LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 16, 2004) - Trainer Nick Zito said that Marylou Whitney Stable's Birdstone, a candidate for the 130th Kentucky Derby (Grade I) on May 1, was doing well on the morning after a strong workout at Churchill Downs.

The 3-year-old son of 1996 Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone breezed six furlongs over a "fast" track on Thursday in 1:14.80. Regular exercise rider Maxine Correa was aboard for the move, which was Birdstone's first since the colt was scratched from last week's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade I) when tests taken two days before the race revealed an elevated white blood cell count.

The work was omitted from the Thursday, April 15 work tab at Churchill Downs and was reported later that day as five furlongs in 1:01. That time is the correct fractional split for the work, but the official time now entered on the track's work tab is the six-furlong clocking, which was the fastest of three works at the distance on Thursday.

Zito, a two-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, said that white blood cell count is no longer a concern, but was discovered too close to the Toyota Blue Grass for Whitney's colt to run in that key Derby prep.

"We worked him Sunday (before the Blue Grass) and he worked great, but his head was down," Zito said. "He wasn't right, we took a blood (test) and it was off. Thursday it got back good, but his white count was still high so we said we would knock him out if we run, we might as well try for the Derby."

Zito said Thursday's work was "sensational" and he feels good about where Birdstone is sitting with just over two weeks remaining before the Derby.

"It's very encouraging - I'm very happy," he said. "That's all you want. We always say we want nothing to happen and to have three good weeks."

Birdstone, a half-brother to Whitney and Zito's 2003 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Bird Town, has a record of 3-0-0 in five races. He won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park to open the year, but finished a dull fifth to Sinister G in the Lane's End (GII) at Turfway Park in his most recent race on March 20.

Zito's other Derby contender, Robert La Penta's Toyota Blue Grass (GI) winner The Cliff's Edge, is scheduled to breeze on Monday.

DERBY 130 NOTES - Three-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert said his pair of Kentucky Derby contenders - James McIngvale's Wimbledon and Mike Pegram's Preachinatthebar - would work on either Saturday or Sunday...Trainer Richard Mandella's pair of Derby contenders - B. Wayne Hughes' reigning 2-year-old champion Action This Day and Diamond A Racing Corp's Minister Eric - are scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs early Friday afternoon following a van ride from Keeneland.

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