ARCADIA, Calif. (April 7, 2005) Champion two-year-old filly Sweet Catomine hopes to become the first filly since Winning Colors in 1988 to best her male counterparts in the 68th running of the 1 1/8 miles $750,000 (G1) Santa Anita Derby on Saturday. Winning Colors won the SA Derby convincingly that year and went on to win the Kentucky Derby. In addition to Winning Colors, only two other fillies have won the Santa Anita Derby: Ciencia in 1939 and Silver Spoon in 1959. The last filly to try the boys in the Santa Anita Derby was Surfside, who finished fifth in 2000.

Sweet Catomine is the 7-5 morning line favorite to win the Santa Anita Derby, but her presence is not keeping many away with a good field of eleven entered Wednesday morning to face the 2004 Eclipse Award winner. The full field from the rail out with riders and morning line odds are: Giacomo (Mike Smith) 5-1; Sweet Catomine (Corey Nakatani) 7-5; Don't Get Mad (Tyler Baze) 7-2; Allright (Tammi Piermarini) 30-1; Go Coyote Joe (Martin Pedroza) 30-1; Customer (Rene Douglas) 30-1; General John B (Jon Court) 20-1; A.P. Arrow (Jose Valdivia Jr) 20-1; Wannwinemall (Alex Solis) 15-1; Buzzard's Bay (Mark Guidry) 12-1; and Wilko (Frank Dettori) 9-2. All runners carry equal weights of 122 lbs. with the exception of Sweet Catomine, who gets a 5 poind sex allowance and will carry 117.

The Santa Anita Derby has proven to be a major stepping-stone for the Kentucky Derby, with eight past Santa Anita Derby winners having gone on to win the Kentucky Derby and three other Kentucky Derby winners coming from the top four finishers in the Santa Anita Derby. The last Santa Anita Derby winner to win the Kentucky Derby was Sunday Silence in 1989.

Although Sweet Catomine has done everything asked of her, having won four straight stakes facing her own gender including three Grade 1 events, she still appears vulnerable to many.

Sweet Catomine's owner Marty Wygod stated, "at least on paper a lot of them don't look as if they would normally be in this kind of race. But I think it tells you also that they don't have that much respect for Sweet Catomine, otherwise, I don't think there'd be as many in there."

The main threat to ruin Sweet Catomine's script would have to come in the form of B. Wayne Hughes' Ron Ellis trained Don't Get Mad. Don't Get Mad showed a tremendous turn of foot in the San Vicente (G2), two starts ago, when second racing seven furlongs. Don't Get Mad finished a troubled third in his last start in the San Felipe (G2) on a very hard rain influenced track.

Owner B. Wayne Hughes' said, "I don't have any excuses for his last race, but he detested the track but all the horses were on the same track. He's coming up to the race really well."

Trainer Ron Ellis went on to say, "He didn't show his best effort and still ran what I consider a very respectable race. I think he'll make a quantum leap Saturday. If I'm right about his last race, then I'm expecting to win."

Another who could have a major impact in the outcome of the Santa Derby is Jeff Mullins trained, Buzzards Bay. Buzzards Bay was a close up third in his last start, the El Camino Real Derby (G3) at Bay Meadows. "He bled," Mullins said in explaining Buzzard bay's third place finish from an extreme outside post. A win would give Mullins his third straight Santa Anita Derby. He won in 2004 with 30-1 outsider Castledale and in 2003 with Buddy Gil.

Another who commands respect is 2004 Breeder's Cup Juvenile winner Wilko. Wilko gets reunited with his breeder's cup winning rider Frankie Dettori after two straight losses and figures to improve over a fast track with a race under his belt. Wilko has been bothered most of his career by bad feet and quarter cracks. The latest crack coming after running on a very hard wet fast surface when Wilko was fourth in the (G2) San Felipe.

Trainer Craig Dollase stated, "The crack isn't as bad as the last one he had prior to the Hollywood Futurity (G1) in December. I'm still excited about his chances but I'm not really happy with the outside post."

If history repeats itself the winner of Saturday's Santa Anita Derby will move to the forefront of the Kentucky Derby picture on the first Saturday in May.

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