NEW ORLEANS - It was hard to tell which trainer was more relieved Monday morning at Fair Grounds, Steve Asmussen for having his faith in Fifty Stars realized in Sunday's $750,000 Louisiana Derby or Dallas Stewart for finding that Dollar Bill had emerged unscathed after nearly falling at midstretch of the roughly run race.

	True Concern (left), Millennium Wind (7), Fifty Stars, (8) and Dollar Bill (right), drive for the finish line during the running of the Louisiana Derby.

Fifty Stars, who had disappointed Asmussen when sent off at short prices in the Lecomte Stakes and Risen Star Stakes, ran the best race of his career while taking advantage of the trouble that befell his rivals, including Dollar Bill, who finished fourth, and Hero's Tribute, who was third. Asmussen was beaming on Monday morning.

"What had hurt him early, the fact that he wasn't precocious, is going to be his strength now," Asmussen said. "They can't go far enough to suit us."

Because of all the trouble, the Louisiana Derby was as unsatisfying as the Florida Derby was a revelation. Monarchos overpowered his rivals at Gulfstream on Saturday, earning a Beyer Figure of 105 and emerging as the favorite, at 5-1, in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Point Given, who will make his first start of the year in Saturday's $250,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita, was 6-1, as was the mutuel field, which included Fifty Stars.

John Ward, who trains both Monarchos and Hero's Tribute, said Monarchos "showed a dimension I had hoped was there, but I wasn't sure until I saw it."

"It was enlightening," Ward said. "Now we can make adjustments to where we want to be along the curve toward going 1 1/4 miles. We'll be adjusting to the kinder side."

Ward said Monarchos, who was ridden by Jorge Chavez, would be pointed to the $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 14 and Hero's Tribute to the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, also on April 14. If both Monarchos and Hero's Tribute run that date, Chavez would have to give up the mount on one of the horses.

"We'll make a decision next week," Ward said. "I'm not going to wait until entry time." With Chavez likely to ride Monarchos, Jerry Bailey is expected to get the mount on Hero's Tribute. Bailey won the Kentucky Derby on Hero's Tribute's sire, Sea Hero.

Fifty Stars could provide a financial windfall to Asmussen, jockey Donnie Meche, and owners Jim Cassels and Bob Zollars. Fifty Stars already is alive for a $1 million bonus that goes to a horse who can sweep the Louisiana Derby and May 5 Kentucky Derby. He now will be pointed to the $500,000 Lone Star Derby, whose winner is eligible for a $1 million bonus should he win any Triple Crown race. So if Fifty Stars can win the Lone Star Derby on April 7, he could be going for $2 million worth of bonuses in the Kentucky Derby, in addition to the Derby's purse.

"I'd be lying if I said the bonus didn't enter into our thinking," said Asmussen, who splits his stable between Lone Star Park and Churchill Downs when Fair Grounds closes at the end of the month.

Fifty Stars earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 94. Among those he could face in the Lone Star Derby is Hoovergetthekeys, a romping seven-length winner over Startac in Saturday's El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. Hoovergetthekeys earned a 103 Beyer figure.

Dollar Bill, who finished fourth under jockey Pat Day, nearly fell at mid-stretch when he clipped the heels of the tiring Gracie's Dancer. His trainer, Stewart, said Dollar Bill would race next in the Blue Grass Stakes.

"He looks fine. I think he pulled up better than we did," Stewart said. "It was a tough go. You've got to take it on the chin, that's all you can do. I slept all right until 2 o'clock. I know I had the best horse. At least I feel like I ran the best horse. Pat was just beside himself. He was pretty shook up. He said he rode a bad race. I thought both of them were going down."

Hero's Tribute was in traffic for much of the race then closed strongly after getting outside horses at midstretch. Hero's Tribute left Fair Grounds on Monday morning and was back in his stall at Gulfstream Park before noon. He will remain in Florida for two more weeks, then go to Kentucky. Ward said Hero's Tribute would add blinkers for the Blue Grass.

Millennium Wind, who finished second in the Louisiana Derby, appeared to come out of the race well. His trainer, David Hofmans, arrived at the barn at 6 a.m. before heading home to Los Angeles, and remarked favorably about examination of the colt's problematic right front hoof, which has a patch.

"Nothing's seeping out," Hofmans said. "It looks better than it did two days ago."

Hofmans said Millennium Wind would head back to his Hollywood Park base this week and be prepared for either the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 7, or the Blue Grass.

Outofthebox, who finished second in the Florida Derby, will return, as previously planned, in the $250,000 Flamingo Stakes at Hialeah on April 7, according to Steve Flint, the top assistant to his father, trainer Bernie Flint.

Invisible Ink, who was third after getting stopped in traffic at the top of the stretch, will run next in either the Wood or Blue Grass, according to his trainer, Todd Pletcher.

"It was a good experience for him," Pletcher said. "He encountered a lot of traffic on the turn, and once he got out of traffic he finished well and showed a lot of heart. Sometimes in a race like this, you move forward even when you don't win, and that's what we did."

Fountain of Youth Stakes winner Songandaprayer, who finished fifth in the Florida Derby after a wide trip, also will go in either the Wood or Blue Grass, according to his trainer, John Dowd. Fourth-place finisher Dream Run is likely to head to the $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 21, while City Zip, who finished ninth, is returning to his best game, sprinting, in $150,000 Bay Shore Stakes at seven furlongs at Aqueduct on April 14.

Additional reporting by David Grening and Mike Welsch.