Sovereignty draws the outside in 10-horse field for Florida Derby
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Sovereignty, the 8-5 morning-line favorite, will have to overcome the disadvantage of breaking from the extreme outside in a field of 10 drawn for Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. The Grade 1 fixture and important Kentucky Derby prep will be the final event on a 14-race card that features nine other stakes, four of them graded, including the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. Post time for the headliner is 6:42 p.m. Eastern.
Outside posts have historically proven a challenge in main-track races decided here at 1 1/8 miles due to the short run from the starting gate to the first turn. That distance was increased by 53 feet with a change in the run-up that went into effect Feb. 26.
Sovereignty launched his 3-year-old campaign with an impressive last-to-first neck victory over River Thames in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 1, earning a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure. The outing was the first for the son of Into Mischief since closing his 2-year-old season with a five-length triumph in the Grade 3 Street Sense at Churchill Downs. Jockey Junior Alvarado was aboard for both victories, but he will need to be replaced for the Florida Derby after sustaining a hairline fracture to his scapula on Sunday at Gulfstream.
Trained by Bill Mott, Sovereignty turned in his final tune-up for the Florida Derby on Saturday morning, breezing an easy half-mile in 50.20 seconds at Payson Park.
Two of Sovereignty’s main rivals in the Florida Derby also will break from the outside. California invader Madaket Road, the 7-2 second choice on the morning line, will start from post 8, with Grade 3 Holy Bull runner-up Tappan Street in post 9.
Neoequos, who finished third after setting a contested pace making his two-turn debut in the Fountain of Youth, got the best of the draw. He will break from the rail under new rider Edgard Zayas.
“Distance is a question mark,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “The plan is to break forwardly. If he breaks well, he can be on the lead. I think that’s our best shot, to be on the lead and for him to go as far as he can.”
The field, from the rail out including riders, is; Neoequos, Zayas; Cool Intentions, Javier Castellano; Smoken Boy, Edgar Perez; Disruptor, Irad Ortiz Jr.; Indecisiveness, Jorge Ruiz; Jimmy’s Dailys, Joel Rosario; Enterdadragon, Dylan Davis; Madaket Road, Tyler Gaffalione; Tappan Street, Luis Saez; and Sovereignty, TBD.
Other Florida Derby contenders to work Saturday included Madaket Road, who went five furlongs in 1:00.80 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.81 at Santa Anita. Tappan Street went five furlongs in 1:01.80 at Payson Park, while Jimmy’s Dailys went five furlongs in 1:01.80 at Palm Meadows. At Palm Beach Downs, Disruptor went a half-mile in 48.99 in company with Gordian Knot, and Enterdadragon went four furlongs in 49.95.
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