Here’s a glance at several top contenders:

• Brother Derek is the best of the West, sweeping the San Rafael, the Santa Catalina and the Santa Anita Derby with ease. The bay colt is bidding to become the first California bred to win the Derby since Decidedly in 1962, and likely will be the morning-line favorite.

“He’s getting stronger and seems to improve after every race,” trainer Dan Hendricks said. “It looks like he’s put on weight.”

Hendricks, paralyzed below the waist since a 2004 motocross accident, says jockey Alex Solis will have Brother Derek up front “but he’s just going to take it as it comes, and decide what to do.”

• Lawyer Ron is the best of the Southwest with a 4-for-4 mark in ’06, including a sweep of the Southwest Stakes, the Rebel and the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. Smarty Jones did the same thing before winning the 2004 Derby.

The chestnut colt couldn’t win on turf or Polytrack, but is 7-for-7 on dirt and takes a six-race winning streak into Churchill Downs. When jockey John McKee climbs aboard, Lawyer Ron will be the most seasoned starter with 14 races.

“The races don’t seem to take a lot out of him,” Holthus said. “He’s durable and bounces back quick.”

Lawyer Ron is owned by the estate of James T. Hines Jr. The horse is named for attorney Ron Bamberger, who manages the estate. Hines died Feb. 21 at his home in Owensboro, Ky.

• Barbaro is the best of the South, with wins this year in the Tropical Park Derby, the Holy Bull and the Florida Derby. The big bay colt is 5-for-5 and will attempt to join the likes of Smarty Jones (2004) and Seattle Slew (1977) as undefeated Derby winners.

Barbaro will be ridden by Edgar Prado and is trained by Michael Matz, a three-time Olympian in equestrian and a survivor of a plane crash 17 years ago in an Iowa cornfield.

Matz, who turned to training about eight years ago, says Barbaro “has enough tactical speed to put himself up close, but Edgar will have to feel it out from there.”

• Bob and John, Point Determined and Sinister Minister are trained by three-time Derby winner Bob Baffert. All three have a chance to win despite different running styles.

Bob and John couldn’t beat Brother Derek in California, so Baffert sent him East and the colt won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Bob and John will likely be somewhere just behind the leaders before making a run at the lead.

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Point Determined, a son of 2001 Horse of the Year Point Given, finished second to Brother Derek in the Santa Anita Derby. He likely will make his move on the turn for home.

Sinister Minister wowed ’em in the Blue Grass with a 12¾-length, gate-to-wire romp. And there’s no doubt the colt will try to wire the Derby field, just like Baffert’s last Derby winner, War Emblem, did in 2002.

“There’s so much speed in this Derby,” Baffert said. “There’s a lot of quality, a lot of depth. You just can’t pick one horse out and say, ’That horse can’t lose.”’