Judge's ruling makes Valhol likely Derby starter

A judge in Little Rock, Ark., on Tuesday awarded the owner ofArkansas Derby winner Valhol the $300,000 first-prize money, clearingthe way for the gelding's entry in Saturday's Kentucky Derby.

The distribution of the winner's share from the April 10 race atOaklawn Park in Hot Springs had been put on hold while stewardsinvestigated whether jockey Billy Patin used an electrical device tomake Valhol run faster.

Without the money from the Arkansas Derby, Valhol likely wouldn'thave enough earnings to qualify for one of 20 spots in the race atLouisville, Ky. Without the $300,000, Valhol ranked 24th inearnings; with the money, the horse ranked 12th.The deadline for entries …