Romans Playing It Cool and Confident

Trainer Dale Romans has his first Kentucky Derby entry in Sharp Humor, who will "run on anything." (By Garry Jones -- Associated Press)

LOUISVILLE, May 4 -- Sharp Humor trainer Dale Romans sat behind his desk inside Barn 4 on the backstretch at Churchill Downs looking like a stone-faced poker player either holding a full house or a pair of threes. It was hard to tell which.

Conventional wisdom says the Kentucky Derby field is full of speed horses that will make the pace or help cook it to an extremely high temperature, but Romans acts like the only trainer confidently sending his horse into the heat of the fire.

Bob Baffert's Sinister Minister showed he is pretty much an uncontrollable, front-running missile in the California Derby and in his dominance of the Blue Grass Stakes. Keyed Entry is a top-flight miler who pops right out of the gate. Favorite Brother Derek has been in first or second at the half-mile mark of his past six races. Arkansas Derby winner Lawyer Ron appears to seize the lead whenever he chooses, which is usually very early. Undefeated Barbaro likes to get into the mix right away as well and gallop opponents into the ground.

Romans would like them all to worry about his horse.

"I'm going," Romans said. "Me and Sinister Minister will go and the rest will chase us. It is what it is, and if he's good enough, he'll win. He's training as good as he can. Sharp Humor's never run from off the pace. I don't see the need to change his style in the biggest race of his life. He just has to be faster than everyone else and keep going."

While trainer Bob Holthus, for example, has put Lawyer Ron through a series of two-mile gallops this week designed to take the edge off his colt's speed and increase stamina, Romans has greased the lightning.

Last Saturday, with jockey Mark Guidry aboard, Sharp Humor scorched a five-furlong workout in 59 seconds, the second-fastest of 48 at the distance that day.

Sharp Humor began his career in New York as a sprinter, picking up relatively easy money winning stakes races restricted to state-breds. When Romans took him to Florida for the winter, however, the colt blossomed into a serious racehorse. He upset the seven-furlong Swale Stakes at odds of 14-1 and then led every step in the 1 1/8 -mile Florida Derby until Barbaro nailed him at the wire.

Romans, 39, was born and raised in Louisville and followed his late father, Jerry Romans, into the training business, taking out his license at 18. Sharp Humor, who has been compared to 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide because they share the same sire -- Distorted Humor -- and took a similar path to the big race, is Romans's first Derby starter.

Rain or shine, expect Sharp Humor up front. "Track condition does not change a thing," Romans said. "He'll run on anything."

Baffert: 'Minister' Is Fine

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Backstretch talk had Sinister Minister lame with a hoof injury caused by a piece of gravel. Baffert, before leading his three runners onto the track for gallops, denied it.

"He had an old bruise, and we worked on it," the trainer said.

Asked which foot, Baffert said, "I can't tell you."

Sinister Minister galloped without incident. . . .

Undefeated Showing Up, the last horse to arrive for the Derby, was vanned in after a flight from New York to Lexington, Ky., in the late afternoon.