Shipsational will make next start in April's Florida Derby

Shipsational, second in the Sam F. Davis and third in the Tampa Bay Derby, will try the other coast of Florida when he makes his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on April 2, trainer Eddie Barker confirmed Sunday.

Though the Florida Derby means running back in three weeks after the Tampa Bay Derby, Barker said he thought that would be easier on the horse than shipping him up to New York for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 9.

Barker also said he likes having five weeks to the Kentucky Derby should Shipsational run well enough in the Florida Derby to head to Kentucky.

“Less stress on the horse really,” Barker said Sunday morning at Belmont Park. “Three-hour van ride as opposed to moving the whole barn up here and having to gallop on a strange track. I thought it would be much better for him because nothing’s going to really change.”

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Barker is making one change. Javier Castellano, who rode Shipsational in the Sam F. Davis but not the Tampa Bay Derby, will be back aboard the horse for the Florida Derby. Manny Franco rode the horse in the Tampa Bay Derby and was extremely wide throughout, just missing second by a neck to Grantham.

“Both races at that track we had [an] outside post,” Barker said of Tampa. “We haven’t seen the best of this horse, I can tell you that right now. He was compromised in both races.”

Shipsational will be the first horse Baker has run at Gulfstream Park in his near 30-year training career.