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The Kentucky Derby will have a full field, meaning 20 3-year-old horses will enter the starting gate May 3 at Churchill Downs.

So many of them should not bother this year. At this point, it is extremely difficult to imagine any horse other than Pyro, Big Brown or Colonel John winning the 134th Derby.

Pyro, who will have his final prep in the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland, and Florida Derby winner Big Brown are generally considered the top two 3-year-olds in the country, but Colonel John also deserves mention and could upset both of them in 25 days.

Although he has yet to prove himself on conventional dirt, Colonel John was very professional in his best win, in the Santa Anita Derby. Being a son of two time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Tiznow, he also should have no trouble with the Derby distance of 1 ¼ miles.

Colonel John was the only winner of a Derby prep on Saturday who is a legitimate contender in Louisville.

The Wood Memorial at Aqueduct was an ugly affair. Tale of Ekati prevailed despite a turtle-like final eighth of a mile. Rest assured, the last furlong of the Kentucky Derby won’t take more than 14 seconds to complete.

As for War Pass, the Derby is the last place he should compete in three weeks from Saturday. If the 2-year-old champion of 2007 couldn’t win the Wood after being hounded early through some quick fractions by a hopeless longshot, how is he going to take the heat of Big Brown at Churchill Downs and keep going? War Pass is a one-dimensional speed horse who needs everything in his favor, and that is not a trip he is going to get on the first Saturday of next month. If he does start, a 16th or 17th place finish - or worse — is in his future.

All the Illinois Derby showed, which was won by front-running longshot Recapturetheglory, is that Atoned, Denis of Cork and Z Humor aren’t legitimate Derby threats. Recapturetheglory, whose only win before Saturday came against maidens, will never get an easier trip. All he will be in the Derby is another pace casualty.

Of all the stakes races run around the country Saturday, no winner was more impressive than Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

The massive daughter of Street Cry blew away a field that included Ginger Punch, the 2007 older filly/mare champion, for her fourth win in as many starts for owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs.

It would be exciting to see Zenyatta take on males in the coming months because there is no handicap horse in California that could touch her. Her presence would spice up the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, which will be run June 28 at Hollywood Park.


Kentucky Derby Fever heats Up:

So, this is how horse racing clears up the picture for its May 3 Kentucky Derby? A weekend of three Derby prep races and not one favorite wins?

In the Wood Memorial, here at Aqueduct Racetrack, favorite War Pass ran hard but was beaten by a half length by Tale of Ekati, who had finished sixth in his previous race.

In Chicago, Illinois Derby favorite Denis of Cork suffered his first career defeat, finishing fifth. Recapturetheglory, whose only other victory had come in a maiden race, won for trainer and owner Louie Roussel.

Roussel’s name is not totally unfamiliar. Though he has been out of the training business for four years, Roussel is known for training Risen Star to victories in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 1988. Yes, that is 20 years ago.

And, in California, favorite El Gato Malo finished fifth in the Santa Anita Derby, while Colonel John punched his ticket to the Derby by coming from ninth place to win by a half length.

Colonel John’s trainer, Eoin Harty, noted horses who run well in the Santa Anita “historically” show up and do well on Kentucky Derby day.

“That’s what we’re hoping,” Harty told the media there after the race.

Lately, though, California horses have not been held in high regard outside that state. This year, with the tracks there having switched to artificial surfaces, their abilities are being regarded as even more suspect.

That means going into this Saturday’s races - the Grade I, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and the Grade II, $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park - Big Brown and Pyro remain at the top of the list of Derby prospects. Big Brown dominated the Florida Derby, and Pyro won the Louisiana Derby last time out.

Tampa Bay Derby winner Big Truck, who like Tale of Ekati is trained by Barclay Tagg, could move forward with another winning performance if he goes in the Blue Grass.

But the competition will be stiff.

Cool Coal Man, trained by Nick Zito and winner of the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes, is in the field, as is Pyro and possibly several of trainer Todd Pletcher’s prospects, as well as Gotham winner Visionaire, trained by Michael Matz.

The horse who wins the Blue Grass will leave no one in doubt of his credentials.

Tagg had no doubt about Tale of Ekati’s credentials yesterday after watching a replay of his horse stalking the pace Saturday in the Wood and then coming on strong down the stretch to snatch a half- length victory from War Pass.

Saturday night Tagg and Tale of Ekati flew to Keeneland, where the trainer said yesterday: “Everything is right. He’s going into the Kentucky Derby in the right way.”

Tagg said he still has to make a final decision on his two other prospects, Big Truck and Elysium Fields.

“I’m still not sure if I am going to run both of them here in the Blue Grass or run one here and one in the Arkansas Derby,” he said.

Zito was still in New York yesterday morning, but War Pass had already shipped out. The trainer said he also felt good about the results of the Wood.

“It’s the only big race that I finished second in that I appreciated it as a win,” Zito said. “He ran as tough as he could and showed what kind of horse he is.”

War Pass was coming back from a 27-length defeat in the Tampa Bay Derby in which he broke badly, was squeezed by two horses and then suffered breathing problems.

• Note // Bsharpsonata came out of the Grade I Ashland Stakes, in which she ran second, in good shape according to John Salzman, who is handling the horse’s training for his son, Tim, who is based at Laurel Park. The elder Salzman said the filly is expected to go today to Churchill Downs, where she will train up to the Grade I Kentucky Oaks, which is run the day before the Derby.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby:Jan. 27 — California Derby, Golden Gate, 1 1/16 miles (Yankee Bravo, Cafe Tortoni, Victory Pete)

Feb. 2 — Robert B. Lewis, Santa Anita, 1 1/16 miles (Crown of Thorns, Coast Guard, Reflect Times)

Feb. 2 — Swale, Gulfstream, 6 1/2f (Eaton’s Gift, Surrealdeal, Wincat)

Feb. 2 — Whirlaway, Aqueduct, 1 1/16 miles (Barrier Reef, Roman Emperor, Texas Wildcatter)

Feb. 9 — Risen Star, Fair Grounds, 1 1/16 miles (Pyro, Z Fortune, Visionaire)

Feb. 10 — San Vicente, Santa Anita, 7f (Georgie Boy, Into Mischief, Massive Drama)

Feb. 16 — Borderland Derby, Sunland Park, 1 1/16 miles (Poni Colada, Cape Time, No Jepordy)

Feb. 16 — Sam F. Davis, Tampa Bay Downs, 1 1/16 miles (Fierce Wind, Big Truck, Smooth Air)

Feb. 18 — Southwest, Oaklawn Park, 1m (Denis of Cork, Sierra Sunset, Liberty Bull/Sacred Journey-dead heat)

Feb. 24 — Fountain of Youth, Gulfstream, 1 1/8 miles (Cool Coal Man, Elysium Fields, Court Vision)

Mar. 1 — Sham, Santa Anita, 1 1/8 miles (Colonel John, El Gato Malo, Victory Pete)

Mar. 1 — John Battaglia Memorial, Turfway Park, 1 1/16 miles (Absolutely Cindy, Your Round, Dixie Decision)

Mar. 8 — El Camino Real Derby, Bay Meadows, 1 1/16 miles (Autism Awareness, Nikki’sgoldensteed, Tres Borrachos)

Mar. 8 — Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds, 1 1/16 miles (Pyro, My Pal Charlie, Yankee Bravo)

Mar. 8 — Gotham, Aqueduct, 1 1/16 miles (Visionaire, Texas Wildcatter, Larrys Revenge)

Mar. 15 — Rebel, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/16 miles (Sierra Sunset, King’s Silver Son, Isabull)

Mar. 15 — San Felipe, Santa Anita, 1 1/16 miles (Georgie Boy, Gayego, Bob Black Jack)

Mar. 15 — Tampa Bay Derby, Tampa Bay Downs, 1 1/16 miles (Big Truck, Atoned, Dynamic Wayne)

Mar. 16 — Winstar Derby, Sunland Park, 1 1/8 miles (Liberty Bull, Screen to Screen, Ablaze With Spirit)

Mar. 22 — Lane’s End, Turfway Park, 1 1/8 miles (Adriano, Halo Najib, Medjool)

Mar. 22 — Rushaway, Turfway Park, 1 1/16 miles (Big Glen, Miner’s Claim, Icabad Crane)

Mar. 22 — Private Terms, Laurel, 1m (Double Or Nothing, Regal Solo, Vanderkaay)

Mar. 29 — Florida Derby, Gulfstream, 1 1/8 miles (Big Brown, Smooth Air, Tomcito)

Mar. 29 — San Miguel, Santa Anita, 6f (Salute the Sarge, Leonides, Sea of Pleasure)

Apr. 5 — Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita, 1 1/8 miles (Colonel John, Bob Black Jack, Coast Guard)

Apr. 5 — Bay Shore, Aqueduct, 7f (J Be K, Gattopardo, Jockey Ridge)

Apr. 5 — Wood Memorial, Aqueduct, 1 1/8 miles (Tale of Ekati, War Pass, Court Vision)

Apr. 5 — Illinois Derby, Hawthorne, 1 1/8 miles (Recapturetheglory, Golden Spikes, Z Humor)

Apr. 6 — Lafayette, Keeneland, 7f (Keep Laughing, Hatta Fort, Eaton’s Gift)

Apr. 12 — Arkansas Derby, Oaklawn Park, 1 1/8 miles

Apr. 12 — Blue Grass, Keeneland, 1 1/8 miles

Apr. 12 — Holy Bull, Gulfstream, 1 3 /16 miles

Apr. 19 — Federico Tesio, Pimlico, 1 1/8 miles

Apr. 19 — Lexington, Keeneland, 1 1/16 miles

Apr. 26 — Derby Trial, Churchill Downs, 1m

Apr. 26 — Withers, Aqueduct, 1mile

May 3 — Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 miles