HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Even though Commandment and The Puma hit the finish line as one at the end of Saturday’s Grade 1 Florida Derby, trainer Gustavo Delgado and his son Gustavo Jr. were confident their horse, The Puma, had gotten to the wire first. As did, it seemed, the majority of those who watched the race, either on track or off, around the country. Unfortunately for the Delgados and the rest of The Puma’s connection’s and backers, the photo-finish camera at Gulfstream Park said otherwise, resulting in one of the most heartbreaking losses in the storied 75-year history of the most significant of all the Kentucky Derby preps. “As a rule I always play it conservative when it comes to these things, I never celebrate like that when a race is that close," the younger Delgado said on Sunday. "It seems like that might be a jinx. But that’s how confident we all were that he had won, after watching live and the replays immediately after the race. Javier (Castellano) even came by the barn this morning and told us he still thinks he won.” But other than the devastation of narrowly missing out on such a lucrative and prestigious prize as the $1 million Florida Derby, the mood was very upbeat in The Puma camp the morning after the race. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “He ate up after the race and looks good this morning,” the younger Delgado, who serves as assistant to his father, confirmed on Sunday. “We couldn’t be happier with his performance, especially coming back in just three weeks off his win in the Tampa Derby. That might have cost us this race, but it was the right thing to do - bringing him back over his home track, especially the way he had worked last week for this race.” The Puma earned far and away a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure for his performance on Saturday, 11 points higher than he received for his wide-running victory at Tampa. “With those late scratches, there was less pace in the race than we were expecting, but otherwise it worked out just like we thought it would,” Delgado said. “We moved a little sooner because we didn’t want to let Nearly get too far away, especially over this track where you need to be forwardly placed. Everything worked out perfectly, other than we didn’t get the win.” With The Puma safely in the Kentucky Derby field with 106 qualifying points, the Delgados are looking forward to moving on to Churchill Downs and hoping history will repeat itself on May 2.  They sent out Mage to upset the 2023 Derby five weeks after his second-place finish in the Florida Derby. “Even though [The Puma] won at Tampa, we needed to confirm he belonged at this level and he certainly did that yesterday,” Delgado said. “We now have four races into him and the five weeks between now and the Derby is really going to help him a lot. We’ll stick to the same schedule that worked so well with Mage. Breeze him back here in two weeks and then have his final work at Churchill Downs about a week or so before the race.”                  Commandment also came out of the race well, per trainer Brad Cox who, oddly enough, may again have to find a new rider for the potential Derby favorite.    Commandment was ridden to victory in both the Mucho Macho Man and Fountain of Youth here earlier this winter by Irad Ortiz Jr.  He had Flavien Prat aboard for his thrilling win in the Florida Derby as Ortiz opted instead to go to Oaklawn Park, where he guided Renegade to his very impressive tally in the Arkansas Derby.  Prat is also the regular rider for Louisiana Derby winner Emerging Market. “(The agents) know more than me right now,” Cox said when queried about his jockey situation on Sunday. “We’ll have to let things shake out over the next week or so. We need to get through the Blue Grass (with Further Ado) as well. We didn’t want to change up anything yesterday. We had to, it worked out well, and we’ll adjust and do the best with what we have.”  Like The Puma, Commandment also received a 100 Beyer Figure for his effort in the Florida Derby, one point less than what he earned for his victory in the Fountain of Youth four weeks ago. “Obviously we’ve asked more of him in each run and it’s not as if he has to get a certain trip, either,” Cox said. “He’s able to track horses and finish up. Go around, go between, and that will serve him well.” Cox finds himself in the same position he did a year ago heading into the Kentucky Derby, having won the 2025 Florida Derby with Tappan Street, who unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury in his final prep for the race. “I feel every bit as confident with this horse as I did last year,” said Cox, who also has the Jeff Ruby winner Fulleffort heading to the Derby and Further Ado looking to earn himself a starting spot as well with a big effort in Saturday’s Blue Grass at Keeneland.   Cox said Commandment would likely have three works prior to the Derby, but he will monitor the weather in Kentucky before deciding when to ship to Churchill Downs.  The lightly raced Chief Wallabee turned in another huge effort in the Florida Derby finishing third, just a half-length behind the leaders. The 25 qualifying points he earned gives him 50, which puts him on the fence regarding a berth in this year’s Derby lineup.    Trainer Bill Mott, however, is bullish on his chances. “He galloped out in front of everybody, it wasn’t like he hit the wire and folded,” said Mott, whose Sovereignty won the 2025 Kentucky Derby off his second-place finish behind Tappan Street in the Florida Derby. “He still had energy to keep galloping out, which you look for. Of course, the next test is another eighth of a mile. That’s the big one. But he gives you the indication that you’d certainly be justified to try it.”     - Additional reporting by David Grening :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.