American Pharaoh, the champion 2YO of 2014, ensured he would be a popular favourite for the Derby when he produced a sizzling five furlong workout on Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.

His recorded time of 58.40 was the fastest of 32 horses to work over the distance and brought huge praise from experienced clockers.

“I have been doing this for 35 years and he might be the best horse I’ve ever seen,” said private clocker and bloodstock agent Gary Young,

“You get the feeling that there’s not one gear left, but he may have two, three or four gears.”

It was American Pharoah’s first fast work since he won the Arkansas Derby by eight lengths on April 11. He has won four straight by a total of 22 ¾ lengths since his disappointing debut at Del Mar last summer.

“He’s where we want him to be,” said Baffert, a three-time Derby winner./

“He hasn’t regressed.

“He looks great. From here on out we have to keep him happy but he still needs racing luck.

“You have to get a decent post, you need to break well and get the trip. A lot can happen, so I really don’t take anything for granted.”.”

Baffert’s unbeaten colt Dortmund had his final Derby work at Santa Anita and arrived at Churchill Downs from California on Sunday afternoon.

“It’s exciting to be here with two good horses,”Baffert said.

A run down on Derby preparations by other contenders:-

BOLO – (Trainer Carla Gaines): Arrived from California on Sunday on the same flight As Doretmund and Firing Line. Knows Dortmund wel as he finished third to Baffert’s colt in the Santa Anita Derby on April 4 and wil be ridden in the Derby by California’s top jockey Rafael Bejarano.

CARPE DIEM/ITSAKNOCKOUT/MATERIALITY/STANFORD – The four horse team of champion trainer Todd Pletcher are doing well in their final preparations.

Itsaknockout, Materiality and Standfoird have beenj training at Churchil while has loeft Bluegrass Stakes winer Cape Diem at Keeneland.

"I like where they are with their training right now,” he said.

Cape Diem was scheduled to join his stablemates at Churchill on Monday.

Hall of Famers John Velazquez will ride Carpe Diem; Javier Castellano will handle Florida Derby winner Materiality, and Luis Saez has the call on Itsaknockout.

A rider for Louisiana Derby runner-up Stanford is yet to be resolved.

DANZIG MOON (Mark Casse): Blue Grass Stakes runner-up was on the track on SUndat at the same time that American Pharoah was working.

“I saw him go by and it looked like he was moving along pretty good,” Casse said.“There have been plenty of circumstances in the past when something happens to a standout and somehow they get beat.

“We were watching all the people around Bob Baffert this morning. I’d rather have all those people with us after the race.”

El KABEIR (John Terranova): Came out of his half-mile work at Belmont Park in New York on Saturday in good order according to Terranova before he was shipped to Louisvile.

“Everything is great,” Terranova said. “He will get a day off and go to the track Tuesday.”

FAR RIGHT (Ron Moquett): Made the earliest debut of any Kentucky Derby entrant, running second in a 4 ½ furlong race at Keeneland on April 25 last year. Two weeks later he ran second going the same distance at Churchill Downs before he had a change of ownership and was transferred to Moquett.

In his first start for Moquett in September he won a maiden by five lengths and has had the Derby as his target ever since.

FIRING LINE (Simon Callaghan): – Another to arrive from California on Sunday with Dortmund and Bolo.

Firing Line is a winner of two of five starts with three seconds with two of those second placings being photo-finish losses to Dortmund before his most recent win by 14-plus lengths in the G3 Sunland Derby on March 22. Had Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens aboard for that romp in New Mexico and he’ll have the mount again on Saturday.

FRAMMENTO (Nick Zit) Galloped Sunday morning at Keeneland. He was fourth in the G1 Blue Grass Stakes in his most recent start and needs one defection from horses under consideration for Derby by entry time Wednesday to make the 20-horse starting gate.

“It would be sad if he doesn’t get in. He is ready to go a mile and a quarter,” Zito said.

FROSTED (Kiaran McLaughlin): Godolphin Racing’s Frosted haqs had his prep in Florida where he worked five furlongs on Saturday at Palm Meadows and came through in good order according to McLaughlin.

“He’s good. He will train Tuesday morning and then be on a flight to Louisville.”

INTERNATIONAL STAR (Mike Maker); The Louisiana Derby winner leads the Road to the Kentucky Derby points table and is giving no concerns.

“All’s well,” Maker reported, adding that International Star would van to Churchill Downs on Wednesday.

International Star seeks to become the first Louisiana Derby winner to take the Kentucky Derby since Grindstone in 1996. The only other horse to pull off the Louisiana Derby-Kentucky Derby double was Black Gold in 1924.

Miguel Mena, who was aboard for all three of International Star’s wins at the Fair Grounds and will retain the mount Saturday.

KEEN ICE (Dale Romans): Worked five furlongs on Saturday at Churchill and waqs kept to walking the shedrow on Sunday.

MR. Z (D. Wayne Lukas): Will be the 48th Kentucky Derby starter for his Hall of Fame trainer whose record 14 victories in Triple Crown races includes four wins in the Derby.

“The thing I think what’s important is to stay with what got you here, do things that you know work for you. Don’t change up much,” Lukas said.

“I think the one thing we’re probably a little bit better at is making decisions on the individual horse … just read the individual horse a little bit better,’’ he said.

Mr. Z galloped Sunday morning and had a schooling session in the paddock.

MUBTAAHIJ (Mike De Kock): A day after posting a half-mile breeze on Arlington's Polytrack, Mubtaahij cantered a lap of the same surface.

“Absolutely bouncing at the moment, we can’t wait to get down to Louisville and pick it up there,” said De Kock’s assistant trainer Trevor Brown. “It’s all gone according to plan and we are ready to crack on to Kentucky.”

The UAE Derby winner left Arlington after training on Monday for Churchill. De Kock was also due to arrive from South Africa on Monday.

OCHO OCHO OCHO (Jim Cassidy): Cassidy said from Santa Anita that he may give Ocho Ocho Ocho an additional breeze on Wednesday but wanted to assess the son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense for himself after he arrives on Monday.

TENCENDUR (George Weaver): Jogged a mile Sunday morning, a day after a bullet five-furlong work on Saturday.

Many horsemen walk their horses a day after a timed work but Weaver, a Louisville native with his first Derby candidate, has a different approach.

“When they are coming up to a race we take them out to the track and make sure they are moving well with a rider on their back,” he said.

“I want to have a rider have a feel for how they come out of their work.”

Manny Franco, who was aboard for the colt’s only victory, will make his debut in the Derby with the ride on Tencendur.

UPSTART (Rick Violette): Had a light gallop at Palm Meadows in Florida on Sunday morning, a day after working a fast five furlongs.

“I just wanted to get him a little exercise to see how he came out of the work and he was full of himself,” Violette said. “He will train Tuesday morning before leaving for Louisville.”

WAR STORY – (Tom AMoss): Jogged a mile and galloped a mile and a half at Churchill.

“He had a good day getting over the track but the most disappointing thing was watching how good American Pharoah looked,”Amoss said.