Florida Derby winner Dialed In has been installed a 4-1 favourite in a wide open Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs this Saturday.

Dialed In is prepared by Nick Zito and will be gunning for the trainer’s third Kentucky Derby triumph after Strike the Gold (1991) and Go for Gin (1994).

Dialed In was bred by Lane’s End Farm owner William S Farish and was purchased by Robert La Penta’s Whitehorse Stables for $475,000 at the 2009 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale.

The Florida Derby has produced two of the last four Kentucky Derby winners in Barabaro (2006) and Vinery shuttler Big Brown (2008).  Zito believes his colt can make it three from five this year.  “Dialed In is an amazing horse,” he said.  “I’ve thought all along he is the top three-year-old in the country.”

His sire Mineshaft (A P Indy) also has the Steve Asmussen trained Nehro in the field for the 137th Kentucky Derby.  His only win to date was an Oaklawn Park maiden in February but has since been runner-up in the Arkansas and Louisiana Derbies.

Mineshaft was USA Horse of the Year in 2003.  He stands at Lane’s End and is a half-brother to Racetree stallion Monashee Mountain (Danzig).

Other Kentucky Derby candidates with Australian links include Midnight Interlude (War Chant) and Stay Thirsty (Bernardini).

War Chant (Danzig) will begin shuttling from Three Chimneys to Yarradale Stud later this year and Bernardini (A P Indy) will have his first Darley Australia bred two year-olds up and running in 2011-12.

Master of Hounds will be the first Coolmore representative to run in the Kentucky Derby since Johannesburg in 2002.  The widely travelled Kingmambo colt was a close-up sixth in the G2 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs in November and he was beaten a nose in the G2 UAE Derby in March.

Former Coolmore shuttler Giant’s Causeway has 30-1 longshot Santiva engaged.  He was a G2 winner of the 2010 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs and he also finished second in the G1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.

KENTUCKY DERBY (1800m)  Saturday 6.25pm (USA EDT) – Sunday 8.25am (AEST)

1   ARCHARCHARCH  (Arch)
2   BRILLIANT SPEED  (Dynaformer)
3   TWICE THE APPEAL  (Successful Appeal)
4   STAY THIRSTY  (Bernardini)
5   DECISIVE MOMENT  (With Distinction)
6   COMMA TO THE TOP  (Bwana Charlie)
7   PANTS ON FIRE  (Jump Start)
8   DIALED IN  (Mineshaft)
9   DERBY KITTEN  (Kitten’s Joy)
10  TWINSPIRED  (Harlan’s Holiday)
11  MASTER OF HOUNDS  (Kingmambo)
12  SANTIVA  (Giant’s Causeway)
13  MUCHO MACHO MAN  (Macho Uno)
14  SHACKLEFORD  (Forestry)
15  MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE  (War Chant)
16  ANIMAL KINGDOM  (Leroidesanimaux)
17  SOLDAT  (War Front)
18  UNCLE MO  (Indian Charlie)
19  NEHRO  (Mineshaft)
20  WATCH ME GO  (West Acre)