AFLEET ALEX - Cash is King Stable's Afleet Alex completed his on-track Kentucky Derby preparations Friday by jogging two miles under exercise rider Salomon Diego on a clear, comfortable morning over a fast track. Trainer Tim Ritchey took the son of Northern Afleet out at 6:10 and had Afleet Alex back in the barn by 6:30.

Afleet Alex will represent Ritchey's second Churchill Downs starter, the first, Always Noble, resulting in a $44.60 win payoff in Thursday's eighth race. Always Noble was ridden by Jeremy Rose, who will pilot Afleet Alex on Saturday.

Although a Derby rookie, Rose has ridden in front of huge crowds before, having done duty at Pimlico three times on Preakness Day. Rose rides two races on Friday's Oaks card, with a crowd of 100,000 expected, and by the time the Derby rolls around, Rose will have had seven mounts at Churchill Downs this week.

Afleet Alex is the 9-2 second choice on the morning line for Derby 131, and Ritchey said the colt would walk the shedrow in the morning before his date with destiny.

"We've had a good two weeks and everything has gone well," Ritchey said. "He has galloped well and trained well."

Ritchey was asked what the ideal scenario would be for Afleet Alex on Saturday.

"He has to have a good, clean trip and have a little luck," Ritchey said. "I will tell Jeremy to keep him out of trouble and give him a shot to run his race. That's all he has to do."

Afleet Alex will break from post 12.

ANDROMEDA'S HERO/BELLAMY ROAD/HIGH FLY/NOBLE CAUSEWAY/SUN KING -

Two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Nick Zito sent his five Derby entrants through their paces at Churchill Downs.

Robert LaPenta's Andromeda's Hero, who vanned to Churchill Downs on Thursday from Keeneland, visited the starting gate and galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider Megan Smillie. Andromeda's Hero will break from post position two under Rafael Bejarano.

The remaining Zito quartet galloped a mile and a half. Carlos Correa was on Kinsman Stable's Bellamy Road, My Meadowview Farm's Noble Causeway and Tracy Farmer's Sun King. Maxine Correa was on Live Oak Plantation's High Fly.

Bellamy Road breaks from post 16 under Javier Castellano, High Fly will break from No. 11 under Jerry Bailey, Noble Causeway exits gate four under Gary Stevens and Edgar Prado will pilot Sun King out of post position three.

Zito was asked about the ideal scenarios for his starters.

"Andromeda's Hero; what he has to do is come with his run and obviously get a break," Zito said. "Sun King; he's obviously got to make up for what happened in the Blue Grass and Noble Causeway has to come with his run. Hopefully High Fly continues on that path where he just knows where the wire is.

"Bellamy Road; we are just going to see what happens. He drew where he drew, and there is nothing you can do. Somebody said 16 is pretty far out, but I didn't want him inside. Those horses can rate - Andromeda's Hero, Noble Causeway. Sun King can rate a little bit - but Bellamy Road, you've got to give him his head. I'd rather be in the clear."

Zito said some of his quintet may go to the track in the morning.

"I think what is amazing, and we still have 24 hours and hope we have another good day, having five different owners is quite a feat and I doubt that it will ever happen again," Zito said. "I think everything has been prepared and they certainly all have a shot, no question. I didn't bring anything here that doesn't look like a Derby horse."

BANDINI/COIN SILVER/FLOWER ALLEY - All three Todd Pletcher-trained hopes went through the same routine early Friday morning, enjoying their mile and three-eighths gallops in perfect weather.

"They're all coming to the race in fine shape," Pletcher said.

Frederic Buscail was aboard Bandini, who will be one of the favorites in Derby 131 for owners Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith. Hall of Fame rider Angel Cordero Jr. rode Peachtree Stable's Coin Silver, and Michelle Nihei was aboard Melnyk Racing Stables' Flower Alley. Bandini, coming off a six-length score in the Blue Grass Stakes, will be ridden by John Velazquez. Pat Valenzuela picks up the mount on Coin Silver, who won the Lexington Stakes two weeks ago. Jorge Chavez rides Flower Alley, who will wear blinkers for the first time Saturday.

BUZZARDS BAY - Fog City Stable's Buzzards Bay, surprise hero of the Santa Anita Derby at 30-1, went through his usual routine this morning, jogging a mile and then galloping a mile and one-half under Amy Mullins, wife of trainer Jeff Mullins.

Buzzards Bay, a Florida-bred son of Marco Bay, schooled in the Churchill Downs paddock Thursday afternoon and was "really good," the conditioner said. However, Mullins has scheduled another paddeock schooling for the colt this afternoon.

Mark Guidry rides Buzzards Bay, 20-1 on the morning line and due to break from the absolute outside of the field, post position 20.

CLOSING ARGUMENT - The Successful Appeal colt stood in the starting gate, and then galloped a mile and three-eighths under exercise rider Danny Wright Friday morning.

"He looked good, and he's all set," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. "He'll just walk under the shedrow Saturday morning."

Closing Argument, owned by Philip and Marcia Cohen, will be one of the longer-priced runners in the field. He ran third in the Blue Grass Stakes last out, and Cornelio Velasquez returns as his rider.

DON'T GET MAD - B. Wayne Hughes' Derby Trial winner turned in a leisurely jog around Churchill Downs this morning just after dawn and returned for a cooling-out walk around the shedrow. The barn staff reported all was well for the Ron Ellis trainee on the day before Derby 131.

Jockey Tyler Baze will ride Don't Get Mad, who will try to become the sixth Derby Trial winner to capture the "Run for the Roses" and first since Tim Tam in 1958.

GIACOMO - Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss' stretch-running Giacomo, an arrival Wednesday from California, galloped a mile and one-quarter this morning after "figure eighting" in the mile chute, trainer John Shirreffs said. Aboard the son of Holy Bull was exercise rider Frankie Herrate.

Shirreffs, running his first horse in the Kentucky Derby, expressed satisfaction with Giacomo's schooling session in the Churchill Downs paddock Thursday afternoon.

Giacomo, who will have Mike Smith in the saddle in the 131st Kentucky Derby, breaks in the middle of the 20-horse lineup, from post 10 and is 50-1 on the morning line.

GOING WILD - Bob and Beverly Lewis' Sham Stakes winner jogged a mile and one-half Friday before dawn under exercise rider Derek Smith. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who seeks his fifth Derby win on Saturday, reported that things were "just super ... we're right where we want to be."

Jose Valdivia, Jr. rides Going Wild in Derby 131. Valdivia made his Derby debut in 2004 aboard Castledale (IRE). Going Wild will be the 42nd career Derby starter for Lukas, adding to his existing, all-time record for most starters by a trainer.

GREATER GOOD - Three-time graded stakes winner Greater Good galloped a mile and five-eighths, including an open gallop through the stretch under exercise rider Betsy Couch.

Trainer Bob Holthus, seeking his first Derby win on his fourth attempt, said Greater Good would jog early Saturday morning. Greater Good, owned by Lewis Lakin, will exit post position eight under John McKee, who is making his second Kentucky Derby start. Holthus was asked about the ideal scenario for Greater Good to savor success Saturday.

"He's got to have an extremely fast pace," Holthus said. "He's got to save ground around the first turn, have a clean trip down the backside and, hopefully, run the last quarter-mile in under 25 seconds. If he does all of that, he has a chance to be in center field."

GREELEY'S GALAXY - B. Wayne Hughes' Greeley's Galaxy, who will attempting to emulate War Emblem in parlaying success in the Illinois Derby to another in the Kentucky Derby, galloped one mile this morning for 83-year-old conditioner Warren Stute. Mikki Fincher was aboard today.

Visiting at the barn this morning was jockey Kent Desormeaux, who is unbeaten on the son of Mr. Greeley in three starts. Desormeaux is a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, on Real Quiet in 1998 and Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000.

HIGH LIMIT - Louisiana Derby winner High Limit, lightly raced but talented, had his morning activity limited to a one-mile jog today under exercise rider Jose Cuevas.

Gary and Mary West's colt by Maria's Mon sustained his first defeat when he was a well-beaten runner-up, six lengths back, to Bandini in the Blue Grass Stakes.

Trainer Bobby Frankel has run seven horses in five Derbys without winning. His best finishes have been seconds by Aptitude to Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000 and by Empire Maker to Funny Cide in 2003. Ramon Dominguez rides High Limit, 12-1 on the morning line and breaking from post position six.

SORT IT OUT - Kentucky Derby longshot Sort It Out, second in the Lexington Stakes to Coin Silver, had a routine morning at Churchill Downs today, galloping a mile and one-half under Mick Jenner. Brice Blanc has the mount on Sort It Out, who will be trainer Bob Baffert's 14th starter in the Kentucky Derby. Baffert, who won Derbys with Silver Charm, Real Quiet and War Emblem, had his string of eight consecutive years with entries in the Derby interrupted last year when Wimbledon was scratched Friday because of swelling in his left front leg.

Sort It Out, a son of Out of Place, will break from post position one and is 50-1 on the morning line.

SPANISH CHESTNUT - The Patrick Biancone-trained colt galloped a mile and a half over the fast Keeneland main strip with exercise rider Rodolph Brisset aboard Friday morning.

"We also had him stand in the gate for a while," Biancone said. "He looks very happy and he's ready."

The colt by Horse Chestnut, who will have a new rider in Joe Bravo on Saturday, will ship over from Keeneland Saturday morning. Biancone said the colt is due to arrive at Churchill Downs about 9 a.m. Spanish Chestnut is owned by Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, who also own Bandini.

The trainer followed the same pattern last year with Lion Heart, who finished second to Smarty Jones.

WILKO - Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner galloped a mile and a quarter under exercise rider Sergio Martin Friday morning, and trainer Craig Dollase said he's pleased with the way the colt is coming up to the Derby.

"He looked good out there this morning," said Dollase, who saddles his first Derby horse. "Everything seems to be going fine."

Wilko, owned by J. Paul Reddam and Susan Roy, has not won since the Breeders' Cup race at Lone Star in October, when he was trained by Jeremy Noseda. Dollase took over the colt's training last November. Corey Nakatani, who rode the colt to a third in the Hollywood Futurity and a fourth in the San Felipe, has the mount.

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