LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Churchill Downs will look into whether it should have a quarantine barn for the Kentucky Derby after complaints from the camp of Irish contenders Johannesburg and Castle Gandolfo.

John Asher, the track's vice president of communications, said Wednesday the track never before had been criticized for not providing stalls for international horses to be checked for contagious diseases.

Last week, Michael Tabor, the English owner of the Irish duo, said it was "disappointing" that his horses were required to go through quarantine at Keeneland, 70 miles away in Lexington.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained pair won't arrive in Louisville until a few hours before Saturday's race. They were training in England until flying to Kentucky this week.

"This was not a problem we anticipated," Asher said. "We examine everything about our Derby operation after the race, and this will definitely be something we look at. They have raised a legitimate concern."

Asher said Churchill has never had a compelling need to build a quarantine barn, although it cleared one to use for the Breeders' Cup in 2000. Asher said the track knew well in advance that year it was going to have a large international contingent and was able to adequately prepare.

He also said the track doesn't have room to build a permanent quarantine barn.

"Even though we have 147 acres, we don't have much wiggle room," Asher said. "We'd have to get pretty inventive to figure out where we'd be able to build a suitable facility."

Asher said the alternative for the Derby would be clearing a barn already being used.

"You're talking about taking away 60 or so stalls. That's an awful lot of horses to displace," he said.

Dubai-based Godolphin Racing has a Derby entry and a filly in the Kentucky Oaks. Essence of Dubai and the filly, Imperial Gesture, were quarantined atKeeneland last week.

Third time the charm?
Trainer Todd Pletcher has learned to stay with the simple approach as he heads to his third Kentucky Derby.

The 35-year-old Pletcher, a former assistant to trainer D. Wayne Lukas, has only Arkansas Derby runner-up Wild Horses this year after training multiple entries for the past two Derbies.

The horse doesn't have a stakes victory in five career starts, but Pletcher knows better than to alter the colt's training schedule now.

"Sometimes, you get here and you see some horses working faster than yours or slower and you try to figure out what's the best strategy," he said. "The main thing I've learned to do is stay focused on my horse and not worry about what everybody else is doing.

"Stick to what got you here and he'll probably continue to run well."

The plan has yielded results the past two years.

Pletcher had four entries in his first Derby in 2000. Graeme Hall pulled up and finished last, and Trippi was 11th, but Impeachment placed third, and More Than Ready was a half-length back in fourth.

In 2001, he had two horses, with Invisible Ink finishing second. His other entry, Balto Star, placed 14th.

Pletcher is using last year's preparation as a blueprint for Wild Horses.

"I only worked Balto Star and Invisible Ink one time in between their prep races and I did the same thing with this horse this year," he said. "At this stage of the game, with the races so close together, that one work should get the job done and leave a little more in the tank for Saturday."

A new Day
Jockey Pat Day will ride in his 20th Derby on Saturday aboard Buddha.

But Day, the winningest jockey at Churchill Downs, said he doesn't have any advice for Buddha trainer H. James Bond, who's going through his first Derby week.

"I've gone through it as a jockey, but not as a trainer," Day said. "That's something he's just going to have to go through on his own."

Derby Day forecast
The National Weather Service is forecasting cloudy skies, no rain and temperatures in the 70s for Saturday.