Holiday Thunder has been declared from the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on Saturday and most likely will miss the Kentucky Derby because of a nagging foot bruise, trainer John T. Ward Jr. said Tuesday from Florida.

Holiday Thunder, who entered the year as the top Derby prospect for Ward and owner John Oxley, finished sixth in the Feb. 17 Fountain of Youth Stakes in his only start this year. Ward said the colt's right front foot kept plaguing him. "I just don't think I can have him right in time for the Derby. There's no sense in putting him through the grinder just to have three" prospects for the Derby.

Ward and Oxley still have two excellent Derby hopes in Monarchos, romping winner of the Florida Derby, and Hero's Tribute, the Louisiana Derby third-place finisher who will be ridden by Jerry Bailey in his next start, the April 14 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, Ward said.

The revised path that Holiday Thunder likely will follow is the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland April 21, followed by the May 19 Preakness, said Ward. Holiday Thunder was a separate betting interest in each of the first two pools in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, going off at 33-1 and 44-1, respectively.

Monarchos and Hero's Tribute, along with several other Ward horses, are scheduled to be shipped Monday from Florida to Churchill Downs, where they will train through the Derby. This is a deviation from Ward's standard procedure, since he has longstanding close ties with Keeneland (his home is located just outside the back stable gate). He said he has come to the conclusion that "the more days a horse can get across the Churchill track, the better. I've paid attention to what Wayne Lukas does, and he's won a few Derbies [four] that way."

Ward's only other Derby starters, Jambalaya Jazz and Pyramid Peak, both trained at Keeneland leading up to the 1995 Derby. They finished 15th and 17th, respectively.

Mongoose joins Spiral field
Mongoose, who was forced to scratch from the Tampa Bay Derby Sunday because his connections did not provide the track with foal papers, will run in the $600,000 Spiral. Victor Espinoza has been named by trainer Bill Mott to ride the colt.

A field of at least nine 3-year-olds is likely for the 30th running of the Grade 2 Spiral, the annual showcase at Turfway. With riders, the others set for the 1 1/8-mile race are Balto Star, Mark Guidry; Buckle Down Ben, John Velazquez; Camden Park, Alex Solis; Clutch Player, Pat Day; Fan Club's Mister, Robbie Davis; Halo's Stride, no rider; Keats, Larry Melancon; and Meetyouathebrig, Edgar Prado.

Bonnie Scot, winner of Turfway's two preps for the Spiral, was declared out of the race Monday.

Camden Park and Meetyouathebrig will start as an uncoupled entry for trainer Elliott Walden, who returned to his Louisville home Tuesday after having spent the winter in Florida. He called the Spiral a "competitive race" while making it clear that both of his starters will have to run well to continue along the Derby trail.

Meetyouathebrig, owned by Frank Mansell and Jim Stone, was a nonthreatening eighth in his only start this year, the Fountain of Youth. "I don't have an explanation for his poor performance at Gulfstream," said Walden. He added that the colt has "worked so well" in the interim that he is "basically" throwing out the race.

"I've got a lot of confidence in the horse," he said.

Asked whether Meetyouathebrig compares favorably with Walden's two previous Derby starters, Victory Gallop and Menifee - both of whom ran second in the Derby - Walden said, "I don't think there's any question, as far as talent. But does he have the class? That's what we have to find out."

Camden Park, an A.P. Indy colt owned by Mark Stanley, was so slow to come around that Walden did not even bother to nominate him to the Triple Crown for $600.

"I nominated 11, so I don't know why I didn't do 12," he said. "I'm kind of kicking myself about that. Mark has been teasing me about nominating everything I had across the country except his horse."

Walden said Camden Park would become a late nominee with a big effort Saturday. "His development has been steady right along," he said. "That's typical with most A.P. Indys. He should be competitive, and he's moving forward. I think his pedigree will shine through. Horses like him, they need to have an opportunity to step up at this time of year."

The Spiral, for which entries will be drawn Thursday, will be televised live by ESPN on a one-hour telecast that starts at 4 p.m. Eastern. Post time is 4:40. First post for Saturday's 12-race card is noon. A crowd of 20,000 is expected.

The main supporting feature is the $100,000 Rushaway Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race also for 3-year-olds. Top contenders are High Cascade, Daring Pegasus, Percy Hope, Big Will, X Country, and Storm Craft.