ACTION THIS DAY/MINISTER ERIC - Trainer Richard Mandella sent his Kentucky Derby charge Action This Day to the track Friday morning, but had his other Derby runner, Minister Eric, simply walk the shedrow under tack.

The rains fell most of the night and into a gray morning at Churchill Downs and the racing surface was a sea of slop by the time Action This Day, last year's 2-year-old champion male, went to the oval for a mile and one-quarter gallop at 7:30 a.m. Regular exercise rider Paul Nilluang, dressed out in a yellow rain slicker, was aboard the strong-legged son of Kris S. for the exercise, overseen by Mandella from the backside.

"It's sloppy out there, very sloppy," Nilluang reported upon his return to Barn 41. "But he handled it fine. He seemed to like it."

Action This Day, who will be ridden by David Flores in the 130th Run for the Roses, drew Post No. 4 for the mile and one-quarter race. With the scratch Friday morning of intended Kentucky Derby starters Wimbledon and St Averil - who had posts 5 and 9, respectively - Action This Day will move over two spaces into the 6 post Saturday. Churchill Downs' officials dealt with the withdrawals by leaving the two rail posts empty and moving the first eight horses over. Horses 10 through 20 were not affected by the change.

Minister Eric, with Hall of Famer Pat Day scheduled to ride, drew Post No. 7 and will move over to Post No 8.

BIRDSTONE/THE CLIFF'S EDGE - Trainer Nick Zito sent his two hopefuls for Saturday's Run for the Roses to the track shortly after 7 o'clock on a soggy, gray morning at Churchill Downs.

With exercise rider Maxine Correa up, Birdstone was first out to gallop a mile and a half.

In the next set, Correa came out with The Cliff's Edge, who also galloped a mile and a half.

Zito said both colts would have some light exercise in the morning. Zito was asked what it would take for either of his colts to prevail on Saturday.

"For Birdstone, he would probably have to do something like his sister (Bird Town) did last year in the Oaks, avoiding the bad start obviously, but get himself in a good spot and show what he was as a two-year-old," Zito said.

"Cliff, he always comes with his run and I hope Shane (jockey Shane Sellers) will ride his good race."

Edgar Prado has the call on Birdstone.

Zito's two Kentucky Derby winners, Strike the Gold in 1991 and Go for Gin in 1994, prevailed in the last two Derbies in which there was measurable precipitation on Derby Day. Forecasts call for more rain in the Louisville area Friday night and into Saturday.

BORREGO - The chestnut colt Borrego galloped Friday morning at 6:15, touring the wet Chuchill Downs oval once and then some for exercise rider Andy Durnin and trainer C. Beau Greely. The son of El Prado likely will return to the track again Saturday morning for a bit of leg stretching prior to his run for glory that afternoon in the 130th Kentucky Derby.

Borrego will break from Post No. 12 in the 18-horse Derby field and be handled by Victor Espinoza.

Breeding pundits have noted that Borrego's sire is known for getting good off-track runners. With rains falling in the Louisville area Friday - and projected as possible again Saturday morning - "mud" breeding has become a much-discussed element among Kentucky Derby aficionados.

CASTLEDALE - Lyons and Knee's Irish-bred Castledale had a lengthy gallop of approximately two miles this morning under exercise rider Joe Vaca over a soggy Churchill Downs main track.

Trainer Jeff Mullins schooled the Peintre Celebre colt in the paddock Thursday afternoon and was especially pleased with the colt's behavior. "He was perfect; he didn't turn a hair."

On the scene this morning at the barn was jockey Jose Valdivia Jr., who guided the colt to his $62 upset in the Santa Anita Derby and who will ride Castledale Saturday.

FRIENDS LAKE - The big chestnut son of A.P. Indy galloped a mile and a half around the sloppy oval Friday morning with exercise rider Amanda Roxborough aboard.

Trainer John Kimmel, who has schooled the colt in the gate the last three days, skipped that today.

"He's done enough," Kimmel said. "No use keeping him out in the rain any longer than he has to be."

The colt, bred and owned by Chester and Mary Broman, has not started since winning the Florida Derby on March 13. He has been a handful to deal with in the paddock and at the starting gate. Kimmel has spent a lot of time this week schooling Friends Lake in both places. "He was really good the last two days at the gate," Kimmel said.

The colt seems to have a problem walking into an enclosed space, like the gate stalls or the paddock stalls. On Thursday, while schooling in the paddock before the fourth race, Friends Lake balked when Kimmel tried to lead him into a stall. He refused several times, backing up onto the grass. The trainer finally backed him into the stall, and Friends Lake went in easily and stood quietly.

"That's what I'll do on Saturday," Kimmel said. "I'll just back him into the stall. That seems to work best."

The prospect of a wet track doesn't bother Kimmel as far as Friends Lake liking a wet surface. The colt is bred to handle mud on both sides of his pedigree, and won the Sleepy Hollow Stakes on a wet track. However, his come-from-behind running style could prove a problem.

"With the way he runs," Kimmel said, "he's going to get a lot of stuff kicked in his face, and he'll have to be brave."

Regular rider Richard Migliore will have the mount on Friends Lake, who will try to become the second straight New York-bred to win the Kentucky Derby following Funny Cide's upset score last year.

IMPERIALISM - Steve Taub's Imperialism made his final pre-Derby appearance on the track, going out at 5:30 with trainer Kristin Mulhall up.

"He did well this morning," Mulhall said. "He will walk in the morning and then we will just lead him over and hope for some luck."

Mulhall, who has been here since April 18, the day before Imperialism and two other runners shipped in, has 40 other horses stabled in California. Twenty-six of the runners are owned by Taub.

"I wish they were all here," said Mulhall, who has been operating the barn by long distance for almost two weeks. "I have tried to just go about my job and the people (in the media) have been good about it."

Visiting the barn to check in on Imperialism was jockey Kent Desormeaux, who will be riding Imperialism for the first time Saturday when he gets a leg up in the Derby.

LIMEHOUSE/POLLARD'S VISION - Trainer Todd Pletcher had his Kentucky Derby duo of Limehouse and Pollard's Vision out on the track Friday morning, each galloping a mile and one quarter on the day before their dates in the 130th Run for the Roses.

Pollard's Vision and exercise rider Michelle Nihei got their exercise in at approximately 6 a.m. on a sloppy racetrack that had been pelted by steady rains that began falling in the middle of the night. Limehouse and exercise rider Patti Krotenko went trackside at 7:30. Both horses "went well," according to Pletcher.

Because of the Friday morning scratches of Wimbledon and St Averil from the Kentucky Derby because of injury, Limehouse will shift his position in the gate from Post No. 1 to Post No. 3. Pollard's Vision is in Post No. 17 and was not affected by the withdrawal.

Pletcher offered sympathies to the connections of the two horses who had to be withdrawn from the race Friday morning.

"It could happen to any of us," the trainer said. "And there are still 36 hours until we run this thing."

Asked about the possibility of an "off" track for Saturday, Pletcher was philosophical.

"I think it helps my one horse (Pollard's Vision), who has good 'mud' breeding, and is a non-factor with my other one (Limehouse)," he said. "Pollard's Vision broke his maiden in the slop at Saratoga by a bunch (12 ½ lengths), so that ought to tell you something. But an 'off' track at one place isn't necessarily the same as an 'off' track at another. They can be different.

"But in the end, I think it comes out about the same. An 'off' track is going to help some horses and hurt some others. It might help my horse, but it is going to help some other horses, too. You've just got to go out there and do it."

LION HEART - The only Derby horse not "on campus," Lion Heart jogged a mile and a half at Keeneland this morning for trainer Patrick Biancone. There was a light rain shower in Lexington early this morning, which Lion Heart avoided by taking to the track after 8 a.m.

Lion Heart is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Saturday morning. "He will arrive by 10 a.m., following the rules," said Biancone. "He'll be the last one there and the first one out."

Michael Tabor, co-owner of Lion Heart with Derrick Smith, has a chance to accomplish a 2,000 Guineas / Kentucky Derby "double" as he has three horses going in the first leg of the English Triple Crown tomorrow, including the favorite, One Cool Cat.

"We'll see that race first, so hopefully he brings us some luck," said Biancone.

Local post time for the 2,000 Guineas is 9:55 a.m.

MASTER DAVID - The Grand Slam colt Master David was out early Friday morning under exercise rider Jose Cuevas as he put in his final bits of leg work leading up to his appearance in the 130th Kentucky Derby Saturday afternoon.

Cuevas took the Wood Memorial runner-up on a mile and one-half tour of the Churchill Downs oval at 5:30 a.m., noting afterward that "the track was plenty wet, but he handled it well."

Trainer Robert Frankel, a noted handicapper in the horsemen's ranks, was asked for his feel for the Derby field:

"I'm starting to be a bit afraid of Lion Heart," the trainer said. "He's all-alone speed inside and he's going to go clear. The question is - when will the other speed horses attack him? If they let him go off too far, he might be gone. But I think, and I hope, they'll go after him early. Quintons Gold Rush looks like the kind of horse to me who is going to go early. And I think Smarty Jones will go, too. If he (Lion Heart) takes enough heat early, it opens the race up for everyone else."

Master David will be ridden Saturday by Alex Solis. He will break from Post No. 9 in the 18-horse field following the Friday morning withdrawals of Wimbledon and St Averil.

PRO PRADO - Mrs. James Winn's Pro Prado stayed under cover and out of the elements Friday morning, walking the shedrow a day after breezing three furlongs in :36.60.

"He came out of the work good and tomorrow morning we will jog him at 5:15 and then put him back to bed," trainer Robert Holthus said. "We'll wake him up at 4:30 and lead him over there."

John McKee will have the mount on the stretch-running son of El Prado, who Holthus believes will move up on an off track.

"The key for us is getting around the first turn without losing too much ground," said Holthus, whose charge will break from post position 19 as a 30-1 proposition on the morning line.

READ THE FOOTNOTES -The New York-bred son of Smoke Glacken was out for an easy mile and a half gallop through the slop Friday morning with exercise rider Morna McDowall in the boot.

Trainer Richard Violette Jr. said he was concerned Thursday when jockey Robby Albarado was unseated after Dr. Kashnikow stumbled badly coming out of the gate in the sixth race, a turf event. Albarado came out of the incident without injury and rode the remainder of the card. Albarado, one of the leading riders on the Kentucky circuit, was a late replacement for Jerry Bailey, who opted to ride Wimbledon when Eddington didn't get into the Derby. Now with Wimbledon scratched, Bailey is without a Derby mount.

"It's just another example of how everything is working out for us this week," Violette said. "We got the post we wanted (14) even though we picked 12th. Now, if Robby had been injured, we could have used Bailey. Everything's been working out perfectly all the way."

The expected wet track is another plus factor, the trainer feels.

"The mud might help us," Violette said. "We're going to be up near the lead, which is an advantage on a muddy track. The closers are going to be faced with a tidal wave of mud, and a horse has to be very brave to run through that."

Klaravich Stables owns Read the Footnotes, who recorded the highest Beyer Speed Figure by a 3-year-old this year (113) when he won the Fountain of Youth Stakes in February. He has not started since running fourth behind fellow New York-bred Friends Lake in the Florida Derby on March 13.

QUINTONS GOLD RUSH - Padua Stables' Quintons Gold Rush galloped a mile and one-half this morning in the rain for trainer Steve Asmussen, who reports all is well with his Kentucky Derby entrant.

After a week of schooling in the Churchill Downs paddock, Asmussen is satisfied that Quintons Gold Rush will comport himself well Saturday. "He'll be on his toes, but that's the way he is."

Corey Nakatani rides the speedy son of Wild Rush who figures to be prominent in the early stages of the Derby.

ST AVERIL - Stan E. Fulton's St Averil was reshod with new shoes replacing bar shoes on his front feet this morning prior to going to the track to gallop.

Buzz Fermin, a noted blacksmith on the West Coast, arrived from California Thursday night and was on the scene at 5:30 this morning to do the job for trainer Rafael Becerra.

St Averil, a stakes-winning son of Saint Ballado, has been troubled by tenderness in his front hooves and Becerra said the colt was traveling better after the bar shoes were replaced.

(SEE UPDATE ON DERBY WITHDRAWAL OF ST AVERIL)

SMARTY JONES - The undefeated, four-time stakes winner Smarty Jones made his final morning foray to the track, going out at 6:45 for a trip to the starting gate and then a mile and a half gallop with trainer John Servis alongside on a pony. Regular exercise rider Pete Van Trump was on Smarty Jones.

"He went to the gate and was absolutely great," Servis said. "Roger (starter Roger Nagle) was really happy with him. He galloped good today and we're ready to dance."

Servis said Smarty Jones would not go to the track in the morning.

First-time Derby rider Stewart Elliott has the call on Smarty Jones, who will break from post position 15, even with the defections of Wimbledon and St Averil from the field Friday morning.

Servis said the colt has had a good week here and is ready for his date with destiny that could result in a $5 million bonus for winning the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park followed by the Kentucky Derby.

"I'm just looking for him to eat up good, have his temperature good, get his game face on, strap the helmet on and we're ready to go," Servis said.

SONG OF THE SWORD - Doug Hatten, assistant trainer to Jennifer Pedersen for only about two weeks now, reported that Song of the Sword had a productive schedule Friday morning.

"He walked through the paddock and stood in his number two stall. He was very good," he said. "There was a lot of action going on, although there was only one other horse there with a pony. There were a lot of vendors pushing things around...hectic stuff, you know, that happens four hours before the beginning of Oaks Day.

"Afterwards, he jogged two miles and then stood in the starting gate. He was super, just perfect. He didn't turn a hair," said Hatten.

TAPIT - The gray colt by Pulpit was out on the track early with exercise rider Jonathan Ferriday aboard. He jogged a mile, and then galloped a mile over the sloppy main oval.

Trainer Michael Dickinson has taken every precaution to bring Tapit up to the race as healthy as possible. The colt developed a lung infection after the Florida Derby on March 13, and was not fully recovered when he won the Wood Memorial on April 10.

"The plan is to have him at his peak on Derby Day," the trainer said. "He's got to be a healthy horse on Saturday afternoon."

Tapit shipped in from Dickinson's Tapeta Farm on Wednesday, and the trainer has even shipped in sod from the farm so the colt could graze on the homegrown Maryland grasses outside his barn in Kentucky. Tapit also gets fresh eggs and Guinness Stout, which deliver protein.

"Guinness is made with the best malt and barley," Dickinson said, "and it both whets his appetite and provides nutrients."

Ramon Dominguez, who was aboard in both Tapit's stakes victories, has the mount Saturday. Tapit, owned by Ron Winchell, won the Laurel Futurity as a 2-year-old, and the Wood Memorial this year. This will be the first Kentucky Derby appearance for trainer and rider.

WIMBLEDON - Louisiana Derby winner Wimbledon, trainer Bob Baffert's hope for a fourth Kentucky Derby victory, was withdrawn from Saturday's 130th "Run for the Roses" Friday morning when an injury was discovered to the Wild Rush colt's left front leg.

"We found it when the bandages were removed this morning around 6," said an obviously disappointed Baffert. "There's some filling in a spot on the outside of the tendon in his left foreleg, and it palpates (a pulse is present). He must have rapped himself there.

"He's not lame and the injury doesn't appear career threatening. But you have to be extremely careful with soft tissue damage and we won't know the extent of the problem until we get an ultrasound. "It's really disappointing for the staff and especially Mac (owner James McIngvale). There are ups and downs in this game but this is part of the business that you never get used to. "He had been training fantastic and the barn was hitting on all cylinders," Baffert said in reference to winning three races on Thursday's Churchill Downs program. "Unfortunately, we blew a cylinder today. "

With the defection of Wimbledon, jockey Jerry Bailey is without a Derby mount. Wimbledon had been scheduled to break from stall number five.

Two years ago, the Baffert-trained Danthebluegrassman was scratched on Derby morning when he tied up. Baffert, of course, won that year with War Emblem. The day before, highly regarded Buddha was withdrawn because of a bruised left forefoot. Other noteworthy late Derby defections have included A.P. Indy, scratched Saturday in 1992, and, in 1957, pre-race favorite Calumet Farm's Gen. Duke. Calumet won the race with Iron Liege.

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