Saturday's big 3 stakes may focus Derby picture

Kentucky Derby day isn't until May 3, but three rich racesSaturday may tell who will or won't run in the 123rd running of thegreat race.

The last major 3-year-old races before the Derby are likely topoint out the probable Derby favorite. That's likely to be eitherPulpit in the $700,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in Kentucky orCaptain Bodgit in the $500,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York.

The $500,000 Arkansas Derby also might produce a KentuckyDerby threat - and just maybe a Derby favorite - among its 11entrants.One of the stronger threats is favored Crypto Star, owned byDownstate horse owners Darrell and Evelyn Yates and trained by WayneCatalano. They have been running winners in the Chicago area formany years.Cryptoclearance, sire of Crypto Star, is owned by local horsemanPhil Teinowitz. Cryptoclearance has produced many stakes winners.The three rich races are plenty interesting and good bettingraces. And to top it off, the racetracks will have a separatebetting pool for the first time on a $1 Pick 3. It's likely that somebettor will select all three winners, especially because some willuse several horses in each race. But if nobody selects all threewinners, the best score - probably two winners - will win.If nobody has at least two, I'll treat for ice cream Sunday andMonday at Sportsman's Park. However, after I purchase severaltickets, I should have at least two winners, and the same goes foryou.It's going to be a great day of racing - even with a chill.Bettors will be able to purchase the Pick 3 bets at Sportsman's Parkand at all the state's betting parlors. Sportsman's will featurethe $100,000 Lady Hallie Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 mile onan 11-race program that includes the Wood Memorial and ArkansasDerby.Bets also can be made on the Keeneland races, but in a separatepool. Something isn't lovable there.Crypto Star, winner of the Louisiana Derby, is likely to make astrong stretch run in the Arkansas Derby, but Phantom on Tour may beone of those to catch. It's a good betting race.However, if the Arkansas winner isn't one of those two finecolts, we may see one of the most wide-open Kentucky Derbys ever,with a field of maybe 17.