ACTION THIS DAY/MINISTER ERIC - B. Wayne Hughes' Action This Day galloped a mile and a quarter before the renovation break with exercise rider Paul Nilluang up. The 2003 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) champion will be ridden in Derby 130 by David Flores, who has been aboard for the colt's past four races.

Stablemate Minister Eric walked the shedrow under tack. Trainer Richard Mandella confirmed Sunday morning that Pat Day, the all-time leading rider at Churchill Downs, will ride Minister Eric in the Derby.

"We never have been in the same place very often," Mandella said of Day. "We are old friends and I recognize his position around here and am glad to have him."

Day has not ridden Minister Eric and Mandella was asked if the Hall of Fame rider would work Minister Eric prior to the Derby.

"He might and he might not; it's not necessary," Mandella said. "I don't know the answer, but I am not looking at it as a requirement."

BIRDSTONE/THE CLIFF'S EDGE - Champagne Stakes (GI) winner Birdstone galloped a mile and a half before the renovation break with exercise rider Maxine Correa up. Edgar Prado is scheduled to ride in the Derby.

Trainer Nick Zito's other Derby hopeful, Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) winner The Cliff's Edge, also galloped a mile and a half under Correa. The Gulch colt is scheduled to breeze five furlongs Monday morning after the break with Correa up. Shane Sellers will ride the son of Gulch in the Derby.

BORREGO - Borrego galloped a mile and five-eighths after the renovation break with exercise rider Andy Durnin up. The colt is scheduled to work Monday morning after the break with trainer Beau Greely on hand to monitor the move. Greely is scheduled to fly to Louisville Sunday night.

Victor Espinoza, who won the 2002 Derby aboard War Emblem, has the call on Borrego.

FRIENDS LAKE - Trainer John Kimmel reported that Florida Derby (GI) winner Friends Lake came out of his Saturday work at Payson Park (1:03 for five furlongs) "A-OK."

Friends Lake is scheduled to van to Louisville from Florida Tuesday with a Wednesday morning arrival. Richard Migliore has the riding assignment for Derby 130.

MASTER DAVID - Wood Memorial (GI) runner-up Master David backed up to the eighth pole and then galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider Jose Cuevas after the break. Alex Solis is scheduled to ride Master David in the Derby.

PRO PRADO - Mrs. James Winn's Pro Prado galloped a mile and three-quarters before the renovation break under exercise rider Lee Lockwood.

The El Prado colt stands 25th on the graded earnings list of Derby hopefuls, a drop of three spots after Quintons Gold Rush, Fire Slam and Song of the Sword finished 1-2-3 in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes on Saturday.

"He will work either three-quarters or three-eighths Thursday," said trainer Bob Holthus, who may enter Pro Prado in the Derby Trial (GIII) slated for Saturday's opening day card. "If he runs in the Trial, he would probably not run back (in the Derby) and he would have to run good to consider the Preakness."

John McKee is the regular rider for Pro Prado.

QUINTONS GOLD RUSH - Padua Stable's Quintons Gold Rush walked in trainer Steve Asmussen's Churchill Downs' shedrow on the morning after his strong victory in the $325,000 Coolmore Lexington (GII) at Keeneland earned him a spot in the starting gate for Kentucky Derby 130. Asmussen said the son of Wild Rush came out of his first stakes victory well and the 1 ¼-mile Derby on May 1 would be his next objective.

"He's a very talented horse," said Asmussen.

The Coolmore Lexington marked the first race in which Asmussen had saddled Quintons Gold Rush. Mike Mitchell had trained the colt for Padua's Satish Sanan in Southern California until he ran fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) on April 3. Then Asmussen, who also trains some horses for Sanan, received a telephone call.

"It's funny," Asmussen said. "I was in Houston working babies on Sunday morning, the day after the Santa Anita Derby, and Satish called me. He said, 'Do you have a Derby horse?' - and I thought he meant did I have anything that he could buy."

Asmussen told Sanan that he had no horses like that.

"He goes, 'You want one?'," said Asmussen, smiling broadly as he recalled the moment. "(I said) Yup. He said that he's got to run in the Lexington to get enough earnings to run in the Derby. I said 'yes' about eight, nine or 10 times."

The victory pushed the earnings in graded stakes races for Quintons Gold Rush to $258,500, which currently ranks him 17th among the contenders for this year's "Run for the Roses." The race is limited to 20 horses based on those earnings.

As for who would ride Quintons Gold Rush in the Kentucky Derby, Asmussen said he would not consider that question until he is sure he would have to. Jerry Bailey was aboard the colt for the first time in the Coolmore Lexington. Bailey also has ridden Derby contenders Birdstone, Eddington and Read the Footnotes this spring, but the Hall of Fame rider and agent Ron Anderson have yet to commit to a mount for Derby 130.

"Bailey rode him yesterday and I'm not looking to make a change," Asmussen said.

READ THE FOOTNOTES - Klaravich Stables' Read the Footnotes had a light gallop under exercise rider Morna McDowall at Palm Meadows. Trainer Richard Violette said no rider has been confirmed on Read the Footnotes, "but that should be done in the next day or so."

The colt is scheduled to work Wednesday at Palm Meadows and ship to Churchill on Friday.

ROCK HARD TEN - With former jockey Corey Black up, Rock Hard Ten worked seven furlongs in 1:27 3/5 after the renovation break. Rock Hard Ten stands 29th on the graded earnings list of Derby hopefuls for a race in which the top 20 get in.

"We will just wait and see what happens," trainer Jason Orman said. "If we don't get in, we will probably go to the Preakness. I would have to talk to the owners and see what they want to do, but I would think we would stay here and train rather than ship right away."

Even if Rock Hard Ten won Saturday's Derby Trial, he still may not have enough graded money to crack the top 20.

"If he ran there and made enough money, he probably would not run in the Derby," Orman said. "I don't think we will run in there; I think we will just wait, but at the last minute they could change their minds. We will probably give him a breeze next Monday and then see what happens Wednesday (at entry time). I just think three races in a month is too much for a young horse, especially when you are probably going to run the toughest race of your life in the next start."

SINISTER G - Lanes End winner Sinister G jogged a mile and a half on the main track at Belmont with exercise rider Lou Chiari up. According to trainer John Toscano, Sinister G will work Friday and Saturday, depending on the weather in New York, and if all goes well ship to Louisville on Wednesday, April 28.

Paul Toscano, the trainer's son, will ride Sinister G in the Derby.

SONG OF THE SWORD - Trainer Jennifer Pedersen said the Paraneck Stable colorbearer came out of his third-place finish in Saturday's Coolmore Lexington Stakes in good order and was hoping to get a chance to run in the Kentucky Derby.

Song of the Sword finished a neck out of second and the additional $32,500 in graded earnings that would have put the colt in the 21st spot of graded earners among Derby hopefuls.

"Absolutely I would love to run," Pedersen said. "I am going to train him like we are going to run. He is still learning and I don't think we have seen his best yet."

Pedersen said the colt would stay at Keeneland and then ship to Churchill on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

ST AVERIL - Stan Fulton's St Averil worked five furlongs in: 59 2/5 at Santa Anita Sunday morning with jockey Tyler Baze up. Trainer Rafael Becerra was happy with the work but said he remained undecided about a possible Kentucky Derby run.

"I would just to like to see how he does the next couple of days and we will wait and see," Becerra said. "He will have one more work here (Santa Anita) Saturday and then we will really decide."

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