2-MINUTE DRILL

THE CREAM OF THE CROP The Kentucky Derby is up for grabs Saturday. Here are five horses to watch: Always Dreaming: Appears to be coming into his own after impressive five-length win in Florida Derby. The dark bay colt prefers to run at the lead or close to it. The main knock against the colt is that his two wins as a 3-year-old have come against lesser competition. Classic Empire: The colt won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on his way to earning 2-year-old male champion honors. He’s coming off a win in the Arkansas Derby. Trainer Mark Casse has never won the Derby and neither has jockey Julien Leparoux. Girvin: The colt topped the Derby leader board with 152 points earned in prep races. But the Louisiana Derby winner has a crack in his right front hoof that has compromised his training in the last week. Trainer Joe Sharp has used a special shoe, a hyperbaric chamber and therapeutic waters to get Girvin in shape to run on Saturday. Gunnevera: The chestnut colt is a closer ready to pounce if he gets set up by a strong early pace. His earnings of $1.1 million are second-most on the Derby leader board. This is the first Derby starter for trainer Antonio Sano, who survived two kidnappings in his native Venezuela before moving to Miami. Irish War Cry: Had solid victories in Holy Bull and Wood Memorial, making it seem like the Fountain of Youth was an off day for him. The colt is a son of two-time horse of the year Curlin, which finished third in the 2007 Derby. Has four wins in five starts.