LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Deputy and Anees, who finished first and fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, had their penultimate workouts for the May 6 Kentucky Derby on Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs and trained in fashions indicative of their progress this spring.

	Stevens took Anees for a ride Wednesday.

The Deputy, who figures to go off as the second choice to Fusaichi Pegasus in the 126th Derby, breezed effortlessly through seven furlongs in 1:27.60 with his regular jockey, Chris McCarron, who flew in from California for the workout. The time was excellent, considering that the track, though fast, was dull and tiring. By comparison, 33 horses drilled five furlongs on Wednesday morning, and only three worked faster than 1:01.

A few minutes later, Anees, who is winless in two starts since capturing the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, worked one mile in 1:43.40 while wearing bandages on all four legs. After breaking off at the three-quarter pole, he went smoothly for the first six furlongs, which clockers timed in 1:15.40, while easily disposing of a workmate.

But after passing the finish line and working another quarter-mile to complete one full lap of the one-mile oval, Anees appeared to tire, especially in the final furlong. His effort came despite aggressive handling at that point by Gary Stevens. His final quarter-mile, according to the official tab, was 28 seconds flat and the final eighth 14.60 seconds.

"The last eighth was unimpressive," Stevens said later, "but I think it's because he worked from the six-furlong pole to the six-furlong pole. Usually the emphasis is from the quarter-pole to the wire, but this time I didn't move until the wire. When he got to the seven-eighths, he started looking at everything and lost all interest.

"He cooled out in 10 minutes after the work. I was blowing harder than he was," Stevens said, laughing. "Fitness is not going to be an issue with this horse. Now we have to get him sharp for the race."

Stevens rode Anees to victory in the Breeders' Cup on Nov. 6 but retired as a jockey Dec. 26 because of chronic pain in his knees. He is now an assistant with Prince Ahmed Salman's The Thoroughbred Corporation, which owns Anees. Alex Hassinger Jr., who trains Anees, said he thought it would be beneficial to have Stevens work the colt, since Stevens is a three-time Derby winner and knows what it takes to win this demanding race.

"I think he's got a hell of a shot," Stevens said. "He was dull in his two races at Santa Anita this year. I attribute that to the track. He ran the same way there last year. He makes a nice move on the turn, and then it's like he's in a swimming pool. He's a different horse on this surface."

Hassinger said Anees, who races in rear wraps, has worn front wraps in his two works here because he wants to make sure the colt does not run down, or burn his heels, on the deep surface.

Anees and The Deputy were the only Derby candidates to work on a gorgeous morning at Churchill Downs. Both came out just after the midmorning renovation break.

The Deputy, as is his custom, stood placidly at the gap near the three-quarter pole for 15 minutes during the break. After coming on the track, he trotted the wrong way around the clubhouse turn and up the stretch to the three-sixteenths pole, stood briefly, then galloped through the stretch before breaking off for his work at the seven-furlong pole.

The Deputy was quite eager early, running enthusiastically and taking a strong hold of the bit with his head held high. McCarron never asked him. The jockey merely shook his right rein at The Deputy for an instant about 100 yards before the wire. McCarron, before returning to California, said The Deputy handled the Churchill strip "beautifully."

"I thought he had been handling the track well for the past two weeks, but I liked hearing that from McCarron," said Jenine Sahadi, who trains The Deputy. "It was a peace-of-mind work. I didn't want to set him down. Anything you ask this horse to do, he does it the way you're supposed to. I was glad to get that out of the way."

Sahadi said The Deputy likely would have his final Derby tune-up on Tuesday, with McCarron again coming in for the work. She said she might move the work up to Monday if there is a forecast for rain on Tuesday.

In other Derby developments:

- Shane Sellers has agreed to ride Graeme Hall, the Arkansas Derby winner, according to Ronnie Ebanks, Sellers's agent.

- Sellers last weekend rode Unshaded to victory in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes. By agreeing to ride Graeme Hall, it further calls into question whether Unshaded will be supplemented to the Triple Crown by owner Jim Tafel for the $150,000 fee. Even if Unshaded were supplemented, he still could be excluded from the race, since horses who were original nominees have preference, regardless of earnings in graded stakes races, if the field numbers more than the maximum of 20.

- Fusaichi Pegasus, whose antics while galloping on Tuesday morning caused quite a stir from those unaccustomed to his headstrong ways, was far better behaved Wednesday. "It was uneventful," said his trainer, Neil Drysdale. "He wants to be in charge, do things at his own pace. I think at this time of year there's lot of exaggeration, a lot of hyperbole, and a lot of things get overanalyzed. The press is more concerned than I am."

- Mike Smith will replace Francisco Torres on Globalize, who finished second in the Lexington after winning the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park. Jerry Hollendendorfer, the trainer of Globalize, said his colt will have his lone Derby workout on Monday.

- D. Wayne Lukas said he has still not decided on jockeys for Commendable or Exchange Rate. Victor Espinoza and Alex Solis are among the jockeys who may be considered.

- Chief Seattle, China Visit, and Curule, the three Godolphin Racing-owned colts who arrived in Kentucky on Tuesday from Dubai, were scheduled to head to Churchill Downs on Thursday afternoon after clearing quarantine at a facility near Keeneland.

WHO'S HOT

Unshaded, sort of. In winning Saturday's Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, he turned in a performance good enough to run in the Derby. Trouble is, he was not an original nominee to the Derby, so he would have to supplemented for $150,000. Further complicating matters is that if more than the maximum of 20 horses are entered in the race, he drops to the bottom of the list, since original nominees have preference over supplements, regardless of purse earnings  in graded stakes. Unshaded is 50-1 on the future line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form's national handicapper. New to Derby Watch this week are Harlan Traveler, who was third in the Lexington, and Godolphin's third-stringer, Curule, along with rank longshots Ronton and True Confidence.

WHO'S NOT

Mighty and Surfside were dropped from the list because of injuries. Big Numbers and Rollin With Nolan did not run well enough in preps last weekend to go on to the Derby. Settlement is out because his trainer, Mark Hennig, said it is "improbable" he will run. Settle-ment is scheduled to be entered in Saturday's Derby Trial on the opening-day card at Churchill Downs.

ON THE BUBBLE

You would think the cupboard would be bare by now, but when it comes to the Derby, we've learned to expect the unexpected - especially when a no-hoper like Ronton is still being considered. What next - an unstarted maiden?