MIDWEST - KENTUCKY - Saturday's $500,000 Lane's End Stakes (GII) at Turfway Park offers a match-up that may not be a "David vs. Goliath" showdown, but it does pit one of the top contenders for Kentucky Derby 130 against one of the rising stars of the 3-year-old crop.

Leading the battle in the 1 1/8 mile test is Marylou Whitney Stable's Birdstone, whose win in last fall's Champagne (GI) at Belmont Park affirmed his status as one of the best 2-year-olds of 2003. His major challenge could come from Lloyd Madison Farm LLC's Silver Minister, a Churchill Downs-based colt who brings a distinct home court advantage into his bid to establish himself as a Kentucky Derby contender.

Birdstone enters the Lane's End as a strong favorite, although he has only a Gulfstream Park allowance win to show for his 3-year-old campaign. Two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Nick Zito elected to bypass last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) with the homebred son of 1996 Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone.

Zito has three major Kentucky Derby contenders in his barn and elected to ship this half-brother to 2003 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Bird Town to Turfway Park in an effort to keep his colts from facing each other at this stage of the campaign. The other Zito-trained contenders are Eurosilver, runner-up in last Saturday's Swale (GIII), Robert La Penta's The Cliff's Edge, who was third on the same day in the Florida Derby (GI).

Jockey Jerry Bailey will ride Birdstone, the even-money favorite who will start from the rail post.

Silver Minister, a son of Silver Deputy trained by Greg Foley, has never raced beyond the borders of the state of Kentucky has built his growing reputation primarily against the winter-based horses at Turfway Park. His four victories in six lifetime starts include a sweep of the Turfway Park's stakes races for 3-year-olds, which include the Turfway Park Prevue, the WEBN Stakes and John Battaglia Memorial. White-hot jockey Rafael Bejarano, who has already smashed Turfway's record for victories in its winter-spring meet and leads the nation in wins, will ride the colt, who has been installed as the 5-1 co-second choice.

Other horses that to watch in the Lane's End are the Bill Mott-trainer Stolen Time, sixth in the Louisiana Derby (GII) and also listed at 5-1 in the morning line; That's An Outrage, third in the Hollywood Futurity (GI); and Little Matth Man, the Martin Ciresa-trained runner-up to Silver Minister in the Battaglia Memorial. Rushaway Stakes - Before Zito unleashes Birdstone in the Lane's End, he will saddle a pair of La Penta-owned contenders the $100,000 Rushaway.

El Prado Rob heads the Zito duo and will be ridden by Bailey. The son of El Prado was fourth to Read the Footnotes in the Fountain of Youth (GII) and fourth in the Holy Bull (GIII). Entrymate Pies Prospect has one win in four starts and Bejarano will ride.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has dispatched Derrick Smith & Michael Tabor's Tales of Glory to contest the 1 1/16-mile Rushaway. He has won twice in four starts, but has not competed since a disappointing eighth-place effort in the $1 million Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs in December.

Meanwhile, some Derby contenders who had been headquartering in Florida over the winter have started their journey north for the spring classics. Zito's "Big Three" -- Birdstone, Eurosilver and The Cliff's Edge -- arrived at Keeneland on Thursday to continue their training at the Lexington, Ky. track.

ARKANSAS - Saturday's $200,000 Rebel Stakes kicks off Oaklawn Park's $5 million "Centennial Bonus" and it has attracted a talented field of eight. The bonus will be paid by the Hot Springs, Ark. track to the horse that sweeps the Rebel, Arkansas Derby (GII) and Kentucky Derby.

Someday Farms' unbeaten Smarty Jones is the 9-5 morning line favorite for the 1 1/16-mile Rebel. The Pennsylvania-bred son of Elusive Quality scored his fourth career victory in last month's Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn. Trainer John Servis has again enlisted Stewart Elliott to ride Smarty Jones.

"My horse is coming into the Rebel the right way," Servis said. "He'll be much fitter than he was in the Southwest. He's ready to move up to the next level. If some of the others are also, then so be it."

The Keystone-bred's main competition could come from Mr. Jester (5-2) and Purge (9-2). The former, trained by Steve Wren, was second in the Fair Grounds' Risen Star (GIII) in his most recent start and captured the rich Delta Jackpot in December. Mr. Jester will have a new jockey in two-time Kentucky Derby winner Kent Desormeaux and the son of Silver Deputy will start from post two.

Purge is one of a record 35 Visa Triple Crown nominees trained by Todd Pletcher. The son of Pulpit is unbeaten is two starts, including a impressive win last time out in a Gulfstream Park allowance race in which he earned Beyer Speed Figure of 99. Jockey John Velazquez flies in from his winter base in Florida for the ride.

The "wild card" to Saturday's Derby prep could be the Donnie Von Hemel-trained Cryptograph. Pin Oak Stable's son of Cryptoclearance, who is not yet nominated to the Visa Triple Crown, has a three-race winning streak that includes two victories at Oaklawn. Regular jockey Don Pettinger will ride.

EAST - NEW YORK - An intriguing match of promising Kentucky Derby contenders looms in Saturday's $200,000 Gotham Stakes (GII) at Aqueduct -- if Mother Nature allows the showdown.

Racing was cancelled at the New York track on Friday because of a winter storm, but improving weather on Saturday would permit the anticipated meeting of Paragallo Stable's Redskin Warrior and Willmott Stable's Eddington in the one-mile Gotham.

Redskin Warrior, an Indian Charlie colt and the 2-1 morning line favorite, captured Aqueduct's Best Turn Stakes last time out and earned a sharp Beyer Speed Figure of 105 in doing so. The Jennifer Pedersen trainee has won three of four starts and will be ridden by Richard Migliore. Eddington, the 5-2 second choice, is a son of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled who comes off a pair of easy wins at Gulfstream Park. Trainer Mark Hennig has named Edgar Prado to ride in the Gotham in place of Bailey, who chose to ride Birdstone in the Lane's End.

WEST - CALIFORNIA - The connections of two of the West Coast's major Kentucky Derby contenders announced this week that their horses will make Keeneland's Toyota Blue Grass (GI) on April 10 their final prep for their ultimate objective on the "First Saturday in May" at Churchill Downs.

Three-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Bob Baffert said that San Felipe (GII) winner Preachinatthebar would come to Kentucky for the $750,000 race, a move that will allow Mike Pegram's son of 1997 Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm to retain the riding services of Javier Santiago. Santiago is also the regular rider on Louisiana Derby (GII) winner Wimbledon, Baffert's other main Derby contender.

"Preach is going to go to Keeneland," Baffert said. "I don't want to ship Wimbledon. He's already shipped once. That will give me the opportunity to ride (Javier) Santiago on both horses."

Reigning 2-year-old champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) winner Action This Day will also head to Keeneland. The son of Kris S., who suffered a leg cut during a disappointing effort in last week's San Felipe, will ship to the Lexington track with stablemate Halfbridled, the 2-year-old filly champion who will run in the Ashland (GI). Trainer Richard Mandella had originally planned to run Action This Day in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (GI) on April 3, but said the colt would need some extra time to recover from the cut suffered in last week's loss.

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