With the 20 spots available in the Kentucky Derby starting gate determined by a horse's graded earnings, the time is getting short for those that are buried deep on the list. In the $750,000 Wood Memorial (GI) lineup, Summer Doldrums and Any Given Saturday are two colts looking to leapfrog several in front of them.

Both horses are currently outside of the top 20 list, and Summer Doldrums in particular, with just $21,334 to date, needs to finish in the top two to secure a chance at the Derby.

Fortunately for both, they, along with Nobiz Like Shobiz, make up the big three names in the seven-horse field.

Summer Doldrums is trying to bounce back a disappointing run in the Gotham, after which he was found to have some congestion in his lungs. He's been dynamite at Aqueduct prior to that, and a nice five-furlong workout last weekend has him ready to run his best, according to trainer Rick Violette. He has the speed to go to the front early, and possibly set his own fractions, should rider Mike Luzzi choose to do so.

Any Given Saturday, coupled with Cowtown Cat, will likely be the only runner for Todd Pletcher. Cowtown Cat was also entered in the Illinois Derby (GII), where he will almost certainly run. Any Given Saturday must be respected after his nose loss to Street Sense in the Tampa Bay Derby (GIII). Pletcher chose this spot over next week's Blue Grass (GI) at Keeneland, presumably because of the better chance to get the required earnings. Never worse than second in five starts, he's raced over four different tracks and rates a solid contender from just off the pace.

Nobiz Like Shobiz will run in blinkers for the first time, in an attempt to dissuade him from looking around and altering course, something he's done in his last couple of races. This race would seem to be an ideal time to see how he's progressing, as he will get a test from the other two favorites. He should be close to Any Given Saturday throughout the race.

Of the remaining three entrants, Sightseeing offers the most intrigue. Off a typical patient training job by Shug McGaughey, Sightseeing was going to pass the race until Pletcher withdrew Circular Quay in favor of Any Given Saturday. McGaughey's colt usually comes from well off the pace, and could find too much left to do late in the six-horse field.

The longshots in the field are Flashstorm, who enters off an allowance win at Oaklawn and trained by Wayne Lukas; and Reptilian Smarts, making his first stakes start after maiden and allowance wins at Aqueduct.