Crowd of Florida Derby candidates turn in final works

HALLANALE BEACH, Fla. - Todd Pletcher has won more Florida Derbies, five, than any other trainer. And it’s rare indeed when the Hall of Fame nominee finds himself taking a bit of a back seat in the lead-up to Gulfstream Park’s marquee race for 3-year-olds.

But such is the case this season with Known Agenda, Pletcher’s lone candidate in the 2021 Florida Derby, likely to go postward third or even fourth choice in the wagering behind local division leader Greatest Honour, the upstart Collaborate and Bob Baffert’s West Coast invader Spielberg.

Known Agenda was among the many notable, locally based candidates to turn in their final works for the Florida Derby at a bevy of training venues around the area over the weekend, breezing five furlongs in company with stablemate Malathaat in 1:02.52 at Palm Beach Downs on Saturday morning. The work was the second for the St. Elias Stable homebred since his 11-length victory against modest allowance competition here Feb. 26. That win was the second in five career starts for Known Agenda, who defeated Greatest Honour when breaking his maiden last fall at Aqueduct.

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“His first eighth was a little slow, they went off in :14 or so, then came home a final half in 48 and one,” Pletcher said when asked about Saturday’s work. “He looked good, happy. He’s been training very well since he ran.”

Known Agenda raced with blinkers on for the first time in his last start, an equipment change that Pletcher believes has helped the still relatively lightly raced colt.

“He needed something to give him a little bit of early focus, to put his mind in the game,” Pletcher said. “Hopefully it will do the same for him next time. He’s already won at a mile and one eighth and was able to beat Greatest Honour when he did that, and we believe the farther he gets to go, the stronger he will be. We’re very happy with the way he’s coming into this race.”

Known Agenda will have the services of leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. again in the Florida Derby.

Both Greatest Honour and Collaborate turned in their final Derby breezes Sunday at their respective winter homes of Payson Park and Gulfstream Park.

Greatest Honour recorded another slow and relatively easy work, again in company, in the second of two maintenance-like breezes since his popular victory in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth three weeks ago. He showed better energy than he had in his previous work eight days earlier.

“He’s not a good work horse, but I thought this was a lot like his work before the Fountain of Youth, maybe better,” trainer Shug McGaughey said afterward.

Collaborate had Queen Nekia as a target, breaking five lengths back at the five-eighths pole with the pair just loping along to the half before picking up the pace at that point. Collaborate engaged his mate into the stretch, ultimately sticking his head in front at the wire after four furlongs in 48.38, continuing out five-eighths in 1:01.20 while never asked for his best over what proved to be a fairly dull surface throughout the course of the morning.

“We weren’t looking for much after the good, strong work he had last week,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “They started a little slow from the five-eighths, but after that finished well and he galloped out strong. He really didn’t need to do any more. He’s plenty fit. We just need to have a good week now. My main concern is the draw (post position) because I hear they are expecting 10 for the race right now and the more horses they get, the more the draw comes into play.”

Post positions for the Florida Derby and the remainder of Saturday’s card will be drawn Wednesday.

California invader Spielberg also had his final work for the Florida Derby on Sunday, posting a near-bullet 59.40 clocking going five furlongs at Santa Anita. Spielberg exits a second-place finish behind Essential Quality in the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Park.

Papetu, who finished third in the Fountain of Youth, turned in his first officially recorded drill since that race going six furlongs in 1:12.80 at Gulfstream Park West on Saturday.

“The work was very, very good, he galloped out strong,” trainer Antonio Sano said. “I think he’s going into the race even better than before the Fountain of Youth.”

Sano had originally offered Javier Castellano the mount on Papetu in the Florida Derby. But Castellano has opted to ride Spielberg instead, leaving Sano without a rider confirmed as of Saturday.

Also at Payson on Sunday, Nova Rags blew out three furlongs in 38.60 for trainer Bill Mott. Nova Rags has not started since finishing second behind stablemate Candy Man Rocket, beaten a length, at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 6.

◗ Pletcher is also finalizing plans for potential Kentucky Derby prep appearances for up to another half-dozen 3-year-olds in his care, including Donegal Bay and Sainthood, who’ll run Saturday in the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park. He also has Dynamic Won and possibly Overtook penciled in for the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, with either the Blue Grass at Keeneland or the Wood potential stops for Bourbonic and Untreatable.