Big questions track a small Derby field

The field for the 117th Kentucky Derby is topsy-turvy. Nobodyknows how many will start or who will run - only that the May 4 fieldwill not be huge.

Cahill Road, the Wood Memorial winner, not only will pass theDerby, but chances are he's through racing. His left foreleg wasstrained so badly he might not make it back. He's such a big horsehe might be too heavy to permit enough healing to race.

The big question is whether they will send Meadow Star to theDerby. After she finished fourth, beaten 10 1/2 lengths in the Wood, I would either run her in the Kentucky Oaks the day before theDerby, or just give her a rest and bring her back for the rich fillyraces. I know Leroy Jolley. That's what he's thinking.

But you never know for sure. When Jolley thought of keepingGenuine Risk out of the 1980 Derby, the owners, Bert and DianaFirestone, insisted that he run the filly. She was a surprisewinner, the second filly ever in the Derby. Now he has Meadow Star for multimillionaire Carl Icahn. What if Icahn says runher? He'll have to run her.

I wrote a week ago that approximately 12 would start the Runfor the Roses at Churchill Downs, but when the fields were made knownfor Saturday's $500,000 Wood Memorial at New York's Aqueduct and the$500,000 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, it seemed asthough 3-year-olds were coming out of the woodwork to prep for theLouisville run.

Things have changed again. This time I would bet the fieldwon't be anything like the limited field of 20 that went to the postin the l984 Derby won by Swale, or the '83 Derby won by Sunny's Haloor in l981 when 21 ran in a traffic-jam race won by Pleasant Colony.That's when they changed the rules so only 20 can enter the 11/4-mile race.

The first 20 horses that have the biggest winnings in gradedraces now get the preference to start. That rule will not be neededthis time.

I'd vote for a field of 15 so the race could be truly run, butwhat would those owners say whose horses were prevented fromstarting? I never forget that some owners check their brains at thegate when they enter the track. Some owners don't understand a 50-1shot has just that much chance.

After checking the names of 377 horses nominated for the TripleCrown - Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes - I predict the Derbywill attract these horses:

Santa Anita Derby winner and probable favorite Dinard.

Fly So Free, who has to redeem himself for his defeat by StrikeThe Gold, who whipped him on a wet strip in the Blue Grass atKeeneland, Ky.

Strike The Gold, who has won only two races, but one that reallycounted - the Blue Grass.

Best Pal, beaten only a half length by Dinard in the SantaAnita Derby.

Olympio, who won the Arkansas Derby like a top colt, comingback to win impressively after losing the lead.

Hansel gained many friends when he won the Jim Beam at TurfwayPark, even if the classiest thoroughbreds were elsewhere.

Green Alligator was hardly known, but when he won the CaliforniaDerby last week, the people out west said they knew they had anotherthreat for the Roses. His owner, Al Fowler, will put up $20,000 tomake him a starter.

Quintana may get overlooked Derby Day, but this colt is a bitbetter than he shows on form.

Ordinarily, I would have given up on Fly So Free - the horse Iliked until recently to win the Derby - but I'm making up my ownexcuses for him.

He ran a wet track in the Blue Grass and was choked off thelead.

Lost Mountain is the last horse I heard was looking for a van toChurchill Downs. Kyle's Our Man, sixth as the second choice in theWood Memorial, might be out of the Derby. Corporate Report - secondin the Arkansas Derby - is in, and Richman, third in that race, is aborder line probability.

If Meadow Star doesn't start, her jockey, Chris Antley, mightget back on Strike The Gold.

Fransisco Torres, injured in a spill two weeks ago atSportsman's, was released from Loyola Hospital Friday. He visitedthe track the same day. He said he'll ride Saturday.