Gulfstream Park: Cairo Prince breezes five furlongs towards Florida Derby

Cairo Prince continued his preparations for the $1 million Florida Derby on March 29 by working five furlongs in 59.95 in company with Long River at Palm Meadows on Saturday. The breeze was just his third since registering an impressive 6 3/4-length victory over Conquest Titan in the Grade 2 Holy Bull on Jan. 25 and first since his owners sold a majority interest in the colt to Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Stable earlier this week.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

“He worked very well with a very nice colt in Long River,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “They went pretty much together in 59 and 4. It was a little faster, again, than we wanted this far out, but yet we wanted a decent work and everything went well.”

McLaughlin also commented briefly on the sale of Cairo Prince, who had been owned by a four-man partnership before the sale.

[Clocker Reports: Get Mike Welsch’s clocker reports from Gulfstream Park and Palm Meadows]

“I’ve been involved with Godolphin and Sheikh Mohammed for 20 years and he’s a great person to have involved with a horse going to the Kentucky Derby,” said McLaughlin. “I’m very thankful that the four gentlemen got together with Darley. There was a lot of interest in the horse, a lot of people trying to offer money for him. I’m very happy that they ended up with Darley. It’s just a perfect case scenario for Team McLaughlin and hopefully for Cairo Prince.”