By ED GOLDEN

The 124th Kentucky Derby unfolds on May 2.

D. Wayne Lukas, with a record 10 Triple Crown victories including three Kentucky Derbies, is focusing on his fourth triumph in the Run for the Roses. At the moment, a 3-year-old son of Seeking the Gold named Cape Town has the best chance of achieving that lofty goal for the Lukas entourage.

"The Florida Derby was very significant for Cape Town, of course for the win, but more importantly, by the style of the victory, so we’re real pleased with his development," Lukas said.

Cape Town, beaten 11 lengths by Lil’s Lad in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, capitalized on a suicidal pace duel by Lil’s Lad and Coronado’s Quest in the Florida Derby, in which Cape Town justifiably was awarded victory via disqualification of Lil’s Lad.

Lukas said Cape Town’s next race will be the $700,000-guaranteed Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 11. Shane Sellers, who was aboard in the Florida Derby, retains the mount.

Nationally, Lukas feels the best 3-year-olds are on both coasts.

"It looks like the Florida group and the California group have emerged as leaders," Lukas said from his Santa Anita headquarters. "Not too much has shown up in the Midwest. Usually, Arkansas comes up with a horse or two, but at this point we haven’t seen any. Now if Favorite Trick goes in there (Arkansas Derby, April 11 at Oaklawn Park) and does well, then the Midwest can claim him as coming out of there.

"We were third in the Gotham (with Late Edition), but other than that, New York looks like it’s coming up void. So I think what you’ve got in front of you is just what’s in California, including Event of the Year, and the group in Florida.

"I think Indian Charlie has been very well managed, but obviously, he’s taken a very soft route (three wins in three starts, but none in stakes race), and so be it. I think we have to see him at least in graded company before we can offer any definitive opinions."

As for Lukas’ highly regarded Grand Slam, who has not raced since he suffered a career-threatening cut on a hind leg in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, progress for his return to the races has surpassed the trainer’s expectations.

"He worked very well on Thursday, outstanding," Lukas said, "but we don’t have a race in mind (Grand Slam is nominated to Sunday’s San Pedro Stakes). "He went :58 3/5 for five furlongs, which was second-best of 42 at that distance. He’s coming along very well, but we don’t have any target date set for him."

THE HOMESTRETCH: What goes around comes around dept.: David Hofmans, who lost Belmont winner Touch Gold among others when owner Frank Stronach pulled horses from him earlier this year, is the new trainer for Marty and Pam Wygod, two of California’s most successful owners. Inexplicably, the Wygods took their high-quality stock from Ron Ellis, one of the circuit’s top percentage trainers. "I’m not sure what his reasons were for taking away the horses," Ellis said. "You’d have to talk to him. We didn’t get in a fight or anything like that. He just called me up and said he was moving the horses. I really don’t know what happened." Said Hofmans: "Mr. Wygod asked me to take a few horses for him. He’s a very important owner and dedicated to the game. He’s been very successful with Ron and I hope I can be as successful with him and for him." Hofmans was set to receive Grade I winner Exotic Wood and Goodwood winner Benchmark, in addition to six others, with more arriving later. Ellis recently was sent a large string of horse from multi-millionaire B. Wayne Hughes, including Shake The Yoke, runner-up in the Santa Ana Handicap . . . Santa Anita racing secretary Tom Knust says only four horses are firm for the April 4 Santa Anita Derby: Artax (Chris McCarron), Orville N Wilbur’s (Corey Nakatani), Real Quiet (Kent Desormeaux) and Indian Charlie (Gary Stevens), the latter pair from Bob Baffert’s sizzling barn. Possibilities: Prosperous Bid, Sea of Secrets and the maiden, Nationalore. Baffert had three winners Saturday, giving him 40 for the meet and moving him within seven of Gary Jones’ single-season Santa Anita mark of 47 set in 1975-76. Desormeaux’s three wins Saturday opened a 65-61 lead over Stevens. . . . Ernie Paragallo, owner of Artax, will donate five percent of all the colt’s future earnings to the Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund, in the name of Chris McCarron’s father, Herb, who died on March 9 at age 77. McCarron and his wife, Judy, are active proponents for MacBeth charities . . Silver Charm arrived safely for the $4-million Dubai World Cup on Saturday, but not so Baffert’s assistant, Eoin Harty, a native of The Curragh in Ireland. "He didn’t ship too well," Baffert said of Harty. "He’s dead tired." Better Harty than the horse. Scheduled local post time for the Dubai World Cup is 8:30 a.m.. . . . Bill Mott after Horse of the Year Favorite Trick won his debut race for his new trainer: "I probably feel a little like that coach who took over the Kentucky basketball team after they won the NCAA. At least we proved one thing: that Favorite Trick is back in a winning way and whatever we did with him, he responded to very well." Next stop, the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland or the Arkansas Derby. Both races are on April 11.