With an uncertain future ahead and an empty grandstand behind, a dozen 3-year-olds will take to the track late Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park to decide the premier event of the 2019-2020 Championship Meeting, the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
With several unexpected entrants coming out of the woodwork Wednesday morning, a full field of 12 3-year-olds, plus one also-eligible, was drawn for the marquee race of the Gulfstream Park Championship meet, the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
As the managing partner of Sackatoga Stable, Jack Knowlton desperately wants to watch the Florida Derby on-site. Sackatoga owns Florida Derby favorite Tiz the Law.
That Gulfstream Park figures to be extremely quiet on Saturday because there will be no fans or owners in attendance may actually help Independence Hall.
No rider has had a better Kentucky Derby prep season than Florent Geroux, who last Saturday won the Louisiana Derby with Wells Bayou, that following a victory the previous month with Mr. Monomoy in a division of the Risen Star. This Saturday, he rides Ete Indien, the Fountain of Youth winner, in the Florida Derby.
Trainer Todd Pletcher ran his first horse in the Florida Derby in 2001 and since then has missed only one running of Gulfstream Park's marquee race for 3-year-olds. More significantly, Pletcher has won a record five Florida Derbies, including four of the last six. Saturday, Pletcher will be back for another go at the Florida Derby when he sends out Gouverneur Morris and Candy Tycoon in the last of 14 races on a blockbuster card.
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Tiz the Law
Like every trainer in the country, particularly those with Kentucky Derby prospects, trainer Bill Mott is trying to find a path forward for Modernist without having all that data he'll need regarding potential prep races, or when racing will return to some semblance of normalcy.
With Fountain of Youth winner Ete Indien scheduled to run in the Florida Derby on Saturday and Tampa Bay Derby runner-up Sole Volante being pointed to the Arkansas Derby, trainer Patrick Biancone has had a great year so far, but no victory will top a personal milestone he achieved earlier this week, when he was pronounced cancer-free after having his left kidney removed a few weeks ago.
Kentucky Derby: Who's hot, who's not for March 25, 2020
