Monarchos, who was an overpowering winner of Saturday's 127th Kentucky Derby, is scheduled to leave Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., for Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Wednesday to prepare for the May 19 Preakness Stakes. His rivals in that second leg of the Triple Crown are expected to include three colts he defeated in the Derby, and as many as eight newcomers.

Should Monarchos capture both the Preakness Stakes and June 9 Belmont Stakes in New York, he will become the sport's 12th Triple Crown winner - and the first since Affirmed in 1978 - and earn a $5 million bonus from Visa, which sponsors the Triple Crown. Monarchos got a Beyer Speed Figure of 116 for his Derby victory.

Affirmed had to beat Alydar in all three legs of the Triple Crown. It looks as though this year's Triple Crown is shaping up as a battle between Monarchos, who is trained by John T. Ward Jr., and both Congaree and Point Given, from Bob Baffert's barn.

Congaree defeated Monarchos in the Wood Memorial, but then Monarchos beat both Baffert colts in the Derby. Congaree was third, Point Given fifth. Baffert already has made one adjustment to his Preakness lineup. On Monday, Baffert said he was changing riders on Congaree. Jerry Bailey is in, Victor Espinoza is out.

Besides the ontrack rivalry between the horses, there seems to be a percolating rivalry between the trainers. Ward, a third-generation horseman and a native of Kentucky, trained Monarchos lightly coming into the Derby, in contrast to the fast works turned in by Baffert's runners. Saturday, Ward called Monarchos's victory "one for tradition," then on Sunday talked about how his style differed from the fast drills of the "California trainers," in his words.

"You can condition a horse to be at their peak, which some of the West Coast guys did, or you can have an athlete close to the top, that is consistent, but try not to put him at the top," Ward said. "My horse is pretty fresh from a physical nature, and a mental nature."

Baffert on Monday said he believed Ward's comments were directed at him, and his training style.

"Maybe that's why I'm having a bad year," he said sarcastically. Baffert is the nation's leading money-winning trainer, his victories including the Santa Anita Derby with Point Given, Wood Memorial with Congaree, and Dubai World Cup with Captain Steve.

In addition to Monarchos, Congaree, and Point Given, the only other horse exiting the 17-horse Derby field who is headed to the Preakness is A P Valentine, who finished a deceptively good seventh after a rough trip. He traveled to Pimlico on Monday, along with his Nick Zito-trained stablemate, Albert the Great, who is scheduled to run in Saturday's Pimlico Special for older horses. A P Valentine will have a new Preakness jockey, with Pat Day replacing Corey Nakatani.

The eight possible newcomers to the Triple Crown trail for the Preakness are Bay Eagle, Buckle Down Ben, Distilled, Griffinite, Marciano, Mr. John, Percy Hope, and Richly Blended. There are various degrees of commitment from the trainers of those eight, ranging from definite (Griffinite and Mr. John) to probable (Bay Eagle, Buckle Down Ben, Marciano, and Percy Hope) to possible (Distilled) to unlikely (Richly Blended).

Marciano worked one mile between races on Monday at Delaware Park in 1:38.20.

Several prominent Derby runners are bypassing the Preakness, most notably Invisible Ink, who finished second. His trainer, Todd Pletcher, said Invisible Ink would head straight to the Belmont Stakes, and would not race between the Derby and Belmont. "He's definite for the Belmont," Pletcher said. "He came out of the race perfect." Plans were less certain for Balto Star, who suffered from a mild case of heat stroke. "He was a little dehydrated," Pletcher said.

Pletcher could still be represented in the Preakness by Distilled. He worked out at Churchill Downs on Sunday, then traveled with Balto Star and Invisible Ink to Belmont Park, where he will work again this Sunday. His Preakness status will be finalized after that workout, Pletcher said.

Thunder Blitz, fourth in the Derby, also will await the Belmont Stakes, according to his trainer, Joe Orseno. Jamaican Rum, Millennium Wind, and Startac all are returning to California. David Hofmans, the trainer of Millennium Wind, said his colt suffered some lacerations on his front legs after being caught in traffic on the far turn. Millennium Wind will be pointed for the $500,000 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park on July 15, Hofmans said.

Ward was scheduled to visit Pimlico on Tuesday and then send Monarchos there on Wednesday. Accompanying Monarchos will be Hero's Tribute, who is scheduled to run in the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard. Percy Hope also could be on that flight.

"We're taking a hard look at it," said Percy Hope's trainer, Tony Reinstedler. "He needs to train over that track. If he's not on the plane Wednesday, he's not going to run in the race."

Both Congaree and Point Given will fly to Baltimore on May 16. Baffert said both would have a workout on either Monday or Tuesday at Churchill Downs. Mr. John also would go to Baltimore next Wednesday, according to his trainer, Elliott Walden, who said Mr. John was scheduled to work at Churchill Downs on Thursday. Nakatani has picked up the mount on Mr. John.

Bay Eagle's participation will hinge on a workout Sunday at Delaware Park, where he is stabled with trainer H. Graham Motion. Ramon Dominguez will be aboard for the workout, Motion said.

- additional reporting by David Grening and Marty McGee