Louisville, Ky. ? The garland of roses was still draped over a wall near Barbaro’s stall in Barn 42 at Churchill Downs on Sunday morning, and talk of a Triple Crown run already was blooming before the buds fully opened.

No horse has swept the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont since Affirmed in 1978. Six in the last eight years have failed even after winning the first two.

Yet, undefeated Barbaro’s 6-length victory – the largest since 1946 – over what was considered an unusually strong Derby field is fueling the talk that the dark bay colt has a chance.

“No doubt about it,” said Bob Baffert, trainer of three horses – Silver Charm, Real Quiet and War Emblem – that fell a Belmont victory shy of the Triple Crown. “He’s a big, long-striding, high-cruising dude. War Emblem, he looked like that coming down the stretch. Just a true race horse.”

Any thought that Barbaro was meant for the turf, where he took the first three of his six victories, was scuttled by his performance in the 1-mile contest on dirt Saturday.

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro stops to smell his blanket of roses Sunday at Churchill Downs.

With Barbaro shipping home Sunday to Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., to prepare for the Preakness on May 20 in nearby Baltimore, some trainers already were shying away from running against him again.

But Brother Derek, the morning-line favorite who finished in a dead heat for fourth after starting from post position 18, is game.

Trainer Dan Hendricks said the colt will stay at Churchill until he ships to Pimlico.

“I’d love to have another run at him,” Hendricks said. “If we can’t beat him, I hope he wins the Triple Crown. But this is what we do, and I’ll try to beat him in two weeks.”

Hendricks also said his colt lost his right front shoe at some point.

“Alex didn’t know when. He could have done it during the post parade or during the race.”