WEST - CALIFORNIA - In a year in which the unpredictable has become the norm, Saturday's upset by 30-1 shot Castledale in the Santa Anita Derby (Grade I) should have been a surprise -- but not a shock.

The Irish-bred son of Peintre Celebre charged down the middle of the track under jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr. to nip Rock Hard Ten and Imperialism and then survived a steward's inquiry to thrust the colt into the Kentucky Derby picture. Following a 10 minute review, Santa Anita stewards ruled that Castledale was not at fault in the rough and tumble final yards of the 1 1/8-mile race that saw jockey Victor Espinoza and Imperialism check sharply with less than a sixteenth of a mile to run. But the stewards said that Rock Hard Ten had drifted in and impeded Imperialism, so the latter was awarded second and Rock Hard Ten was placed third.

Further up the track were Kentucky Derby hopefuls Quintons Gold Rush (4th), Louisiana Derby (GII) winner Wimbledon (5th) , Santa Catalina (GII) winner and Santa Anita Derby favorite St Averil (6th).

The Jeff Mullins-trained Castledale had won the Generous Stakes (GIII) on the grass at Hollywood Park in his U.S. debut in late November, but was a distant sixth to Imperialism in the San Rafael (GII) in his debut on the dirt in early March. The Santa Anita Derby win was his third in ten career races and provided co-owner Frank Lyons with an indescribable thrill. Lyons, who serves as an analyst on the racing channel TVG and owns Castledale in partnership with Greg Knee, has spent the past few years offering comments on the preparation of Kentucky Derby contenders on "The Works," TVG's pre-Derby show on the training of Derby contenders. It appears now that Lyons will find himself in the middle of the Derby picture this time around.

"I can't believe it," said Lyons, a former trainer who saddled the filly Desert Stormer to win the 1995 Breeders' Cup Sprint (GI). "I can't even take it in that I'm sitting her with an opportunity to go to Kentucky to the greatest horse race in the world. And with a chance. I mean, you're not going with a horse who just ran fourth and you're thinking, 'Maybe.' I'd have to think this was the toughest Derby prep."

Mullins was noncommittal on a Kentucky Derby bid for Castledale on the morning after Saturday's win before a Santa Anita crowd of 36,155.

"We have no definite plans at the moment," he said.

But at least four of those who finished behind Castledale appeared to still be bound for Churchill Downs. That group includes:

Imperialism -- Trainer Kristin Mulhall said the son of Langfuhr came out of the race "great."

Rock Hard Ten -- Trainer Jason Orman indicated that he would consider going to Churchill Downs with his imposing son of Kris S., but expressed concern that his colt's disqualification from first to second might keep him from having the necessary earnings to make the Kentucky Derby field.

An overflow field is expected for the "Run for the Roses," but the race is limited to 20 horses and its starters are determined by earnings in graded stakes races. Rock Hard Ten would have earned $150,000 had his runner-up finish been allowed to stand, but instead collected a third-place check of $90,000.

"We probably won't have enough money," he said. "If we have enough money, we'll consider going."

Quintons Gold Rush -- Trainer Mike Mitchell said that Padua Stable's son of Wild Rush would travel to Kentucky, where he would be transferred to the care of trainer Steve Asmussen, who also trains for Padua's Satish Sanan. He said the colt would be pointed toward the Coolmore Lexington (GII) on April 17 at Keeneland.

"Satish wants to win the Kentucky Derby more than any other race," Mitchell said. "I'm based at Hollywood Park and Steve is in Kentucky, so I understand. The owners are classy people and we're all in this together and want to do what's best for the horse."

Wimbledon -- Three-time Kentucky Derby winning-trainer Bob Baffert said James McIngvale's colt would head to Churchill Downs for Derby 130. "He was a too close to pace and got a little tired," said Baffert.

Plans for St Averil were considerably less certain. Trainer Rafael Becerra said he could find no physical reason for his dull performance and he would wait "a week or 10 days and see what we're going do to."

The rough final yards in the Santa Anita Derby earned jockey David Flores, who rode Rock Hard Ten, a five-day suspension set for April 9-15. Santa Anita stewards handed Flores the suspension for "failing to make the proper effort to maintain a straight course through the stretch."

MIDWEST - ILLINOIS - Favored Pollard's Vision won the $500,000 Illinois Derby (GII), but he remains enough of an outsider in the overall Kentucky Derby picture that was lumped with "all others' in this weekend's Kentucky Derby Future Wager. But Edgewood Farm's son of Carson City may now get a chance to win over any doubters in the 130th Derby.

The Todd Pletcher-trained colt scored a front-running 2 3/4-length win over previously unbeaten Song of the Sword in the 1 1/8-mile race that was won in 2002 by eventual Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem and last year by Ten Most Wanted, who would go on to win the Travers (GI) and Super Derby (GII). Jockey Eibar Coa was aboard as Pollard's Vision covered 1 1/8-miles over a "fast" track in 1:50.80.

"My horse, when I asked, gave me something extra," he said. He won the way I was expecting him to."

Pollard's Vision has only one eye and is named for Red Pollard, the regular rider of the legendary Seabiscuit who lost his vision in one eye.

Suave overcame a troubled run through the first turn to finish third.

KENTUCKY - Heiligbrodt Racing's Bwana Charlie couldn't figure out how to win as a 2-year-old, but now that he has visited the winner's circle he apparently does not want to stop.

The Steve Asmussen-trained son of Indian Charlie emerged from a four-horse speed duel to win Sunday's $100,000 Lafayette (GIII) at Keeneland by 3 1/4-lengths under jockey Shane Sellers. It was the third consecutive victory for Bwana Charlie, who covered the seven-furlong distance in 1:24.73. The colt now has a record of 3-2-3 in eight races, but is not a Visa Triple Crown nominee.

Owner Bill Heiligbrodt and Asmussen won the Lafayette last year with Posse.

EAST - FLORIDA - The run of surprises in Kentucky Derby preps continued at Gulfstream Park on Saturday as Gregory Kaufman's Kaufy Mate ($11.80) scored a mild upset in the $250,000 Aventura Stakes.

Kaufy Mate romped by 4 1/2-lengths under jockey Manoel Cruz and covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.67. Humorously finished second and Baronage third, while favored Forest Grove faded seventh after setting the early pace.

The Florida-bred son of Diligence, who is not nominated to the Kentucky Derby and Visa Triple Crown, was best known prior to the Aventura for his upset of Derby contender The Cliff's Edge in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. But trainer Kirk Ziadie, who is the son of veteran Florida trainer Ralph Ziadie, has not been infected with "Derby fever."

"This is not a Derby horse," said Ziadie. "I give all of the credit to my owner for nominating this horse (to the Aventura) because I didn't want to put him in here."

Ziadie said Kaufy Mate would now get a break and would likely return to competition at the Calder meet.

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