It is officially the last chance for any Derby hopeful to jump into the fray, and with over thirty horses still hoping to get into the Run for the Roses, the 1 1/16 mile Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) at Keeneland has become a very important prep race. Since Charismatic won it in 1999, it has become the accepted final stop on the Derby trail, and the purse of $325,000 is large enough that the winner automatically earns a spot in the big race.

The favorites really should take the top spots here. Tomcito, the Peruvian wonder horse who finished a respectable third in the Florida Derby (gr. I) in his United States debut, got a lot out of that race and although the Lexington is too short for him (he has already won at 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 miles), all he needs to do is be closing well in the stretch to hit the board and he will be able to get into the Derby. A son of Street Cry, he worked a bullet four furlongs at Keeneland on April 15th.

Atoned is supposedly using this spot to prep for the Preakness Stakes (gr. I). The Todd Pletcher-trainee has only two wins in nine starts but five second place finishes as well. He finished second behind Court Vision in the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) last fall, then second to Big Truck in the Tampe Bay Derby (gr. III) this winter. He was the second choice in the Illinois Derby (gr. II) earlier this month but ran a disappointing fourth behind Recapturetheglory. Interestingly, Atoned earned the same Beyer Speed Figure in that effort as he did in the Tampa Bay Derby, a race whose form wasn't flattered when Big Truck ran poorly in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland last weekend.

Salute the Sarge is an invader from California whose owner is smelling roses. The son of Forest Wildcat has enough earnings to get into the Derby, but he has never won beyond 6 1/2 furlongs. Trainer Eric Guillot is using this race as a gauge to the colt's Derby readiness. He is four for seven lifetime and classy, having won the Hollywood Juvenile Championship (gr. III) and the Best Pal Stakes (gr. II) before running second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. He is coming off a win in the listed San Miguel Stakes at Santa Anita and will be ridden by Michael Baze.

Big Glen is also four for seven and loves the synthetic surfaces. He won the WEBN Stakes at Turfway Park on it earlier this year, then looked to be in striking distance to win the John Battaglia before being steadied in the stretch, dropping back to fourth. He returned to win the Rushaway Stakes and for now trainer Frank Brothers doesn't seem to have any Derby dreams.

Earlier this winter Behindatthebar was the next big thing according to the wise guys around the racetrack. He won a maiden race at Santa Anita by 2 1/2 lengths, then shipped up to Bay Meadows for the El Camino Real Derby and finished a disappointing fifth. He has rebounded with an allowance win at Santa Anita by four lengths. Pletcher trains.

Racecar Rhapsody and Riley Tucker both have a shot in here. Racecar Rhapsody is a Ken McPeek-trainee and is coming off a 4th place finish in the Lanes End Stakes. He broke his maiden at Keeneland last October. Riley Tucker broke his maiden first out by six lengths at Belmont, then ran up losses to Wicked Style, Kodiak Kowboy, and Denis of Cork before running second, beaten just a half length, in the Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland.