The undefeated Denis of Cork was installed the morning line 2-1 favorite, and will head a field of seven three-year-olds, for the 51st running of the $500,000 Illinois Derby (gr. II), this Saturday, April 5 at Hawthorne Race Course.

Denis of Cork has not raced since improving his lifetime record to a perfect three-for-three, after a convincing win on February 18, in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. His owners Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren of Tulsa and trainer David Carroll opted to bypass the Rebel Stakes in favor of a single prep leading to the 2008 Kentucky Derby, and that prep lands the son of Harlan’s Holiday in Chicago.

Atoned figures to offer Denis of Cork the most serious challenge. Atoned comes off a hard fought neck loss to Big Truck in the Tampa Bay Derby, making it four consecutive second place finishes, all in stakes competition. Todd Pletcher trains the son of Repent, for Dogwood Stables.

Georgie Boy, one of the leading 2008 Kentucky Derby contenders, is off the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and the 2008 Kentucky Derby trail due to a pulled muscle in his back.

Horse trainer Kathy Walsh said Monday, “It’s high on his back end and we don’t know how long it will take (to heal), but we’re not going to take a chance,” Walsh said. “The vet examined him and was very happy with what he saw other than the pulled muscle. He will not require surgery.”

Entries for Hawthorne Race Course’s 51st running of the $500,000 Illinois Derby (gr. II), one of the major 2008 Kentucky Derby prep races, for three-year-olds won’t be drawn until Monday, March 31, but from the looks of the nominations, it is shaping into a deep and competitive field with many of the nation’s top trainers and horses participating.

Certainly a horseman like Eclipse award winning trainer Todd Pletcher has the Illinois Derby on his national radar. Pletcher won this race last year with Cowtown Cat and this year it is likely that Atoned will represent the powerful Pletcher stable. Horse trainer Pletcher has also nominated three other colts, and it is possible that recent allowance winner, Spurrier, will be entered as well.

As for Atoned, this son of Repent comes off of two narrow losses in both the Grade 2, Remsen, where he was beaten a neck by Court Vision, (Illinois Derby nominee) and in the Grade 3, Tampa Bay Derby, when Big Truck (Illinois Derby nominee) also necked out Atoned in a thrilling stretch duel.

Big Brown stamped himself as the nation’s top 3-year-old Saturday as he muscled his way to a 5-length victory in the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park Saturday, March 29.

Starting from the far outside post number 12 was not a problem for Big Brown, who clearly established himself as the favorite for the 2008 Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs. And entering Saturday, no horse from the 11th or 12th post had won a 1 1/8-mile horse race since Gulfstream Park was reconfigured four years ago.

Big Brown cruised through the stretch, winning in 1:48.16 for horse trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. and returned $5, $3.80 and $3.20. Smooth Air, ridden by jockey Manoel Cruz, paid $12.60 and $7.60, and Tomcito, with jockey Jorge Chavez aboard, returned $6.20 to show.

Big Brown needed this win to earn graded stakes money needed to qualify to be one of the Kentucky Derby entries if more than 20 horses entered. He came into the race with no graded-stakes earnings, but collected $600,000 to easily qualify.

Curlin continued to add to his impressive resume Saturday as the 2007 Horse of the Year pulled away to win the $6 million Dubai World Cup, the world’s riches horse race, by 7 3/4 lengths.

Curlin’s eighth career victory in 11 starts was worth $3.6 million and put his career earnings at $8.8 million, which is third all-time behind Cigar ($9.9 million) and Skip Away ($9.6 million).

Making Curlin’s accomplishments even more is impressive is that he broke his maiden just over a year ago. His 3-year-old campaign in 2007 included wins in the Preakness Stakes and $5 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The $1 million Florida Derby (gr. I) is unquestionably one of the country’s historic and important 3-year-old races. Raced at 1 1/8 miles in Gulfstream Park, it is one of the major prep races for the 2008 Kentucky Derby.

A full field of twelve horses were drawn for the 57th running of the Florida Derby on Saturday, March 29. Horses racing in the 2008 Florida Derby with jockeys and morning line odds:

1. Fierce Wind under jockey Cornelio Velasquez, 6-1
2. Smooth Air under jockey Manoel Cruz, 12-1
3. Da’ Tara under jockey Joe Bravo, 20-1
4. Tomcito under jockey Jorge Chavez, 12-1
5. Cool Gator under jockey Eddie Castro, 20-1
6. Nistle’s Crunch under jockey Julien Leparoux, 10-1
7. B B Frank under jockey Javier Castellano, 20-1
8. Elysium Fields under jockey Eibar Coa, 4-1
9. Hey Byrn under jockey Jose Lezcano, 5-1
10. Majestic Warrior under jockey Rene Douglas, 15-1
11. Face the Cat under jockey John Velazquez, 8-1
12. Big Brown under jockey Kent Desormeaux, 3-1

The $6 million Dubai World Cup (G1), the world’s richest horse race, celebrates its 13th running on Saturday, March 29.

Raced at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) on the main dirt track at Dubai’s Nad al Sheba Racecourse, and the winner joins an elite group of world-beaters including inaugural winner Cigar, Singspiel, Dubai Millennium, and Invasor, winner of last year’s edition.

The field of the 2008 Dubai World Cup with trainers, jockeys and morning line odds: