By Richard Rosenblatt
The Associated Press

Trainer Ron Ellis should be talking about whether Atswhatimtalknbout is good enough to win the Kentucky Derby.

Trainer Bobby Frankel should be talking about whether Empire Maker is so much better then the rest of the 3-year-old contenders.

A weekend of Derby preps in California, Florida and Illinois only enhanced the status of Empire Maker as the horse to beat on the first Saturday in May.

Atswhatimtalknbout came into Saturday's Santa Anita Derby as the hot horse on the Derby trail, but fizzled in the stretch and finished fourth behind Buddy Gil and trainer Bob Baffert's duo of Indian Express and Kafwain.

"I think this race just wasn't his day today," Ellis said. "All his other races, he had a lot more run than he did today."

Buddy Gil may be the best in the West after his third straight stakes victory, but his slow winning time of 1:49.36 for 1 1/8 miles raises questions about lasting an extra eighth-of-a-mile in the 1 1/4-mile Derby.

Last year, Came Home won the Santa Anita Derby in 1:50 - among the slowest times in the 66-year history of the race. Although trainer Paco Gonzalez and now retired jockey Chris McCarron dismissed distance limitations, Came Home tired in the stretch and finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby.

Nonetheless, Buddy Gil is Derby bound.

"He definitely earned his chance to be there," trainer Jeff Mullins said.

Atswhatimtalknbout will move on, too. "I think so," Ellis said. "Why not?"

Baffert is headed to Churchill Downs, too, but he's not sure which horses he'll bring. Domestic Dispute, his third entry in the Santa Anita Derby, was fifth.

"They all ran well. They didn't run very fast, so I don't know," Baffert said. "We have to regroup."

Baffert, who saddled three of the last six Derby winners, has two other prospects in During and Senor Swinger. Both are expected to run Saturday, the final big weekend of preps featuring the Wood Memorial, Blue Grass and Arkansas Derby.

Ministers Wild Cat, trainer Neil Drysdale's Derby possibility, was scratched from the Santa Anita Derby with a minor foot problem. The colt could be back for Saturday's California Derby at Bay Meadows.

Ten Most Wanted is headed to Kentucky after his four-length win in Saturday's the Illinois Derby, covering the 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.47 at Hawthorne.

"This horse is bred to go a mile-and-a-quarter," winning trainer Wally Dollase said.

Dynever, making just his third start, won the Aventura Stakes at Gulfstream impressively, but trainer Christophe Clement won't rush the colt to the Derby. Dynever will likely make his next start in the Lone Star Derby on May 10.

And then there's Frankel and Empire Maker, who won the Florida Derby by a record 9 3/4 lengths on March 15. The son of 1990 Derby winner Unbridled worked six furlongs in 1:13 at Hollywood Park on Sunday, and now heads to New York for the Wood.

"Everything is good with him," Frankel said Sunday. "He did it exactly the way I wanted him to."

Frankel's other Derby prospect, Peace Rules, warmed up for his next start, in the Blue Grass, with a six-furlong workout in 1:11.60. Frankel, looking for his first Derby victory, has said Empire Maker is his best chance. But Peace Rules is coming off a big win in the Louisiana Derby and should not be discounted.

A week from now, though, the Derby picture should finally come into focus. Even if Empire Maker fails to win the Wood, though, it wouldn't be wise to bet against him three weeks later. The competition doesn't look good enough.

And that's what I'm talkin' about.

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Looking to pull a Baffert and get yourself a Derby horse less than a month before the race?

Supah Blitz, second to Dynever in the Aventura Stakes, was put up for sale Sunday by Manny Tortora, the colt's owner, breeder and trainer.

"I had some offers on him earlier in the year," Tortora said. "I'm going to see if somebody has more money than I have brains."

Supah Blitz, with two wins, seven seconds and three thirds in 15 starts, has earned $437,330. Tortora said Supah Blitz came out of the Aventura in good shape, and if there's no buyer he'll run the horse in the May 3 Derby.

Last year, the late Saudi prince Ahmed bin Salman bought War Emblem for $900,000 after the colt won the Illinois Derby and sent him to Baffert's barn. War Emblem won the Derby and Preakness and was chosen 3-year-old male champion.

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Richard Rosenblatt is the national horse racing writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at rrosenblatt@ap.org