll go with them this time." Ellis indicated that his charge will walk the shedrow tomorrow and jog on Tuesday. Atswhatimtalknbout has a maiden win and an allowance victory to his credit and sports earnings of $164,120.

BRANCUSI - A day after working a mile on the Keeneland turf, Brancusi returned to the dirt track and walked and jogged under jockey Tony Farina. "Everything's great," said trainer Patrick Biancone, who will ship the colt to Churchill Downs Wednesday or Thursday. "We're very pleased."

BUDDY GIL - Desperado Stables' Buddy Gil was on the track shortly after 6 a.m. for a one mile jog and a mile gallop under Amy Mullins. "He is galloping really strong here," said Mullins, wife of trainer Jeff Mullins. "He really likes it here." Jeff Mullins was scheduled to return to Louisville on Sunday afternoon to remain through the Derby. Jockey Gary Stevens was also coming in Sunday to stay for the week and will work Buddy Gil five furlongs in the morning, likely after the renovation break.

DOMESTIC DISPUTE - Trainer Patrick Gallagher assumed full command of his Kentucky Derby charge Domestic Dispute Sunday morning following his purchase by owners David Bienstock and Chuck Winner on Saturday. The Unbridled's Song colt galloped a mile and one-half out of the barn of trainer Bob Baffert (his previous conditioner), then shifted with Gallagher from Barn 33 to Barn 22 amongst the horses of Gallagher's fellow Irishman Andrew McKeever. "There's not much I can do with him this week," the affable Gallagher said. "He just ran (Lexington Stakes April 19), so I'll just gallop him and keep an eye on him. If he's doing OK I might blow him out down the lane on Friday - maybe two furlongs to open his lungs up - then run him Saturday." Though this is the first horse Gallagher will saddle in the Run for the Roses, the 46-year-old native of Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland, has previous Derby experience. He was Bill Shoemaker's assistant trainer when the Hall of Fame rider-turned-trainer saddled Diazo and Corby to fifth and sixth place finishes in the 1993 edition of the race. Owners Bienstock and Winner, neighbors in Beverly Hills, previously partnered with Gallagher in the Del Mar Derby winner and Breeders' Cup competitor Walksalikeaduck. That horse currently stands at stud in South Korea. Domestic Dispute has two wins, two seconds and two thirds from 10 starts for earnings of $280,687.

EMPIRE MAKER/PEACE RULES - Peace Rules, the "2" in trainer Robert Frankel's "1 - 2" punch for the Kentucky Derby, took the lead for exercising purposes Sunday morning when he went trackside in the dark just past 6 a.m. and drilled six furlongs in 1:14 1/5 under exercise rider Mitsu Nakauchida. Frankel had originally planned to work the Jules colt after the renovation break, but called an audible and went early with the chestnut under a sliver of crescent moon hanging low on the Louisville skyline. The Hall of Fame trainer stuck with the rest of his plan, though, when he sent out Derby favorite Empire Maker just after the break with a workmate in stakes winner Requete. Nakauchida handled Empire Maker, while exercise boy Joe Deegan was up on Requete. Clockers timed Empire Maker in :24 1/5, :35 3/5, :47 3/5, :59 3/5 and 1:12 3/5. Frankel was slightly displeased by Peace Rules' final time, but plenty happy with Empire Maker's exercise. "The kid (Nakauchida) got too nervous with it," the trainer said referring to the Peace Rules drill. "He went off a little fast and came home a little slow. I think he did five furlongs in around a minute, then only went in :14 for the last part. But it's OK. It isn't anything I can't adjust for." When his work team went trackside at about 8:15, Frankel followed them out of the six-furlong gap, then took up a spot near the mouth of the chute on the inner rail to watch them backtrack and drill. The pair came by the trainer with Empire Maker on the outside of his friendly rival and dropped down on the rail to break off at the five and one-half furlong pole. They battled until a sixteenth past the finish line, then galloped out strong. When the 4-year-old Requete came back first through the gap, he was breathing hard. "He (Requete) is a fit horse," Frankel said. "He had to work hard to stay with that other horse." When Empire Maker came back through the gap, his breathing was much more controlled. He'd obviously worked, but he gave the appearance of a horse who had been well within himself. "This was a good work by a good horse," Frankel said. "It was what I wanted. I just hope I didn't knock that other horse out for his race (the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, a race just prior to the Kentucky Derby)." Nakauchida, who times all the horses he works using a stop watch wrist watch he wears, said he clicked Empire Maker in 1:13. "Peace Rules is an aggressive worker and Empire Maker is not," Frankel noted. "That's why I can work the one alone and the other needs company. They are two different kinds of horses." The trainer said his pair would walk tomorrow, jog the next day and then gallop up to the Derby. The Frankel twosome are the richest horses in the potential Derby lineup. Peace Rules has won $1,124,990, while Empire Maker has banked $1,115,800. NOTE TO MEDIA: Trainer Bobby Frankel has requested that media members wait until the end of training hours for interviews regarding his Kentucky Derby contenders and other horses pointed toward Derby Week stakes races at Churchill Downs. Mr. Frankel will meet with print and electronic media roughly 10 minutes after the close of training hours at 9:15 a.m. (EDT).

EYE OF THE TIGER - John Gunther's Coolmore Lexington runner-up Eye Of The Tiger visited the paddock and then jogged and galloped a total of a mile and a half on his first visit to the Churchill Downs track. Assistant trainer Art Calva was up on the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee, who went out before the break. The American Chance colt arrived from Keeneland Saturday afternoon. Hollendorfer was in California and Calva said he expected the trainer to come to Louisville in the next couple of days.

FUNNY CIDE - The New York-bred colt, second to Empire Maker in the Wood Memorial last out, had a "good gallop" of a mile and three-quarters at Belmont Park Sunday morning with trainer Barclay Tagg looking on. "He went along at a good clip, and he looks a picture," said Tagg, who was speaking on his cell phone while aboard pony alongside Funny Cide. The trainer said Funny Cide is scheduled to have his final serious Derby work at Belmont on Tuesday morning and will be flown to Louisville on Wednesday. The colt will work five-eighths with Tagg's assistant Robin Smullen in the irons. Regular rider Jose Santos will be aboard in the Derby.

INDIAN EXPRESS/KAFWAIN/SENOR SWINGER - While trainer Bob Baffert's main Derby hopes, Indian Express and Kafwain, took mile and a half gallops for their exercise Sunday morning, Senor Swinger, who remains a possible, breezed five furlongs in 1:00 3/5. The El Prado colt, purchased by Baffert for Bob and Beverly Lewis after being trained by Mickey Goldfine in his first three starts, is more likely to go in Friday's Crown Royal American Turf. However, Baffert has not yet made a final decision on Senor Swinger's status. "I have to think about it a little more," he said. "He's ready for turf or dirt. I'm still leaning toward the turf race, and then maybe running him back on dirt in the Preakness. I've got a couple of days to decide." His two top Derby candidates had easy gallops. Kafwain put in a stiff gallop early on Saturday morning and just loped around the track this morning. Indian Express came out after the break and made a leisurely tour of the track. "I was thinking of working them both on Tuesday," Baffert said, "but I might switch to Monday. We'll see." Tyler Baze has the riding call on Indian Express, and Pat Valenzuela, aboard Kafwain, will get his first Derby ride since 1993, when he was 15th aboard Union City. Indian Express has an interesting backstory. He's owned by 82-year-old Phil Chess, a Polish immigrant who came to Chicago in 1928 with his brother and sister. In 1950, he founded a record company in Chicago (Chess Records) with his brother Leonard. The label achieved remarkable success because it was the home of rock and roll pioneers Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, and blues legends Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf and Etta James. Chess retired from the music business in the early 1970s and moved to Tucson, Ariz., in 1972. He was a partner in the ownership of Quarter Horses and that's where he first met Baffert. "He sent me a Thoroughbred when I was training at Turf Paradise about 1982," Baffert said. "I didn't hear from him again until last year, when he called to ask me to get him a horse and reminded me that I had trained for him years ago." Indian Express, a Utah-bred, was racing in Panama when Baffert bought the colt for $150,000 at the end of the 2002 season. Indian Express was fourth in the San Pedro in his first start for Baffert, then punched his Derby ticket with a close second in the Santa Anita Derby. "He's been calling every day," Baffert said. "I think it's just starting to sink in - the magnitude of what he has. He's got a horse in the Kentucky Derby."

LONE STAR SKY - Buddy New's Lone Star Sky galloped a mile and a half before the renovation break with exercise rider Kathy Sanchez up. "We are still on schedule to work Tuesday and then we will make a decision," trainer Tom Amoss said. "But it looks like we lost our rider." Calvin Borel, who has ridden Lone Star Sky in his past four starts, has committed to ride Ten Cents A Shine for trainer D. Wayne Lukas in Derby 129. "That doesn't change my relationship with Calvin," Amoss said. "He is still my man."

OFFLEE WILD - The first Derby starter for trainer T.V. Smith and owners Azalea Stable had a strong mile and a half gallop after the break Sunday morning "We're very happy with the way he's doing," Smith said. "It looks like we're right on schedule." Offlee Wild upset the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream in January and last out was third in the Blue Grass Stakes. The Wild Again colt was purchased for $325,000 as a yearling by Azalea Stable, a group of 11 people assembled by primary owner Lansdon Robbins III. Most of the people in the partnership live in the Louisville area. The colt broke his maiden at Churchill Downs last year, then went to Florida where he won the Holy Bull and ran fourth in the Fountain of Youth. He ran a fever after that race, which knocked him out of action for several weeks. The Blue Grass was his first start back after the illness. All of the owners attended the race at Keeneland, chartering a bus from Louisville. For entertainment on the ride, Robbins had a video made of the high points in Offlee Wild's career, set to the theme music from "Rocky." That video is currently being played on a regular basis in Smith's office in Barn 29. "I think we've got his schedule set now," Smith said. "He'll gallop tomorrow, work on Tuesday, walk on Wednesday, and have light gallops on Thursday and Friday. "And then," the trainer said, "I told the owners 'On Saturday, we smell the roses.' "

OUTTA HERE - Bill Currin and Al Eisman's Outta Here arrived at Churchill Downs just before noon Sunday after an early morning flight from Los Angeles. He is housed in Barn 42, Stall 11. The Dehere colt will be ridden in the Kentucky Derby by Kent Desormeaux, who has ridden Outta Here in seven of his eight starts, including the UAE Derby, which was the colt's last start. Trainer Currin is scheduled to arrive Monday night.

SCRIMSHAW/TEN CENTS A SHINE - Trainer D. Wayne Lukas gained a Derby starter in Ten Cents A Shine and named Cornelio Velasquez to ride Coolmore Lexington winner Scrimshaw. With owner Ken Ramsey looking on as the track opened for training at 5:15, Ten Cents A Shine worked five furlongs in :59 1/5 under jockey Calvin Borel. "The decision is to go," Ramsey said. "Calvin came back and said he did exactly what he wanted him to do this morning, He was pleased with the workout and the way he finished up. "Wayne was on the turn on the pony watching him gallop out and he said he felt the horse deserved a chance. I said let's go with him. So we all shook hands and Borel is going to ride him." Borel, who also worked the colt a bullet five-eighths in :58 3/5 on April 19, described the work. "We had a little incident before we took off," Borel said. "There was a horse backing up and he ducked out and shied away from him. Wayne grabbed him and dropped him off and let the other horse (a 3-year-old named Involvement) break off six or seven lengths in front of him. "I ran up to him about the eighth pole and sat there with him and made him do it the way I wanted him to do it. When I sat up on him, he galloped by the horse real easy. He has turned around a lot. The past two weeks, you can't imagine how much he has turned around. Mr. Lukas did a lot of work with him and got his attention. The colt was just real stubborn and wanted to do it his way, not your way." "He is not a genuine work horse, but he is getting better at it," said Lukas, who has won four Kentucky Derbys. "At least now he throws up some decent numbers. He is starting to get more aggressive. He finished up well. They went slow enough early that he was able to finish and that is all that I wanted to see." Scrimshaw galloped shortly after 6 o'clock with regular exercise rider Stacy Maker up. Scrimshaw would likely have his final pre-Derby work on Tuesday. Scrimshaw will represent the first Derby mount for Velasquez. "He won a couple of 2-year-old races for us over at Keeneland," Lukas said. "I think he fits the horse. He's hungry and has a high level of confidence. He's not intimidated at all."

SIR CHEROKEE - Arkansas Derby winner Sir Cherokee galloped a mile and a half under assistant trainer D.W. Fries at Trackside Training Center Sunday morning. Trainer Michael Tomlinson said that Derby rider Terry Thompson would work Sir Cherokee five-eighths on Tuesday at Trackside. Thompson is riding at Prairie Meadows in Iowa and is slated to return to Iowa to ride Tuesday night and then return to Louisville on Wednesday or Thursday.

SUPAH BLITZ - The Manny Tortora-trained colt, who arrived Friday by van from Florida, had his first gallop over the track Sunday morning. There was a delay in getting Supah Blitz to the track, but the colt stayed calm as he waited to go out. Tortora, who is still in Florida and scheduled to arrive in Louisville Monday night, said the colt is very similar in temperament to his sire Mecke, who was also trained by Tortora. "Supah Blitz is just like his daddy," Tortora said. "Nothing bothers him. He's always calm. As a matter of fact, when he first came into the barn, I thought something was wrong with him. But that's just his personality. Very laid-back." Supah Blitz will have his final Derby drill Tuesday morning, with jockey Rosemary Homeister Jr. aboard.

TEN MOST WANTED - Trainer Wallace Dollase had Ten Most Wanted out on a fast Churchill Downs strip this morning at approximately 7 a.m. for a gallop of a mile and one half. The Illinois Derby winner had regular exercise rider Enrique Alferez on his back as he completed an "excellent" tour of the big oval. "He just went great," the veteran trainer said. "He was a handful. It was an excellent gallop. I'll tell you, if Enrique wasn't on him, he'd be long gone. He (Alferez) goes 155 (pounds) and he can hold him down. I had a jock up on him one morning and he ran off with him. He couldn't pull him up for six furlongs. But he's doing great and I couldn't ask for more right now." Dollase is having his stable pony brought in from California today and will accompany Ten Most Wanted for his exercise from here on out. "We'll go to the paddock and gallop again tomorrow," he said. "And we'll get to the gate, maybe on Tuesday. I'm probably going to work him Tuesday. He'll go either four or five (furlongs)." Ten Most Wanted has won two of five starts for earnings of $373,460.

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