FLORENCE, Ky. -- Lion Tamer built his reputation in New York and Florida while Champali never has run outside Kentucky.

Their divergent Triple Crown paths meet Saturday at Turfway Park for the $500,000 Lane's End Stakes, this weekend's major Kentucky Derby prep.

Lion Tamer, the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 2 race, has won three of four starts. Trainer Todd Pletcher says he's "a lightly made horse" that runs best on lots of rest.

"That's why I chose to run him at Turfway, and that's why I chose to only have the one race between now and the Derby," Pletcher said.

Lion Tamer will start from the outside post in the nine-horse field. Champali, named for Muhammad Ali, has won six of seven starts and is the 7-2 second-favorite.

Lion Tamer won a maiden race at Belmont in September, an allowance race at Gulfstream in January and the 7-furlong Hutcheson Stakes on Feb. 15. The Lane's End, formerly known as the Jim Beam Stakes, will be his first trip around two turns.

A win Saturday would put him squarely into the Derby picture, which has been muddled since three of the best 3-year-olds -- Vindication, Toccet and Sky Mesa -- were sidelined with injuries.

Empire Maker's Florida Derby victory made him the current front-runner, one that Pletcher admits he ducked by skipping that race.

"We did kick around the idea of jumping off and going into the Florida Derby," Pletcher said. "But I felt like sticking to our original plan and giving him five weeks from the Hutcheson to the Turfway race, and then six weeks to the Derby made sense for this particular horse."

Champali is the leading money winner in the field with earnings of $250,474. He has not seen a fast track in his three starts this year, all at Turfway Park.

"He likes a fast track, but if it rains through Saturday, that would be fine, too," trainer Greg Foley said. "If he runs back to his last race, he's going to be tough to beat. I don't think this is going to be a walk in the park like some of the other trainers think."

Among others in the field:

Trainer Jennifer Pedersen scratched New York Hero out of last Saturday's Gotham Stakes to run in the Lane's End. The colt has two wins and two seconds in four starts, the victories coming in 6-furlong sprints at Aqueduct.

Saintly Look, winner of the Lecomte Stakes at the Fair Grounds, is a Saint Ballado colt trained by Dallas Stewart.

Eugene's Third Son, trained by Patrick Byrne, has the least experience of all but he's 2-1-0 in three starts, including a recent win at 1 1-8 miles in an allowance race at Gulfstream.

"We were obviously pleased with his last race," Byrne said. "It was his first time around two turns and he handled it very well. We know that he'll have to step up to the plate, but we expect a big race from him."

Trainer Dallas Keen is bringing in Lots of Sizzle, winner of only a maiden race at the Fair Grounds. But that was at 1 1-16 miles, and the gelding ran a good third in a recent turf route.

"He's real laid-back. He's just started waking up," Keen said. "He's got plenty of stamina and he's a beautiful mover. He'll run all day."