CENTRAL /GREATER GOOD FAVORED IN '05 DEBUT IN SOUTHWEST - Lewis Lakin's Greater Good, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II) and the Kentucky Cup Juvenile (GIII) at Turfway Park, will be heavily favored as he makes his 2005 debut in Saturday's $100,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

The son of Intidab will face six rivals in the one-mile test that serves as the track's first major prep for the $1 million Arkansas Derby (GII). The race was also the first step taken by 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones on his successful journey to Churchill Downs for the "Run for the Roses."

Greater Good is considered to be one of the "big three" Kentucky Derby contenders stabled at Oaklawn Park, with Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) runner-up Afleet Alex and unbeaten Rockport Harbor. Regular jockey John McKee will be in the irons for veteran trainer Bob Holthus.

"We've been pointing for the Southwest all along and now it's time to find out what we have," said Holthus. "I know he'll be the favorite, but last time I looked, he has to get around the track before they give us a check."

Greater Good will break from post three in the field of seven. A Holthus-trained stablemate, Copy My Notes, breaks from the rail post under jockey Tim Doocy.

Others in the field include Humor At Last (Jeremy Rose), Munificence (Calvin Borel), Silver Haze (Cliff Berry), Major League (Luis Quinonez), and My Parade (Terry Thompson).

Afleet Alex Sharp In First Work Of '05 - Some racing observers had been fretting over a lack of serious work by Afleet Alex with the Kentucky Derby just over 11 weeks away, but a sparkling work on Wednesday at Oaklawn Park eased some of those worries. The Tim Ritchey-trained son of Northern Afleet zipped a half-mile in :47 under jockey Jeremy Rose, which ranked as the second-fastest of 40 works at the distance.

"Alex didn't do any more than he ever does," said Ritchey. "He's a fast horse."

Meanwhile, unbeaten Remsen (GII) winner Rockport Harbor is scheduled for an "easy" mile work on Sunday at Oaklawn Park. Both Afleet Alex and Rockport Harbor are scheduled to make their 3-year-old debuts in Oaklawn Park's $250,000 Rebel (GIII) on March 19.

WEST/SORT IT OUT HAS NEW OWNER, GOES TO BAFFERT - Majority interest in Sort It Out, winner of last week's Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct, has been sold to Robert and Janice McNair's Stonerside Stable and the New York-bred son of Out of Place has been turned over to three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert.

Robert McNair owns the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Preferred Pals Stable retained 25 percent interest in Sort It Out, who has a three-race winning streak to improve his career record to four wins in nine races.

"I really liked his last race," Baffert said. "He made a big three-eighths of a mile move, and then Naughty New Yorker, another horse I really like, came to him and looked like he was going to blow by him. But he wouldn't let him go by him."

Baffert said that Sort It Out would be pointed toward major Kentucky Derby prep races.

Sort It Out is not nominated to the Visa Triple Crown, but Stonerside plans to pay $6,000 to make him eligible before the March 26 late nomination deadline.

Spanish Chestnut Breezes - San Rafael (GII) winner Spanish Chestnut tuned -up for a scheduled run in the Santa Catalina (GIII) with a six-furlong work on Wednesday at Santa Anita. The Patrick Biancone-trained son of Horse Chestnut covered the distance in 1:14 under jockey Gary Stevens.

EAST/SPRINTERS TRY FRED CAPOSELLA - A field of six 3-year-olds has been entered in Saturday's $75,000 Fred "Cappy" Caposella Stakes at Aqueduct, a race named for the longtime announcer at New York Racing Association tracks.

Ernie Paragallo's Pavo, fourth in Aqueduct's Count Fleet, looms as the likely favorite under jockey Alan Garcia. The Marquetry colt won the City Zip Stakes prior to the Count Fleet. The Caposella field also includes Attila's Storm, who will seek his first career victory in Saturday's race. He was recently purchased by a New York-based group and will make his debut for new trainer John DeStefano. Another contender is Benjamin Baby, a last-second entry for trainer Kiaran McGlaughlin.

Rafael Bejarano will ride Attila's Storm, while Richard Migliore will be in the saddle aboard Benjamin's Baby.

Galloping Grocer To Florida - Trainer Dominick Schettino said that Galloping Grocer, fourth as the odds-on favorite in his 2005 debut in Aqueduct's Whirlaway, would likely travel to Florida's Gulfstream Park to run in the Fountain of Youth (GII) on March 5.

Schettino said that a cut on the gelding's left hind leg suffered during the Whirlaway was "minor" and that the injury did not require stitches.

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