One nomination from Otago will be fighting 12 runners from the All Stars Stable juggernaut - along with 31 others - to make the New Zealand Pacing Derby at Addington in late March.
The Graeme Anderson-trained Titan Banner, who took his record to three wins from four starts with his win at Ascot Park on November 30, is the sole Otago-trained hope among the 44 nominees announced on Friday.
Titan Banner has already toppled two of the other Derby hopefuls, eclipsing the Nigel McGrath-trained Nero Star at Ashburton in mid-November, before downing Costa Del Magnifico in his Ascot Park win.
However, names such as Follow The Stars, Have Faith In Me and Hug The Wind lead the way for the Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen-trained team at Rolleston even after the loss of the talented Alta Orlando, who strained a hind suspensory earlier this month.
While some of the Derby nominees will be trying to make a name for themselves over the coming months, several horses who already have top reputations were performing at their peak at Alexandra Park on Friday night.
Adore Me overcame her awkward second-line draw to win the group 1 Queen Of Hearts over Helena Jet and Lancewood Lizzie, and Stent returned to form in the Lyell Creek Stakes.
However, the most show-stopping performance came in the first race when Dalton Bromac smashed the long-standing national 2200m mobile pace record with a time of 2.36.1 - 2.1sec inside Bogan Fella's time of 2.38.2 set in 1999.
Dalton Bromac's next start is likely to be in the Cambridge Futurity on Wednesday, which includes an automatic Chariots Of Fire invitation to the first 4yr-old home, provided they run in the first two.
Five of the Derby nominees were in the group 2 Alabar Classic on Friday night, and the All Stars silks featuring blue with silver grey stars were dominant once again, with Itz Bettor To Win grabbing the spoils just ahead of the Tony Herlihy-trained Express Stride.
Derby nominations
Art Union, Better Scoot, Bettor Spirits, Bracken Ridge, Brilliant Strike, Chachingchaching, Change Stride, Classical Art, Costa Del Magnifico, Cullect The Gold, Downunder Stride, Duke Of Albany, Express Stride, Field Marshal, Fight For Glory, Follow The Stars, Have Faith In Me, Highview Freddy, Hughie Green, Hug The Wind, Itz Bettor To Win, Jay Dub, Jonny B Good, Kept Under Wraps, Kiwi Legend, Linda Lovegrace, Major Stare, Major Stride, McArdle Star, Mighty Flying Major, My Kiwi Mate, Nero Star, Prince Of Pops, Pulp Fiction, Rakarolla, Robbie Burns, Say My Name, Sluggem, Smithy, Strike The Gold, Supersonic Miss, The Lion's Roar, Titan Banner, Zin Zan.
