Castellano will ride Hidden Scroll in Florida Derby

Javier Castellano has picked up the mount on Hidden Scroll for the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on March 30, trainer Bill Mott said Tuesday.

Hidden Scroll most recently finished fourth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 2 at Gulfstream after setting a swift early pace. He was ridden in that race and his only other start – a runaway victory against maidens in January at Gulfstream – by Joel Rosario, but Mott said days after the Fountain of the Youth that Rosario would be replaced and listed the mount as undecided.

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Mott added Tuesday that Hidden Scroll will have his first work since the Fountain of Youth this weekend at Payson Park, where Mott is based during the winter.

The Florida Derby, at 1 1/8 miles, offers 100 points to the winner and 40 for second on the system used by Churchill Downs to determine the field for the Kentucky Derby on May 4.

Castellano has been casting about for a top-shelf Derby prospect. He was scheduled to ride Network Effect in the Fountain of Youth before that Chad Brown trainee was taken out of training and off the Derby trail. Last week at Aqueduct, he rode Instagrand for the first time and they finished third in the Gotham.