By: John Asher

CENTRAL/PLETCHER'S FLOWER ALLEY RALLIES IN LANE'S END - Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Melnyk's Flower Alley ran a bit greenly, but was at his best when it counted most as he rallied in the mud to win Saturday's $500,000 Lane's End Stakes (Grade II) at Turfway Park.

The son of Distorted Humor pressed the pace early, dropped back to fifth and then roared through the stretch to down the late-charging Wild Desert by a half-length before a record crowd of 22,747. Mr. Sword, who had opened a clear lead in the stretch, finished third. Jorge Chavez rode Flower Alley, who covered the mile and an eighth in 1:50.33.

"He's a little green," said Chavez. "He was stopping and going. But he can run great and he looks like a Derby horse."

Favored Spanish Chestnut grabbed an uncontested early lead, but was challenged on the far turn and faded to finish sixth under jockey Gary Stevens. Trainer Patrick Biancone indicated that his colt would be leaving the Kentucky Derby trail.

"He just didn't stay," said trainer Patrick Biancone. "He was attacked early and it was just a little too far for him. We are going to go another program with him."

Flower Alley improved his career record to 2-0-1 in three races and added $300,000 to his previous earnings of $21,166. He won a maiden race at Gulfstream Park in his previous start.

"Those maiden races at Gulfstream at times are some of the toughest 3-year-old races around," said Pletcher. "He trained well since then and I trained him with (Fountain of Youth runner-up) Bandini and (2004 Kentucky Oaks winner) Ashado and he finished right there with those two."

Pletcher said that Flower Alley would likely run next on April 16 in either the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) or Arkansas Derby (GII). On the Lane's End undercard, William Callis' Cat Shaker rallied from ninth under jockey Joe Bravo to score a 38-1 upset in the $100,000 Rushaway Stakes.

The son of Catienus ran down the pacesetting Daddy Joe to win by a half-length. Catch Me finished third and heavily favored Proud Accolade never contended and finished sixth.

DUBAI/GODOLPHIN SECOND STRINGER ROLLS IN UAE DERBY - The talk before Saturday's $2 million UAE Derby at Dubai's Nad Al Sheba Racecourse centered on Godolphin's European 2-year-old champion Shamardal, his stable's top hope for the Kentucky Derby and a strong favorite in his 3-year-old debut. But the post-race superlatives fell upon unheralded stablemate Blues and Royals, who romped to a 12-length victory at odds of 53-1 and earned a ticket to Churchill Downs for Kentucky Derby 131.

The race marked the debut on dirt and the first race with blinkers for the son of Honour and Glory. Kerrin McEvoy rode the winner, while Shamardal and jockey Frankie Dettori faded to ninth after pressing the pace. Marenostrum finished second and Parole Board was third.

"He traveled really well in the blinkers today and never felt like he was going to get beaten," said McEvoy. "He has just been going about his business at home and he has really turned it on tonight."

Godolphin's early nominees to the Kentucky Derby and Visa Triple Crown did not include Blues and Royals, but Racing Manager Simon Crisford made the colt a late nominee for the three-race series at a cost of $6,000 hours before Saturday's midnight deadline.

"He looked super, but obviously his form last year was nothing like a strong as Shamardal's, so he was very much our second string," said Crisford. "He looked very good tonight, but the 'Run for the Roses' is a different race with different opposition."

As for Shamardal, Dettori said the Giant's Causeway colt tried to do too much too soon.

"Shamardal was too fresh and was always going too fast - and was a spent force in the straight," he said. "If he had kept up that pace he would have been a motorbike, not a racehorse."

EAST/MALIBU MOONSHINE WINS PRIVATE TERMS - Favored Malibu Moonshine wore down 50-1 longshot Hello Jerry in the stretch to win Saturday's Private Terms Stakes at Laurel Race Course by a neck.

The son of Malibu Moon, who is trained by Maryland legend King T. Leatherbury, earned a late nomination to the Visa Triple Crown. Steve Hamilton rode Malibu Moonshine, who was coming off a fourth-place finish in the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park.

"If he shows he's worthy of it, we'll point for the Preakness," Leatherbury said.

WEST/INJURY TAKES SCIPION, UNCLE DENNY OFF DERBY TRAIL - Leg injuries have taken Risen Star (GIII) winner Scipion and El Camino Real Derby (GIII) winner Uncle Denny off the road to the Kentucky Derby.

A condylar fracture of Scipion's right hind cannon bone was discovered following a workout for trainer Patrick Biancone last Wednesday at Santa Anita. Virginia Kraft Payson's homebred colt was scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday.

Stan Fulton Uncle Denny is scheduled for surgery on Monday following the discovery of a bone chip in his right front ankle. The injury was discovered as the colt was scheduled to work on Saturday. Uncle Denny is expected to be on the sidelines for three months.

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