Last weekend’s upset of Uncle Mo in the Wood Memorial has definitely opened things up and the Kentucky Derby is still up for grabs with less than a month to go.

Thirteen remaining three-year-olds will get one last shot at snatching a piece of the Kentucky Derby (Grade I) spotlight with this Saturday’s running of the 1-1/8 dirt mile, $1 million Grade II Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.

Topping the list is three-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert trainee, The Factor, who is the 7-5 morning line favorite, and along with jockey Martin Garcia, has won his last three starts going wire-to-wire.

This horse could end up as the Derby favorite come May 7 if he takes the field by storm this weekend.

The speedy 3-year-old gray colt moved up from No. 3 to No. 1 in The Associated Press’ latest Run to the Roses Top 10 list of Derby contenders after Mo’s crushing defeat last weekend.

The son of War Front, along with Baffert, who has won the Derby three times –his most recent with War Emblem in 2002 –will try for his second straight win in Arkansas after winning the Rebel Stakes (G2) his last time out, cruising to a commanding 5 ½ length victory over a Caleb’s Posse.

So who will give The Factor a run on Saturday?

Well for one, Rebel runner-up Caleb’s Posse (10-1) will for sure be one to watch. The McNeill Stables’ Smarty Jones Stakes-winner is back with jockey Eddie Razo Jr. aboard and will break from post 6. This colt has a great stride and showed stamina coming into the lane to move from mid pack to the front.

Bob Yagos’s Southwest Stakes (G3) winner Archarcharch returns with jockey Jon Court and will break from post 10. The son of Arch took third behind The Factor when he romped in the Rebel.

Two others to watch closely are second-place finisher in the Louisiana Derby, Zayat Stables’ Nehro (5/1), who will break from the rail with feisty Corey Nakatani in the stirrups, and Elite Alex (8/1), the fourth-place finisher in New Orleans after two troubled trips at Oaklawn with fan favorite Calvin Borel piloting from post 2. Borel has the ability to turn longshots into winners, so this could be a pair to keep your eye on.

Five-time Eclipse Award Trainer Todd Pletcher will send a pair of contenders this year including 2010 Kentucky Derby Winner Super Saver’s half-brother Brethren (10/1), guided by reigning Eclipse champion jockey Ramon Dominguez, breaking from post 4, as well as winner of the GP Allow, Dance City (15/1), ridden by Javier Castellano. The son of City Zip beat overwhelming favorite Cal Nation—another Pletcher 3-year old student– in the 3rd race at Gulfstream Park on March 19.

Besides The Factor, there are two other contenders that hail from the west coast, with Hollywood Juvenile Championship winner J P’s Gusto (15/1), who took second to Archarcharch in the Southwest in February and Batman Stable’s Sway Away (6/1).The two will start from the fifth and number 11 post positions respectively.

New jockey Cliff Berry will guide J.P.’s Gusto while Patrick Valenzuela remains in command aboard trainer Jeff Bonde’s California-based Sway Away, who remained in Arkansas after a troubled trip in the Rebel.

Stablemate to Caleb’s Posse, Alternation (10/1) is a well-bred colt, but had some trouble at the starting gate in the Rebel and was scratched. The other Pin Oak Stable entry will try it again on Saturday from shoot number 8 with jockey Luis Quinonez in the irons.

Other probables are longshots Truman’s Commander (30/1) for Robert LaPenta and Harry Rosenblum and trainer Nick Zito, J W Blue (30/1) for the Elkstone Group and Saratoga Red (30/10) for Robert Baker and William Mack. They will start 7, 12 and from the far outside respectively.

There you have it; a solid field for this year’s running of the Arkansas Derby.

Matt’s Free Pick:-If The Factor can reduce the Arkansas Derby into a one-horse show, just as he did in the Rebel, then he deserves to become the Kentucky Derby favorite. Can he last ten furlongs? I say yes.

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