HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Coal Battle, Sandman, and Speed King have been the pillars of the 3-year-old series this meet at Oaklawn Park and for Saturday’s final leg, the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby, they will take on a high-profile newcomer in Cornucopian. The Arkansas Derby, the centerpiece of the annual Racing Festival of the South, is being showcased on a 14-race program that has a first post of 11:20 a.m. Central. The 1 1/8-mile race offers Kentucky Derby points on a scale of 100-50-25-15-10. Saturday’s field of nine rematches millionaire Coal Battle, who has won the Smarty Jones and Grade 2 Rebel; Speed King, who captured the Grade 3 Southwest; and Sandman, who was second in the Southwest and third in the Rebel. The wild card is Cornucopian, who earned the meet’s best Beyer Speed Figure for a 3-year-old when he popped a 101 for a maiden special weight win at six furlongs in his career debut Feb. 23. He returned home to Santa Anita after the dominant victory, in which he set the pace and prevailed in 1:09. The decision was then made that the $1.1 million yearling purchase by Into Mischief would make both his two-turn and stakes debut in the Arkansas Derby. “I was waiting to see how he trained,” said Bob Baffert, who conditions Cornucopian. “He came back and he looked like he handled the ship well. He’s got a great mind, which helps, and he’s very talented. :: DRF Road to the Derby Package Available Now! Save 37% on key handicapping essentials through Kentucky Derby Day. “He’s only had one race, [but] he’s got a good foundation under him. He was ready to run at Del Mar, but had a setback. It’s a tall order for him. It’s one of those things. “He ran well there. He’s a good horse. A lot of these good horses, through the years, a lot of times they can handle it. We’ll find out more about him.” John Velazquez has the mount on Cornucopian from post 9. “When you get to a mile and an eighth, they start separating themselves,” Baffert said. “The cream rises to the top and I think we have cream, but it’s very inexperienced.” Coal Battle has won four two-turn stakes races, his most recent the Rebel over a field that included Tiztastic, who came back last Saturday to win the Louisiana Derby. “He ran a game race,” trainer Lonnie Briley said of Coal Battle. “It was probably his best race. “When they went 45 and change for the half, I said, ‘Oh boy, they’re in trouble now.’ At the three-eighths pole, [jockey Juan] Vargas let him run and I mean he ran around them like they were all stopped, and he had [Madaket Road] to catch. I knew if he caught him it was church, because this little horse – a lot of horses will hang – but he won’t. He’s got a little grit, he’ll keep going.” Coal Battle will be looking to win his fifth straight race Saturday. “I know you’re always scared when they’re going to get their ears pulled off and hurt their feelings,” Briley said. “I mean, you can’t win them all – but you want to.” Sandman has been a closing force in the prep races this meet. “In anything in life and racing, it’s timing, and hopefully it’s our time,” said trainer Mark Casse. “I think we have a lot going in our favor. We’re playing at home. We’re getting an extra half a furlong, which I think anybody watching him run has to think that’s to his advantage. I feel very positive.” Sandman finished 1 3/4 lengths behind Coal Battle in the Rebel after racing more than a dozen lengths off the pace. “He got very unlucky last time,” Casse said, “where he kind of got stymied early in the race and it put us way back farther than we wanted to be. And he still ran well.” Jose Ortiz will ride Sandman for the first time since last September. They will break from post 6. Rafael Bejarano will be aboard Speed King from post 5. “I like our draw,” said trainer Ron Moquett. “[Cornucopian], coming out of a really fast race early, he’s probably going to show some speed. I hope that we’re up there somewhere comfortably cruising.” Speed King ran an uncharacteristic 10th in the Rebel. “We didn’t get a chance to see him, really.” Moquett said. “We knew that he’s good enough to win, and we also knew very few horses are good enough to overcome what was thrown at him that day, with missing training, getting caught so wide on a rail-favoring track. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “But for the horse, I really want to get a chance for him to show what he is. He’s made $700,000. He’s won a graded stakes. He’s kept good company. I would think that all of that is more of a definition of what he is than the last race.” Publisher enters off a fourth-place finish in the Rebel and Brereton’s Baytown off a ninth in that race. Monet’s Magic was fifth last out in the Southwest. First Division and Bestfriend Rocket are winners at the meet. The infield is scheduled to be open on an afternoon forecasted to see showers and temperatures in the high 70s. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.