TRIPLE CROWN RATINGS

REMARKS: With 15 horses in the picture and several of them doubtful, the 117th Kentucky Derby, which will be run a week from Saturday at Churchill Downs, may have the smallest field since only nine horses tried and failed to beat 3-5 favorite Spectacular Bid in 1979.

This year’s Derby lost another horse Monday when trainer LeRoy Jolley announced that Meadow Star would not run. Undefeated in nine races against fillies, Meadow Star stepped out of her division last Saturday and was fourth, beaten by 10 1/4 lengths, as Cahill Road won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Cahill Road was declared out of the Derby minutes later because of a recurring ankle injury that was aggravated during the race.

Jolley said that Meadow Star also wouldn’t go to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks, the stake for 3-year-old fillies the day before the Derby. The Wood was Meadow Star’s third race in a month; she will get a breather before running May 25 at Belmont Park in the one-mile Acorn, which is the first race in New York’s triple for 3-year-old fillies.

In alphabetical order, these are the possibilities for the Derby:

Best Pal--Finishing only a half-length behind Dinard twice, the California-bred gelding has been training smartly at Churchill Downs and will try to become the fourth California-bred to win the Derby. The last was Decidedly in 1962.

Big Al’s Express--This unraced colt was vanned to Louisville from Vallejo, Calif., and might run Saturday in the Derby Trial, which opens the Churchill Downs season. “I’d hate to see a horse like this in the Derby,” said Allen Paulson, Dinard’s owner. “He could screw things up.”

Corporate Report--Just when it appeared as though trainer Wayne Lukas wouldn’t have a Derby starter for the first time since 1980, this colt earned his way into the race by running second Saturday in the Arkansas Derby.

Dinard--Winner of the Santa Anita Derby and the probable lukewarm favorite for the Kentucky Derby, this undersized gelding had a slow workout at Churchill Downs the other day, which disturbed everyone but Paulson and trainer Dick Lundy.

Fly So Free--Trying to become the first 2-year-old champion to win the Derby since Spectacular Bid, this colt will try to rebound from a second-place finish in the Blue Grass. “He still looks good to me,” trainer Scotty Schulhofer said. “He just didn’t handle the track in the Blue Grass and the race didn’t set up right for him.”

Green Alligator--The California Derby winner was headed for Kentucky, win or lose at Golden Gate Fields, because trainer Murray Johnson plans to move his family to Louisville. Johnson hasn’t determined whether the son of Gate Dancer will run in the Kentucky Derby.

Hansel--Has won over tracks in Illinois, New York and Kentucky, but the two Kentucky victories were at tracks other than Churchill Downs.

Lost Mountain--At 40-1, unable to overhaul the injured Cahill Road in the stretch of the Wood.

Mane Minister--Unable to beat Dinard and Best Pal at Santa Anita.

Olympio--The winner of the Arkansas Derby--and the only horse to beat Dinard--might be saved for the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, at Pimlico May 18.

Quintana--Claimed from Lukas by David Cross, the trainer of 1983 Derby winner Sunny’s Halo, the son of Affirmed ran fourth despite a troubled trip in the Arkansas Derby.

Sea Cadet--Third in the Santa Anita Derby, he is a stablemate of Olympio and could also be headed for the Preakness.

Strike The Gold--Second to Fly So Free in the Florida Derby, he turned the tables in the Blue Grass.

Subordinated Debt--A bleeder who runs with Lasix, he was last in the Jim Beam and sixth in the Arkansas Derby in his past two starts.

Tank--A son of Tank’s Prospect, the 1985 Preakness winner, he broke his maiden while running for a $75,000 claiming price and more recently won the Garden State Stakes.

Advisory panel for The Times’ Triple Crown Ratings: Lenny Hale, vice president for racing at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga; Frank (Jimmy) Kilroe, director of racing emeritus at Santa Anita; and Tommy Trotter, director of international racing at Arlington International Racecourse.

TRIPLE CROWN RATINGS

Career Horse S 1 2 3 Earnings 1. Dinard 5 4 1 0 452,750 2. Fly So Free 10 7 1 1 $1,382,004 3. Best Pal 10 6 2 1 1,148,695 4. Strike The Gold 7 2 2 1 378,810 5. Hansel 9 5 1 2 811,335 6. Olympio 8 5 1 0 578,675 7. Sea Cadet 11 5 2 2 457,050 8. Tank 5 3 0 2 119,940 9. Mane Minister 8 3 0 2 154,700 10. Corporate Report 4 3 1 0 153,000