When the $750,000 Grade One Santa Anita Derby entries were drawn Wednesday, only one of the ten runners had a stakes win going two turns to his credit. But what the field may lack in accomplishments to date, they more than make up for in promise. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->The group represents a compelling handicapping challenge on top of what is vitally more important for their connections – earning their way to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. <!--[endif]-->

Typical of the wide-open nature of the race is 5-2 morning line favorite Liquidity. The Doug O'Neill trainee has yet to win a stakes, but was second in both the Hollywood Futurity (GI) and Sham (GIII) before fading badly to be sixth in the Louisiana Derby (GII). Indeed, Liquidity has hit the board in all three of his major track California starts, running poorly only when shipping out of state. The barn's go-to rider Corey Nakatani has the call.

The other big-name trainer on the Derby trail this year is Todd Pletcher, who shipped in Sam P. a few weeks ago to get acclimated for this race. Sam P. beat the highly-regarded Chelokee last autumn in a Churchill Downs allowance race, and was most recently a good second to Great Hunter in the Robert Lewis (GII). Having raced over the Santa Anita surface should be a benefit for a horse that has been shipped across country several times recently. Sam P. gets his fifth different rider in Ramon Dominguez, one of the country's best unheralded jockeys.

King of the Roxy is Pletcher's other entrant. The son of Littleexpectations has two Grade Two wins to his credit, the Hutcheson and Futurity, but has never won past 7 ½ furlongs. In his lone two turn race, he was soundly defeated in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI). Unlike Sam P., King of the Roxy shipped to California from Florida earlier this week.

Bwana Bull is the race's lone graded stakes winner going a route of ground, but beat admittedly softer competition while scoring in the El Camino Real (GIII) at Bay Meadows. That race marked his third consecutive win for northern California kingpins Jerry Hollendorfer and Russell Baze.

One of the more fascinating runners is Medici Code (GB), who makes his first start in this country after recording three straight blowout wins over the Polytrack in his home country. His connections thought enough of him to spend $6,000 to make him a late Triple Crown nominee last weekend. He has been working at Santa Anita for the past month in preparation for his U.S. debut.

Others looking to get over the hump and earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby field are Court the King, fourth to Bwana Bull in the El Camino Real; Boutros, a distant fourth in the Robert Lewis; Black Seventeen, with only a blowout maiden win to his credit; Level Red, a speedy type who could find himself alone in a relatively paceless race; and Tiago, Giacomo's little brother who has yet to cross the finish line first in his three starts.

The field for the Santa Anita Derby, which has a scheduled post time of 5:45 p.m. Eastern Time and will be televised by NBC: Court the King, Jose Valdivia Jr., 20-1; Sam P., Dominguez, 4-1; Bwana Bull, Russell Baze, 8-1; Boutrous, Kent Desormeaux, 12-1; Liquidity, Corey Nakatani, 5-2; Black Seventeen, Clinton Potts, 15-1; Level Red, Aaron Gryder, 5-1; King of the Roxy, Migliore, 3-1; Tiago, Mike Smith, 20-1; and Medici Code, Jorge Chavez, 30-1.