posted May 4, 2006 at 13:11 EST in Triple Crown Articles

Graded Earnings: $940,800 Race Record: 7-1-3

Lawyer Ron is the best of the Southwest with a 4-for-4 mark in '06, including a sweep of the Southwest Stakes, the Rebel and the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. Smarty Jones did the same thing before winning the 2004 Derby. The chestnut colt couldn't win on turf or Polytrack, but is 7-for-7 on dirt and takes a six-race winning streak into Churchill Downs.

Lawyer Ron is by Langfuhr, the Canadian champion sprinter in 1996. While he only won two allowance races in that country during the campaign, he did take both the Vosburgh and the Forego the same year. He followed those victories with Grade One wins the next year in the Metropolitan and Carter Handicaps. Lawyer Ron's dam Donation didn't have much impact on the racetrack; the Kentucky bred daughter of Lord Avie raced four times, retiring without a win.

When jockey John McKee climbs aboard, Lawyer Ron will be the most seasoned starter with 14 races. McKee rode his first winner May 27, 2002, at River Downs and won the riding title there, smashing Hall of Fame jockey Steve Cauthen's record for victories by an apprentice. In 2005 McKee rode 131 winners from 987 mounts, earning $4,543,663. In 2004, he ranked 28th nationally in victories (210) and 29th in earnings ($6 million). He also has been leading rider at River Downs. He rides first call for Holthus. This will be his third Derby mount; he finished 13th on Pro Prado in 2004 and in the same position on Greater Good in 2005.

Estate of James T. Hines Jr. owns Lawyer Ron. He bred Lawyer Ron on his farm in Utica, just south of Owensboro, Kentucky. Lawyer Ron was named by Hines for his attorney, Ron Bamberger. Hines has been involved with racing since the mid-1990's, with Bob Holthus being his primary trainer, who will saddle-up Lawyer Ron in this year's Derby.

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