SMARTY JONES (first) - Someday Farm's unbeaten Kentucky Derby (GI) winner was reported by trainer John Servis to be doing well on the morning after the biggest win of his career, but any plans to run in the May 15 Preakness (GI), the second jewel of the Visa Triple Crown, would be on hold until the colt returns to training.

"It depends on him," said Servis. "From day one I told Mr. and Mrs. Chapman (Roy and Patricia Chapman of Someday Farm) that we were going to try to get here and it was all about the horse and Mrs. Chapman was adamant. She said 'do whatever is best for the horse. If you think he's not up to any one of those races, I don't want you to run.'"

Servis said the early indications from Smarty Jones on the morning after his victory were positive. Servis said Pennsylvania-bred son of Elusive Quality was "bright-eyed" and had eaten well.

"I won't know that much until he goes back to the track," he said. "But I can tell you right now with the way he came out of the race, I'm tickled to death."

Servis plans to ship Smarty Jones back to his home base at Philadelphia Park on Monday or Tuesday. If all goes well, the Derby winner would not require much serious work to prepare for the Preakness.

"I'm not going to do a whole lot with him, unless he gets to the point where I have to," said Servis. "He loves to train and trains hard and, in two weeks time, I don't think there's a lot to be done."

If Smarty Jones is pointed toward the Preakness, Servis indicated that the colt would be a fairly late arrival at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course.

"I don't know," he said. "I'll see how my horse is training at home. We won't be at Pimlico very long, I can tell you that."

Servis, who won the Kentucky Derby in his first attempt, said he was still coming to grips with the fact that Smarty Jones had won the "Run for the Roses."

"I think it's starting to sink in, but it hasn't totally sunk in," Servis said. "It'll probably be sinking in for the next week. I don't know. I keep pinching myself to make sure that I'm really here."

As special as the Derby victory is to Servis, he said the victory is more special because of his owners, who bred the colt and have turned down several bids by parties interested in purchasing Smarty Jones throughout the winter and spring.

"This is the chance of a lifetime for me, but I'm so happy for Mr. and Mrs. Chapman," he said. "I got the team together back in January when we decided to go to Oaklawn and told them how important this was for them and just being able to get it done was huge."

Servis said he had "no idea" what the Chapmans were planning to do with the $5 million bonus collected by Smarty Jones when he won the Derby. Oaklawn Park owner Charles Cella created the bonus to honor his track's 100th anniversary and offered it to any horse that would sweep Oaklawn's Rebel and Arkansas Derby (GII) and the Kentucky Derby.

"Like Mrs. Chapman said when they were getting offers for the horse, it's not going to change their lifestyle," said Servis. "I think she's probably sitting down right now thinking what she's going to do with the roses instead of what she's going to do with the money."

The public's strong support for Smarty Jones has been heartwarming for Servis and those connected to the Derby winner. He said the words of encouragement and reaction from the fans at Churchill Downs as he and the colt walked from the barn to the paddock before the Derby made that walk "a great time." He knows the public support will only grow now that his unbeaten star has won the Kentucky Derby.

"It's a great story and it's good for the industry," he said. "With what's going on in Iraq and everything, it just gives people something to grasp on to. We've been very fortunate to be a part of it."

LION HEART (second) - Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Kentucky Derby Lion Heart was vanned back to Lexington's Keeneland Race Course shortly after his runner-up finish to Smarty Jones in Kentucky Derby 130. Trainer Patrick Biancone said he was proud of the effort put forth by his son of Tale of the Cat and he was full of praise for the Kentucky Derby winner.

"My horse ran a great, but he was the better horse on the day," said Biancone by telephone from Lexington. "I have a world of respect for him. Smarty Jones could be anything."

The Kentucky Derby was only the third start of the year for Lion Heart and Biancone believes his colt has an opportunity to improve off the race. He said that Lion Heart would go to the May 15 Preakness (GI) at Pimlico if he comes out of the Derby well and Biancone liked what he saw from the colt on Sunday.

"He's very good," said Biancone. "He ate well. He's great in his legs and we're very fortunate with that. We'll see in the next few days what we're going to do, but I'll talk with my owners and if the horse is well, we're going to go for the Preakness. That's what we're going to aim for and, if the horse is happy and he tells me 'Yes, boss I can go,' then we'll go."

Biancone said that, if all goes well, Lion Heart would likely ship to Baltimore for the second jewel of the Visa Triple Crown during the early part of Preakness week.

"I don't know if I'll fly him next Monday or next Wednesday, I haven't decided," he said. "I will decide in the next 48 hours."

The strong run by Lion Heart was no surprise to Biancone, who had supreme confidence that his colt was one of the horses to beat in the Derby.

"Unfortunately for me, I was so sure that the race would fall like that I did not even have too much emotion during the race," said Biancone. "I said to all my owners and all my friends that at the half-mile pole it would be a two-horse race. It would be my horse and Smarty Jones and I hope we can beat him. And that's just what happened."

As for the "sloppy" track that resulted from a mid-afternoon downpour at Churchill Downs, Biancone said he did not dwell on whether Lion Heart was aided or hindered by the wet track.

"I'll you one thing: the Derby this year was on May 1 and we have to take what God gave to us," he said. "This is all the beauty of the Derby. The only thing I know is that the 18 horses in the race had the same track and everything was the same for everybody. All the trainers had the same wet shoes, all the owners had the same wet shoes and the women had the same wet hat. We were proud to be there and we take what we have. This year it was raining, next year it could be sunshine. We don't know. My horse was the second best yesterday and we just hope to reverse that result in two weeks."

IMPERIALISM (third, owner Steve Taub, trainer Kristin Mulhall was in California Sunday morning) - "I was very pleased. I thought he ran a winning race. I will defer to Kristin (on where Imperialism should run next), but I own 50 percent of Cheiron (winner of the Snow Chief Stakes at Hollywood Park on April 24) and want to run in the Preakness and ship Imperialism back home and run in the Belmont. That's where my head is now. We are very flexible."

LIMEHOUSE (fourth) and POLLARD'S VISION (17th, trainer Todd Pletcher) - "It looks like they both came back in good shape with no nicks, cuts, scrapes or scratches. They seem sound. They leave at noon today for New York. We are going to go back to Belmont and see how Limehouse looks for a couple of days and I will get with Mr. (Cot) Campbell and see what we are going to do. Pollard's Vision I would think would not go to the Preakness, but I don't know what is next."

Regarding Kentucky Oaks winner Ashado, Pletcher said: "Probably the Acorn (at Belmont), but we are leaving all options open, including the Preakness.

Pletcher also said that Speightstown, winner of Saturday's Churchill Downs Handicap, was possible for the Met Mile and/or the Tom Fool."

THE CLIFF'S EDGE (fifth)/BIRDSTONE (eighth) - Two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Nick Zito said his Kentucky Derby horses - Robert V. La Penta's The Cliff's Edge and Marylou Whitney Stable's Birdstone came out of the race well, although the chances of both may have been compromised by shoe problems. The Cliff's Edge lost both front shoes during the 1 ¼-mile race and Birdstone came back without his left front shoe.

"It wasn't my blacksmith's best day," said Zito. "It wasn't his finest hour."

Zito believes that the loss of those front shoes dulled the dependable and dangerous late kick by The Cliff's Edge.

"You don't get any traction," said Zito. "You don't take anything away from the winner. He was a worthy champion and he's undefeated. But this (The Cliff's Edge) was a horse that always comes with his run. I was teasing my friend (Patrick) Biancone (trainer of runner-up Lion Heart) that we might have been able to beat him, you never know. But the winner stands by himself, and rightfully so. It would have been nice if he had the shoes on, because he always comes with his run and he likes Churchill Downs."

Zito was very pleased with the effort by Birdstone, who had little go right in the six weeks before the Kentucky Derby. He ran poorly in the Lane's End (GII) at Turfway Park and then was scratched from his final scheduled prep in the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) because of concern about an elevated white blood cell count.

"'Little Man' threw in an unbelievable performance," said Zito. "He's really a cool customer."

Zito said he's not sure at what point during the race that The Cliff's Edge lost his shoes.

"Shane (jockey Shane Sellers) said he was just swimming," said Zito. "The poor horse was so aggravated. 'Cliff' was upset himself." Zito said he would stay at Churchill Downs for a week with both horses, with The Cliff's Edge the most likely of the duo to compete in the Preakness (GI), the next stop on the Visa Triple Crown trail.

"I'm not in a hurry to go to Baltimore," he said. "They do well here and if 'Cliff' looks like he's doing well, we'll go on to the Preakness. As for Birdstone, I know Marylou very well and I think she'll give him time. Two weeks would be tough to come back with him, but he would be a possible maybe for the Belmont. He ran big."

Zito would not completely rule out a Preakness run for Tracy Farmer's Sir Shackleton, winner of the Derby Trial (GIII) at Churchill Downs on April 24.

"You never say never, but it would be tough coming back with him right away," said Zito. "Mr. Farmer is another one that always wants to do right. We'll see what happens."

ACTION THIS DAY (sixth) and MINISTER ERIC (16th, trainer Richard Mandella) - "Minister Eric got his soft palate stuck up, and choked. We will take him home and probably have a little surgery on him. Action This Day; I will know better in a day or two (about his next race)."

Mandella said that Halfbridled, the 2003 2-year-old filly champion who was scratched from Friday's Kentucky Oaks, was headed to her owner's farm for three or four weeks and then return to California. Siphonizer, who won an allowance race here on April 24, is headed back to California and pointed toward the Laz Barrera Stakes on May 29 at Hollywood Park, according to Mandella.

READ THE FOOTNOTES (seventh, trainer Richard Violette) - "He got a little crud in his lungs that I didn't like. He leaves Monday for New York, but I have got to get his lungs right to run in the Preakness."

Violette indicated if Read the Footnotes did not make the Preakness, the next stop would be the Peter Pan. Swingforthefences, Violette's other Triple Crown hopeful who was fourth in the Wood Memorial in his most recent start, is nominated for the Sir Barton on the Preakness undercard.

TAPIT (ninth) - Miguel Piedra, an assistant to trainer Michael Dickinson, reported that Tapit came out of his Derby effort in good shape and was scheduled to ship back to his Tapeta Farm headquarters in Maryland with a 1 p.m. Sunday departure.

BORREGO (10th, trainer Beau Greely) - "He looks good this morning. We are staying here until Wednesday and by that point we should make a decision on the Preakness. If he doesn't go in the Preakness, we will go back to California and prepare for the Belmont.

"After the race Victor (jockey Victor Espinoza) said Borrego coughed. We scoped him and he had a lot of mud down his throat. Any horses sitting in behind horses would have. You can't take anything away from the winner, but I think you will see people challenge him again."

SONG OF THE SWORD (11th, trainer Jennifer Pedersen) - "He didn't handle the track at all. He came back bucking and kicking and only drank about a third of his bucket of water. He goes back to New York Monday. After the race yesterday Ernie (owner Ernie Paragallo) said no way on the Preakness."

MASTER DAVID (12th) - Jose Cuevas, assistant to trainer Bobby Frankel, reported Master David came out of the Derby a little tired, but otherwise fine.

PRO PRADO (13th) - Lee Lockwood, assistant to trainer Robert Holthus, reported that Pro Prado came out of the Derby in good shape. "We will regroup and stay away from the big boys and find a stake for him to win."

CASTLEDALE (14th, trainer Jeff Mullins) - "He floundered the whole way around out there and Jose (jockey Jose Valdivia Jr.) said he knew after about the fifth jump he was done. He will go back to Santa Anita on Wednesday. He's going to get some rest. It might take awhile to get over this."

FRIENDS LAKE (15th, trainer John Kimmel) - "He came out of the race in good order and cooled out fine. He got pinched and squeezed at the three-eighths pole and Richie (jockey Richard Migliore) felt he wasn't going to get anything, so he did not beat him up and took care of him. We are still on the fence about Preakness. He ships to New York tomorrow."

QUINTONS GOLD RUSH (18th, trainer Steve Asmussen) - "He came out of the race fine. Now he is going to spend some time at the Padua Farm in Ocala, Fla."

ROCK HARD TEN - With John Byrne up, Rock Hard Ten galloped a mile and a half over a sloppy track before 6 o'clock Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Jason Orman said the huge Kris S. colt would work seven furlongs or a mile Monday or Tuesday, depending on track condition.

"We will see how he works and then make a decision on shipping to Maryland." Orman said.

Rock Hard Ten was entered Wednesday for the Derby, but excluded from the field because of insufficient graded stakes earnings.

"It would have been nice to run, but it looked like a lot of horses didn't handle the track," Orman said. "Maybe it was a blessing."

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