ACTION THIS DAY/MINISTER ERIC - B. Wayne Hughes' Action This Day walked the shedrow a day after working six furlongs in 1:12.40.

"He's fine this morning," said trainer Richard Mandella of the colt who came out of his sixth-place finish in the Toyota Blue Grass (Grade I) with some soreness in his back.

David Flores will ride Action This Day in the Derby.

Stablemate Minister Eric galloped early before the renovation break over a sloppy track before the heavy rains came. Regular exercise rider Paul Nilluang was up. Pat Day will ride Minister Eric in the Derby.

BIRDSTONE/THE CLIFF'S EDGE - Trainer Nick Zito had his two Kentucky Derby hopefuls out for gallops over the sloppy track before 7 o'clock Friday.

Birdstone, who is scheduled to work five furlongs Saturday morning, galloped a mile and a half and The Cliff's Edge galloped a mile and a quarter. Exercise rider Maxine Correa was aboard both colts. Zito said he could wait a day to work Birdstone if the rains of the past three days persist into the weekend.

"Remember, he was ready to run in the Blue Grass," said Zito, who was forced to take the colt out of the race because of a high white cell count.

Zito pointed out that the Churchill surface seems to suit Birdstone well.

"You know he likes this track," Zito said. "His sire (Grindstone) won the Derby and his half sister (Bird Town) won the Oaks."

Edgar Prado has the mount on Birdstone and Shane Sellers will ride The Cliff's Edge, who is scheduled to work Monday.

BORREGO - Trainer Beau Greely sent Borrego out for a mile and three-eighths gallop after the renovation break with exercise rider Andy Durnin up.

Borrego is scheduled to work five furlongs Sunday, but weather conditions could push the work back a day.

"If it looks like it is going to be a sloppy track Sunday and a good track Monday, I can wait a day," Greely said.

Victor Espinoza will ride in the Derby.

FRIENDS LAKE - With a sloppy track and rain falling, trainer John Kimmel opted to keep Friends Lake high and dry by walking the shedrow under tack with exercise rider Amanda Roxborough up.

"He will gallop in the morning now and then breeze Sunday," Kimmel said. "I just didn't want to take him out today on that track and we had a day to work with."

Richard Migliore will ride in the Derby.

IMPERIALISM - Trainer Kristin Mulhall reported that Imperialism came out of his six-furlong work of 1:17.40 on Thursday in good order and would return to the track in the morning. Kent Desormeaux has the call for the Derby.

LIMEHOUSE/POLLARD'S VISION - Trainer Todd Pletcher sent his two Kentucky Derby hopefuls out for gallops before the renovation break. Michelle Nihei was on Limehouse and Patti Krotenko was on Pollard's Vision. Both colts galloped a mile and a half and are scheduled to work five furlongs on Sunday.

Jose Santos has the call on Limehouse and John Velazquez is on Pollard's Vision.

LION HEART - Trainer Patrick Biancone said that Toyota Blue Grass (GI) runner-up Lion Heart jogged a mile and a half the wrong way under exercise rider Jean Claud over a sloppy track at Keeneland. Mike Smith, who has piloted Lion Heart in his past four starts, has the Derby call.

MASTER DAVID - Georgica Stables, Stephen Mack and Andrew Rosen's Master David, winner of the Sham and runner-up in the Wood Memorial (GI), galloped 1 ½ miles over "sloppy" going under exercise rider Jose Cuevas.

PRO PRADO - Trainer Robert Holthus reported that Pro Prado came out of his six-furlong work of 1:13.40 on Thursday in good order and would return to the track Saturday.

"He ate up and is doing well," Holthus said. "If we are in, next Thursday I would give him a light three-eighths breeze. If not, he'd probably work six (furlongs)."

John McKee will ride if Pro Prado makes the Derby field.

QUINTONS GOLD RUSH - Padua Stable's Quintons Gold Rush, the Steve Asmussen-trained winner of the Coolmore Lexington (GII), schooled in the paddock and then galloped 1 ½ miles over a "sloppy" track under assistant trainer Scott Blasi.

Blasi said the son of Wild Rush would turn in his final pre-Kentucky Derby work on Monday.

READ THE FOOTNOTES - "He's on the way to the airport," trainer Richard Violette reported at 10 a.m. as Read the Footnotes began his journey to Churchill Downs from Palm Meadows in Florida. "He should be in there about 2 this afternoon."

Violette said Read the Footnotes did not go to the track this morning, but would Saturday at Churchill Downs. A Monday breeze is scheduled.

Robby Albarado has the call for the Derby.

ROCK HARD TEN - The son of Kris S. galloped a mile and a half after the renovation break under exercise rider John Byrne.

Trainer Jason Orman has Rock Hard Ten entered in Saturday's Derby Trial (GIII), but has indicated if it looked possible that Rock Hard Ten may make the Derby field, he would scratch out of the Trial and work Monday instead.

SINISTER G - Trainer John Toscano said his Derby hopeful Sinister G continues to battle a cough and spent another day limiting his training to a jog over the main track at Belmont instead of galloping.

"He was better today than yesterday, but it is still day to day with him," Toscano said. "There's no way he will work tomorrow. We are still shooting for Monday and if he doesn't work by then, that's it."

Paul Toscano will ride if Sinister G goes in the Derby.

SMARTY JONES - On Smarty Jones' first full day at Churchill Downs, a crisies was brewing. There was an A.P.B. out for the colt's Derby saddle towel.

"It was gone when we got here this morning," trainer John Servis said after he brought Smarty Jones back to Barn 42 from a mile and a half gallop with a pony. Exercise rider Pete Van Trump was up. Smarty Jones is scheduled to work five furlongs in the morning after the renovation break, but Servis said he could push it back a day if necessary.

"If I like the track in the morning, he will work," Servis said. "Some guy asked me yesterday if the track was muddy Derby Day, would I run. I told him, 'I'm not gonna scratch."

Stewart Elliott has the call as he and Servis attempt to become the first first-time trainer-jockey combo to win the Derby since 1979 when Bud Delp and Ronnie Franklin turned the trick with Spectacular Bid.

Servis has indicated he will meet with the media daily at 9 a.m. when he has completed training.

TAPIT - Ronald Winchell's Tapit galloped a mile on the all-weather dirt track at Tapeta Farm in North East, Md., under exercise rider Allen Gorman.

Trainer Michael Dickinson said the son of Pulpit exited his five-eighths work of Wednesday "in excellent health and good spirits."

Tapit is scheduled for a Monday breeze at Tapeta and a Wednesday departure from BWI Airport at midday to Louisville. Ramon Dominguez has the riding assignment for the Derby.

WIMBLEDON - James McIngvale's Wimbledon, winner of the Louisiana Derby (GII), galloped 1 ½ miles over "sloppy" going under exercise rider Dana Barnes. Trainer Bob Baffert said the son of Wild Rush is scheduled for his final major work for the Kentucky Derby on Sunday.

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