South - Florida - Trainer Nick Zito ended 2003 with three of the early favorites for the Kentucky Derby. The trainer, who already saddled a pair of Derby winners in, Strike the Gold (1991) and Go For Gin ('94), unleashed one of his Derby 130 contenders on Wednesday. Buckram Oak Farms' Eurosilver, who was last seen winning the Lane's End Breeders Futurity (GII) at Keeneland in October, captured a seven furlong allowance race for three-year-olds at Gulfstream Park by five lengths. He covered the distance in 1:24.45 and improved his career record to 3-1-0 in four lifetime starts.

Zito indicated after the race that he would point the son of Unbridled's Song to the seven furlong Swale (GIII) on the Florida Derby (GI) undercard at Gulfstream on March 13.

"I know he can go two turns," he said. "He proved that last year. There should be a fast pace in there and hopefully he can sit off it and make a run at them. I don't need to get him in the Florida Derby. After the Swale, we'd look at the Blue Grass Stakes (at Keeneland)."

Zito's other "big guns," Mary Lou Whitney Stables' Birdstone and Robert LaPenta's The Cliff's Edge, are scheduled to make their 3-year-old debuts in the next two weeks. Birdstone, a half-brother to 2003 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner and 3-year-old champion filly Bird Town who has not raced since capturing the Champagne (GI), is slated to run in allowance race on the Fountain of Youth (GII) undercard on Feb. 14. The Cliff's Edge, who captured the Iroquois (GIII) and Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) during Churchill's Fall Festival of Racing, has the Feb. 21 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on his agenda.

Zito also said that El Prado Rob, who run a disappointing fourth in the Spectacular Bid (GIII), would run next in the Fountain of Youth.

Louisiana - Next week's Risen Star (GIII), the Louisiana Derby (GII) prep at the Fair Grounds, has lost a major contender. The Blood-Horse reported that trainer Michael Dickinson elected to skip the Risen Star with unbeaten Tapit because of a minor shin problem and inclement weather that caused the son of Pulpit to miss some training time. The report said that Tapit would now be pointed toward either the Louisiana Derby or the Florida Derby.

East - Maryland - Churchill Downs-based trainer Mike Bell sent his well regarded Derby hope, Capac, postward Wednesday in a seven-furlong allowance race at Laurel Park.. The regally bred son of Deputy Minister rallied from sixth to win by 3 3/4 lengths as he covered distance 1:23.17. It was the first race for Capac since a maiden victory on a "sloppy" track at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28. Capac had been training in South Carolina and shipped to Maryland for his 2004 debut.

"We got just what we wanted out of this," said Bell. "When you've been away from the races you always wonder where you are. If everything is right we'll try to season him up but the next step is up to him."

On Saturday, White Mountain Boy, an undefeated (3-for-3) Maryland bred son of Meadowlake, is the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the Goss L. Styker Stakes at Laurel. The colt is trained by Phil Schoenthal.

New York - A field of 10 will line up Saturday for the $75,000 Whirlaway at Aqueduct to be run at 1 1/16 miles with no prohibitive morning-line favorite. Overbrook Farm's Quick Action, who captured the six furlong Fred "Cappy" Capossela on Jan. 19, has been installed as the lukewarm 3-1 favorite. Trained by four-time Kentucky Derby winner D. Wayne Lukas, the son of Carson City has won two of three races and will be ridden by Herberto Castillo, Jr.

West - California - A pair of Derby preps take center stage at Santa Anita, but the spotlight is on two-year-old champ Action This Day as he makes his 2004 debut in Sunday's $75,000 Sham Stakes.

Owned by B. Wayne Hughes and trained by Richard Mandella, Action This Day has been off since making a last-to-first move to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) at Oak Tree at Santa Anita. The son of Kris S., who will break from the outside in a seven-horse field, is the likely favorite and will be ridden by David Flores.

"I think he's pretty ready," Mandella said. "He's only run three times. It's hard to calculate exactly what day I was going to have him ready since he's only had a little experience."

Action This Day has won two of three career starts and is looking to become the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner to win the Kentucky Derby. His chief competitors will be the third and fourth place finishers in the Santa Catalina (GII), the Bobby Frankel-trained Master David and Preachinatthebar, conditioned by three-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert and owned by Mike Pegram.

According to the Blood-Horse, a "significant breeding interest" in Action This Day was sold earlier this week to Castleton Lyons. The colt is scheduled to begin his duties as a stallion at the Lexington, Ky. farm in 2005.

On Saturday, a field of six will go postward in the $150,000 San Vicente (GII), a race that has produced six Kentucky Derby winners -- the most recent being Silver Charm in 1997.

The 7-5 morning-line favorite is the undefeated Hosco. Owned by Lorraine & Rod Rodriguez and trained by Doug O'Neill, the son of Honour and Glory won his third consecutive outing in the San Miguel (GIII) at Santa Anita. He will face five others in the seven furlong race and break from post six under jockey Tyler Baze.

Golden State Mile - Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has entered a filly to take on the boys in Sunday's Golden State Mile (GIII), which attracted a field of eight. Hollendorfer's Bending Strings was entered to take on a group of males that includes O.K. Mikie, who had been pointed to the Sham before trainer Jerry McArthur elected to stay at home for the one-mile, $100,000 race at Golden Gate Fields.

Arizona - Trainer Doug O'Neill, who saddles Hosco in San Vicente, also trains Perfect Moon, the early choice in the $100,000 Turf Paradise Derby at Phoenix's Turf Paradise. The gelded son of Malibu Moon won the Best Pal (GII) last year and was sixth in the Santa Catalina (GII) in his only 2004 start. He will break from post five in the seven horse field and Martin Pedroza has the mount.

Midwest - Kentucky - Trainer Greg Foley is looking for a second consecutive victory in the weather-delayed $50,000 WEBN as he saddles Silver Minister, the 9-5 morning-line favorite. Foley won last year with Champali, who went on to capture the Derby Trial (GIII). Silver Minister, who has a record of 2-2-0 in four starts, will break from the rail under Rafael Bejarano in the 11-horse field.

International - U.A.E. - One-eyed Argentine import Little Jim, running for the first time for new owner Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, won the UAE 2000 Guineas by 2 1/2-lengths over the late-running Jack Sullivan on Thursday at Nad Al Sheba. Godolphin, which has yet to nominate any of its 3-year-olds to the Visa Triple Crown, saw its Rosencrans fade to third in the track's major prep for the $2 million UAE Derby.

Upcoming Derby Preps

Feb. 7 San Vicente (GII) Santa Anita 7 Furlongs
Post Time - 4:02 p.m.
Whirlaway Aqueduct 1 1/16 Miles
Post Time - 4:06 p.m.
WEBN Turfway Park 1 Mile
Post Time - 4:48 p.m.
Turf Paradise Derby Turf Paradise 1 1/16 Miles
Post Time - 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 8 Sham Stakes Santa Anita 1 1/8 Miles
Post Time - 7:10 p.m.
Golden State Mile Golden Gate 1 Mile
Post Time - 7:22 p.m.

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