We visited Like Now before the Lexington, and the beautiful bay colt is a charismatic fellow. He played with his stall guard and then cast over a mischievous stare, as if to say, "Will you tattle on me?" Then he went back to trying to climb between the stall guard and the chain.

Bushfire has a similar brightness in her eye. The Ashland Stakes winner was preoccupied with dinner when we arrived, but she is unmistakable and hard to miss with her bright markings and light bay coat.

I was thinking that Sinister Minister would look knocked out, but the colt nickered at us eagerly from his stall and hollered down the aisle for his feed tub. His upset win in the Blue Grass Stakes as a runaway freight train have caused many to say that he will bounce to the moon in the Derby, but like Showing Up he earned his right to run. He is trained by Bob Baffert and will be joined by his stablemates Point Determined and Bob and John in the Derby.

I spoke with trainer Kiaran McLaughlin about Jazil and Flashy Bull, and he said both are doing very well. Flashy Bull is a rather arrogant-looking dark gray colt and nipped at me when I got too close. Jazil is at Belmont Park still, along with Henny Hughes.

On Sunday morning, one of the Derby contenders, With a City, was euthanized. The colt had won the Lane's End Stakes before finishing last in the Arkansas Derby. I do not have any details of his death and in fact at the time of writing that I only found out a few minutes ago myself, but I am a little shocked and I cannot imagine what his connections are going through. This game is not for the weak of heart.

The next Derby report will come on April 25th.

For more photos of the Lexington Stakes and the Derby contenders, click here.

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