HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – White Abarrio missed nearly two weeks of training and two scheduled works leading up to his 4 1/2-length triumph over the slow-starting Simplification here earlier this winter in the Grade 3 Holy Bull. Simplification, in turn, found himself a whole new running style as a result of missing the break in the Holy Bull, and he flattered the race by rallying to an easy victory of his own in the roughly run Grade 2 Fountain of Youth four weeks later. On Saturday, the two leading locally based Kentucky Derby prospects will finally meet again while likely vying for favoritism with Tampa Bay Derby winner Classic Causeway in the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby, to be run as the final race on a 14 race card that includes nine other stakes. First post time for the penultimate program of the 2021-22 Gulfstream Park Championship meet is 11:30 a.m. The long range forecast was calling for a 60-70 per cent chance of rain on Saturday afternoon. :: DRF's Florida Derby Day headquarters – Previews, past performances, picks, and more A field of 11 3-year-olds was drawn for Saturday’s 71st running of the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby. The race has produced 24 Kentucky Derby winners since its inception in 1952 and offers 170 Kentucky Derby qualifying points distributed on a 100-40-20-10 basis to the top four finishers. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was concerned White Abarrio might come up a short horse after having his training schedule disrupted for nearly two weeks leading up to the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull. Joseph acknowledged White Abarrio was “not ideally prepared” going into the Holy Bull, his 3-year-old debut, and hoped for a creditable effort that he could build off on the road to the Kentucky Derby. That notion left him pleasantly surprised and obviously delighted in the aftermath of White Abarrio’s performance, which saw him stalk the early pace under jockey Tyler Gaffalione before drawing away as much the best over Simplification and Derby prospect Mo Donegal while earning a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure. Joseph opted to skip the Fountain of Youth to await the Florida Derby in light of White Abarrio’s monstrous effort in the Holy Bull. His preparations went along smoothly until he contracted a minor temperature early last week. That added another nerve-wracking glitch to his schedule, but was a mere hiccup compared to what White Abarrio had to contend with prior to the Holy Bull. “He overcame the last issue; hopefully, he can overcome this one too,” Joseph said after White Abarrio turned in a sharp three-furlong breeze, postponed 48 hours, here Tuesday. “It’s a bit of a curve ball we don’t need, but with the difference being last time he was giving up fitness. That’s not the case this time. This is a very solid field. He’s going to have to show up. But if he can just run back to his last race, I’d be very happy with that.” The tardy beginning may have cost Simplification any chance he had of giving White Abarrio a run for his money in the Holy Bull, but might have been a blessing in disguise for trainer Antonio Sano. He learned that day Simplification was more than a one-dimensional need-the-lead type. Simplification rallied from last to finish second in the Holy Bull, then rallied from sixth in the Fountain of Youth, setting up the eagerly anticipated rematch here Saturday. In the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, Simplification was rated in mid-pack by new rider Jose Ortiz, several lengths off the leaders. Simplification launched his bid out near the middle of the track on the second turn, and sustained the rally to readily draw clear of the field through the final furlong. But Sano said the strategy could be a little different on Saturday. “I will leave it up to Jose, but this race is different because Classic Causeway has a lot of speed and we don’t want him to get too far away,” Sano said. “But I think my horse is also going into this race even better than the last. Remember, our main goal is the Kentucky Derby. I hope to win this race, but I just want to see my horse continue to get better and better leading up to the next one.” Sano said he was hoping for one of the five inside posts for Simplification for the Florida Derby, and he got his wish when the colt drew post 3. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2022: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Trainer Brian Lynch’s decision to re-route Classic Causeway from the Blue Grass to the Florida Derby changed the complexion of Saturday’s race from both a quality and pace standpoint. Classic Causeway breaks from post 2, inside the other key contenders, and is expected to go right to the front once again under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., like in his victories in the Sam F. Davis and Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa. Classic Causeway will have to improve from a Beyer Speed Figure standpoint to compete with White Abarrio and Simplification after earning an 84 for his 2 1/2-length triumph in the Tampa Bay Derby and an 88 for winning the Sam Davis. White Abarrio earned a 97 in the Holy Bull, and Simplification earned a 91 in the Holy Bull and a 96 in the Fountain of Youth. Charge It, a son of Tapit, won a maiden race in wire-to-wire fashion by 8 1/2 lengths going one mile here Feb. 12. But he has made only two starts and never raced around two turns. “I think going a mile and an eighth he’ll be forwardly placed,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “I don’t think he’s the kind that has to have the lead. Inexperience is the biggest factor.” – additional reporting by David Grening