By JENNIE REES
The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal

LEXINGTON, Ky. - D. Wayne Lukas spoke so glowingly of Scrimshaw going into Saturday's $325,000, Grade II Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland that the record-setting trainer was asked whether he was so upbeat last year before 8-1 shot Proud Citizen won the stakes.

The answer is yes. The difference is few people listened to Lukas last year. Scrimshaw might be the 10-1 seventh choice in a field of eight 3-year-olds, but no one is counting out Lukas.

After Proud Citizen finished seventh of eight in the Santa Anita Derby - the colt's first race in seven months following knee surgery - reports were that Lukas would run the colt back in Keeneland's seven-furlong Lafayette Stakes. That seemed an appropriate spot for a colt that had been dusted in two graded stakes before his surgery.

But Proud Citizen led all the way to win the Lexington by three lengths. He returned two weeks later to finish second at 23-1 in the Kentucky Derby.

So now comes Scrimshaw. The son of Lukas' Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Gulch was on everyone's early Derby list when he won his first two starts at Santa Anita, including six furlongs in 1:08.

He then was a weakening third in the Grade II Santa Catalina Jan. 18 in his first attempt at two turns, then was fourth a month later in the seven-furlong Hutcheson.

But Scrimshaw, who drew the golden rail at Keeneland, is getting a lot of attention heading into the 1 1/16-mile Lexington, where his foes will include favored Trust N Luck, the Fountain of Youth winner and Florida Derby runner-up.

People are afraid now not to respect Lukas, especially in the Lexington, which he won four years ago with an ex-$62,500 claimer (Charismatic) who was coming off a fourth in the Santa Anita Derby. But he not only won the Lexington by 2 1/2 lengths, two weeks later he gave Lukas a fourth Kentucky Derby triumph at 31-1 odds. He also won the Preakness before suffering a career-ending leg fracture while third in the Belmont.

If there is a similar turnaround in Scrimshaw's form, it's likely because he underwent a throat procedure to correct a breathing obstruction after the Hutcheson.

"In fact, he ran in 1:08 and wasn't getting his air properly," he said. "And yet because he ran so well, I felt there was maybe an opportunity to go a different way. Then I backed up and said, 'No, this isn't going to work.'

"... An hour after the Hutcheson, we rescoped him and I said, 'This is a no-brainer. If we never make the Derby, if we're looking at the Travers, we're going to go ahead and correct this situation. Because we have no shot if we don't.' "

Scrimshaw missed three weeks of training after the surgery.

"So I had to adjust all the way down the line," Lukas said. "I said, 'Well, we can try some things here.' As bizarre as they may have sounded at the time.

"And now I think we're probably going to cover a big hurdle. And we don't have to have a great race (Saturday). Again, I want to be right on May 3. If I'm going to be in May 3. I may not even be in the thing; I haven't asked for Derby tickets yet."

Scrimshaw certainly seemed to be getting his air when he worked a half mile Wednesday at Churchill Downs in 46 seconds, the fastest of 45 works at the distance. Lukas said Scrimshaw went the first eighth-mile in 12 seconds and came home the last eighth in 11 flat.

Especially after Proud Citizen's effort last year, the Lexington appears more in vogue as a serious Derby prep. Trainer Bob Hess, for instance, is using it as a last-ditch chance to get Ocean Terrace to the Derby after he finished last in the Santa Anita Derby.

"Wayne has proven it can be done," Hess said. "But then again, Wayne has proven to be able to do a lot of things most trainers can't do."