Mon Apr 28 17:39:26 2008

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Behindatthebar out of Derby; Denis of Cork in

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Louisville, KY (Sports Network) - Lexington Stakes winner Behindatthebar will not run in Saturday's Kentucky Derby, opening a place in the field for Southwest Stakes winner Denis of Cork.

Behindatthebar is 17th in graded-stakes earnings, which automatically gave the Todd Pletcher-trained colt a spot in the field for the first Triple Crown race of 2008. However, in addition to the April 19 win at Lexington, Behindatthebar also ran [and won] an allowance at Santa Anita on April 3 and Pletcher said three races in a span of 30 days would be just too tough on the three-year- old.

Instead, Behindatthebar will be pointed toward the Preakness Stakes on May 17.

The defection gives Denis of Cork a place in the field for the Run for the Roses. Denis of Cork, which finished fifth in the Illinois Derby on April 5 after winning the Southwest at Oaklawn in February, is 21st in earnings. Only the top 20 automatically qualify for the Derby if more than 20 horses are entered.

Calvin Borel is expected to ride Denis of Cork on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Borel won last year's Kentucky Derby aboard Street Sense and will now have the opportunity to become the first jockey to capture the Run for the Roses in consecutive years since Eddie Delahoussaye guided Gato Del Sol and Sunny's Halo to victories in 1982 and 1983.