Illinois Derby

Nicole Stall boarded the first plane to Maryland she could catch when she heard of Benjamin Boniface's death last June. She was there to grieve the death of a boy she had known since his birth. But also to work. In the days after the 20-year-old's death in an early-morning car accident on the farm, she went to the barns where she had fallen in love with horses as a teenager. “I was completely out of it,” said William K. Boniface, known to most as Billy. “She just went out to the stallion barn, kept it running.

They likely won't recognize each other Saturday as they go to the gate for the 138th Preakness. Orb, the Kentucky Derby winner, and Departing, a horse some believe could be the only one capable of ending this year's Triple Crown chase in Baltimore, will be thinking of nothing but running. They will be two of nine horses trying to get to the front. Before they ever officially became racehorses, they were just two of eight horses in a field on the Kentucky farm where they were born.

Maryland's Done Talking, ridden by Sheldon Russell, burst through in a crowded field to win the $500,000 Grade III Illinois Derby on Saturday at Hawthorne Race Course. Entering the far turn, 5-2 favorite Currency Swap began to move up taking over fifth behind the leader, 55-1 long shot Frankie Is Rock. Our Entourage (4-1) moved into second and took the lead coming off the final turn. At the top of the stretch, Our Entourage had the lead with 9-2 third choice Morgan's Guerrilla in second and the favorite racing third.

Pimlico Race Course stewards said yesterday that it is OK for Alydeed to race on Lasix in the Preakness.But Roger Attfield, trainer of the horse, said it is still uncertain whether the 3-year-old Canadian-bred colt will be shipped to Maryland.Questions about Alydeed's Lasix eligibility surfaced after Attfield planned to run the horse today in the Illinois Derby at Sportsman's Park near Chicago.Illinois stewards said the horse couldn't run on Lasix in that state since Alydeed had bled after a workout at Woodbine Race Course in Toronto on May 4. Attfield then did not enter the horse in the Illinois race.

John Salzman, trainer of Xtra Heat, calls home every day and tells his son, Tim, the same thing: "Everything's good." Salzman and Xtra Heat have been in Dubai for two weeks, preparing for the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen on Saturday at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. Since Salzman and his star mare arrived in the United Arab Emirates, war began in Iraq, about 800 miles away. Tim Salzman, assistant trainer, says his father reports that Dubai remains safe. "He says everything's the same as last year when he was there," Tim says.

Idle Talk caught In the Rough late to win the $75,000 Dahlia Stakes, a turf race for fillies and mares Saturday at Pimlico Race Course . Jockey Horacio Karamanos led the spotted grey mare through traffic as she charged to her fourth win in a row. This was the daughter of Olmodavor's first stakes attempt and her 6-year-old debut. The Mary Eppler trainee had competed for an $18,000 claiming tag as recently as last summer. Idle Talk paid $32.00 and led a $169 exacta and a $1,063.60 triple.

The most visually stunning probable entrant in the upcoming Kentucky Derby could also become the favorite with a good showing at the Blue Grass Stakes this weekend. Hansen, a nearly all white colt trained by Mike Maker, is the 6-5 favorite in Lexington . He'll be challenged by Howe Great, trained by Maryland-based Graham Motion and owned by Team Valor International. Motion and Team Valor, of course, won last year's Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom, and have another possible Derby horse in Went the Day Well.

Trainer Billy Boniface yesterday ruled out any possibility of running Oliver's Twist, winner of the Federico Tesio Stakes, in the Kentucky Derby next week.But he is aiming the horse for the Preakness on May 20.The Derby was eliminated, Boniface said, because "of the track [at Churchill Downs]. There's not enough time to ship there and acclimate him to the surface."Oliver's Twist is one of about five 3-year-olds who are skipping the Derby, but could be Preakness-bound. Others include the Nick Zito-trained pair of Star Standard and Mr. Greeley; Mystery Storm, second choice in Saturday's Arkansas Derby, who finished fifth; and Houston Sunrise, winner of the San Pedro Stakes at Santa Anita Park on April 12.Each of Zito's colts has won a stakes at the current Keeneland, Ky., race meet.

Horse Sire Trainer Jockey Last race Comment Odds* Harlan's Holiday Harlan Ken McPeek Edgar Prado 1st Blue Grass Stakes 10 races, 6 wins, 4 seconds, $1.5 million earned 5-1 Saarland Unbridled Shug McGaughey John Velazquez 4th Wood Memorial What a story if he brings first win to Phipps family 12-1 Came Home Gone West Paco Gonzalez Chris McCarron 1st Santa Anita 7 races, 6 wins; you've got to love this fighter 8-1 Medaglia d'Oro El Prado Bobby Frankel Laffit...

Trainer Todd Pletcher's office has become the major intersection of all roads to Louisville as his assault on the 133rd Kentucky Derby unfolds with clockwork precision. Circular Quay's relentless winning rally from some 17 lengths behind in the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds and Cowtown Cat's score in the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct over the weekend illustrate the strength of Pletcher's herd of talented Derby prospects. A week earlier, the Pletcher-trained Scat Daddy upset Nobiz Like Shobiz in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and King of the Roxy took the Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Florida.