ACTION THIS DAY/MINISTER ERIC - Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella sent his two Derby hopefuls to the track for mile and a quarter gallops under exercise rider Paul Nilluang before the renovation break.

Mandella said that Action This Day, winner of the 2003 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Grade I), would work in three or four days.

"It is supposed to rain the next three days and I will just wait for a good track," Mandella said. "Minister Eric; he just ran (April 14) and he doesn't need much."

David Flores will ride Action This Day in the Derby and Pat Day has the mount on Minister Eric.

BIRDSTONE/THE CLIFF'S EDGE - Robert V. La Penta's The Cliff's Edge, winner of the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) at Keeneland, tuned up for his expected run in Kentucky Derby 130 with a sharp five furlong breeze over a "fast" track on Monday at Churchill Downs.

The Nick Zito-trained son of Gulch covered the distance in :59.60 under regular exercise rider Maxine Correa.

"He worked very, very well," said Zito. "I thought it was a little too quick, but I got assurances from Maxine that it wasn't. And, more importantly, I got assurances from Cliff - the equine Cliff. He just loves Churchill Downs. He's two-for-two here and he just liked it. He was doing it on his own."

Zito watched the work with the colt's namesake, Equibase chart caller and racing writer Cliff Guilliams.

The Cliff's Edge has risen from status as a third-string Derby hope in Zito's barn to the possible morning-line favorite for the "Run for the Roses." Buckram Oak Farm's Eurosilver and Marylou Whitney's Birdstone were both rated higher than The Cliff's Edge in racing circles over the winter, but Eurosilver was sidelined by a rare glandular infection and Birdstone's star lost some of its luster when he ran a poor fifth in the Lane's End (GII) at Turfway Park and then was forced to scratch from the Toyota Blue Grass when pre-race tests revealed a higher than normal white blood cell count.

"Sure, he was like the third string - but he wasn't third string in other barns," said Zito. "We were lucky enough to have two other horses like that. Anyway, he's carrying everybody and I can't thank him enough. He's got us in this position and we've got 12 more days to go. We'll see what happens."

Zito said Birdstone, a half-brother to Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Bird Town, continues to do well.

"Birdstone had a great work here the other day," he said. "He likes it here and he had a great gallop this morning. He'll probably work over the weekend - Friday or Saturday - and if he works well and looks the way he does today, we'll have two shots and that would be great no matter what happens. You know, this has been a strenuous Derby for us. But we're getting a little relaxed because we're almost there. Once we get into the gate, no matter what happens, it's a blessing and we'll go from there."

BORREGO - With exercise rider Andy Durnin up, Borrego worked three furlongs in 37 2/5 over a fast track after the renovation break.

"I got him in 37 and 4 and he did it nice and easy," trainer Beau Greely said. "He didn't much get out of a gallop. He went super."

Greely was in Louisville on April 12 when the colt arrived from his runner-up finish in the Arkansas Derby and then returned Sunday for today's work and plans to remain in Louisville through the Derby.

"He never missed a bite of feed since he has been here," Greely said. "We haven't run him hard. We started the year in the Sham, then four weeks onto the Louisiana Derby; five to the Arkansas Derby, and three to this one. I probably would not have shipped to Arkansas, having two ships, but the way he shipped to Louisiana and came back, he actually put weight on. He almost enjoyed it. It was nice. I think with more distance, he will continue to get better. That's what you hope for."

Greely plans to give Borrego his final work next Sunday, likely a five-eighths breeze.

"I generally breeze 10 days after a race; today was nine," Greely said. "The reason I did is I want to breeze him back six days out. You never know if they did a little bit too much and you'd rather have six days than five."

Victor Espinoza will ride in the Derby.

FRIENDS LAKE - Florida Derby (GI) winner Friends Lake galloped Monday morning at Payson Park under exercise rider Amanda Roxborough.

Trainer John Kimmel said Friends Lake would train in the morning prior to vanning to Louisville that afternoon with a Wednesday arrival.

Friends Lake is scheduled to gallop Thursday and Friday with a Saturday work slated.

Richard Migliore will ride in the Derby.

LIMEHOUSE/POLLARD'S VISION - Trainer Todd Pletcher's Derby contingent was part of 11 horses that arrived from Keeneland on Sunday afternoon.

Before leaving Keeneland, Pollard's Vision worked five furlongs in 1:01.

"I don't like to work the first day at a new track. I like to work over a surface they have been training on," Pletcher said.

Illinois Derby winner Pollard's Vision will be ridden by John Velazquez in the Derby and Jose Santos, who piloted Funny Cide to victory in last year's Kentucky Derby, will ride Limehouse. Pletcher is looking at Sunday for the final Derby works for those two.

Regarding Florida Derby runner-up Value Plus, who stands 18th on the list of graded earnings among Derby hopefuls, Pletcher said that colt's participation is "unlikely, but he is not officially out. If he trained up a storm (at Belmont), there is a plane on the 28th. If there are some defections at the top end, that could alter our decision."

MASTER DAVID - Sham Stakes winner Master David galloped a mile and a half after the renovation break under exercise rider Jose Cuevas.

Alex Solis is scheduled to ride the Bobby Frankel trainee in Derby 130.

PREACHINATTHEBAR/WIMBLEDON - Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert sent his pair of gray Derby 130 contenders - James McIngvale's Wimbledon and Mike Pegram's Preachinatthebar - to the track on Monday.

The two horses worked in company on Saturday and walked in the shedrow on Sunday. On Monday, the pair stood in the starting gate and each horse jogged a mile.

Meanwhile, Baffert has received a commitment from Hall of Fame jockey and two-time Derby winner Jerry Bailey to ride Wimbledon. Agent Ron Anderson said Bailey had been leaning toward riding Willmott Stable's Eddington in the Derby, but a lack of earnings in graded stakes races apparently will keep that colt out of the Derby field.

"I had some choices," said Baffert. "I had (Corey) Nakatani as my backup and I had Pat Day, too. But I sort of held out for Bailey. I leave it up to them. If they want to ride, fine. I don't put the heat on them."

Baffert said Gary Stevens would ride Preachinatthebar if the colt gets into the Derby. He current stands 21st in earnings in graded stakes and only 20 horses can run in the Derby.

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

"He's happy; I'm happy; now we need to find two that are unhappy," said trainer Robert Holthus of Pro Prado, who would need some defections from the ranks of Derby hopefuls to crack the top 20 list in graded earnings to land a spot in the starting gate Derby Day.

Pro Prado is scheduled to work Thursday. If he makes the Derby field, John McKee would ride.

QUINTONS GOLD RUSH - Padua Stable's Quintons Gold Rush, winner of Sunday's Coolmore Lexington (GII) at Keeneland, walked under trainer Steve Asmussen's shedrow on Monday.

Jerry Bailey had ridden Quintons Gold Rush in the Coolmore Lexington and trainer Steve Asmussen had hoped to have his services in the Kentucky Derby. But Bailey's agent, Ron Anderson, informed Asmussen that Bailey would be riding Wimbledon in the Derby.

Asmussen said that he is no rush to find a rider and will sit back and see what happens with other Derby contenders and riders in the days leading up to Derby 130.

"We'll just wait and see," he said. "You've got to be patient at this stage."

READ THE FOOTNOTES - Fountain of Youth (GII) winner Read the Footnotes galloped a mile and a half at Palm Meadows under exercise rider Morna McDowall.

Trainer Richard Violette plans to work Read the Footnotes on Wednesday and ship to Louisville on Friday. No rider has been confirmed for Read the Footnotes.

SINISTER G - Lane's End winner Sinister G galloped a mile and three-quarters on the main track at Belmont Park under exercise rider Lou Chiari.

The Matty G colt is scheduled to work Friday or Saturday and then ship to Louisville April 28.

SMARTY JONES - Trainer John Servis reported from Keeneland that his undefeated Kentucky Derby hopeful galloped a mile and a half Monday morning under regular exercise rider Pete Van Trump.

Servis said Smarty Jones returned to the track from his Arkansas Derby victory last Thursday. Smarty Jones is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Friday with a work slated for Saturday.

Stewart Elliott, who has piloted Smarty Jones in all six of his starts, has the Derby call.

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