Strike Power getting an education as Florida Derby looms

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It may have been just an easy maintenance half-mile in 49.38 seconds, but trainer Mark Hennig could not be happier with the way his Florida Derby hopeful Strike Power continues to progress following his second-place finish two weeks ago in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.

With regular exercise rider Juan Oyola aboard, Strike Power eased away from the half-mile pole in 25.26 for his opening quarter, changed leads on cue, and finished strongly without a hint of urging before galloping-out a solid five-eighths in 1:02 and pulling up six furlongs in 1:14.76. He was working approximately 10 minutes after the renovation break.

“He went off easy, then finished off and galloped out really nice,” said Hennig, who trains the homebred Strike Power for Courtlandt Farms. “He’s been all about training since his last start. We’ve been working a little bit with his lead changes, and once he switched at the head of the lane he really picked it up nicely down the stretch. One thing about him, he’s really sharp and hasn’t backed off his feed tub one bit despite coming out of a really tough race.”

Strike Power has had only three starts, with his Fountain of Youth second to Promises Fulfilled under Luis Saez his first around two turns. Hennig said he is confident Strike Power will improve in the Florida Derby.

“You know he didn’t switch his leads until right at the wire when he won the first time going five and one-half furlongs, and he definitely hung on to the left lead a lot longer than I’d have liked stretching out to seven-eighths in his second start,” Hennig said. “But Luis said he switched perfectly, almost before the quarter pole, in the Fountain of Youth, and actually thought he had the other horse. But maybe going two turns for the first time had him thrown off a little. So it’s nice to come back and feel like you’re kind of doing the same thing this time, and even though he has to go another sixteenth, it won’t get as confusing for him. And that’s one reason why I’m optimistic he’s going to move forward again this time.”

Hennig said he will likely ask Strike Power to do a little more in his final Florida Derby breeze next week.

“I wouldn’t mind sharpening him up a little bit because his best asset is his speed and I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him use that a little more next time,” Hennig said. “But it’s not like it’s five or six weeks between races, either, and we don’t need to squeeze the lemon too much, especially since we’ve still got a long ways to go if he stays on this trail. That last race went a long way to helping his fitness. I think we can achieve what we need without going crazy in his next work by just getting a nice gallop-out afterwards.”

Saez recently made the decision to forgo the mount on Gunnevera in the $10 million Dubai World Cup to keep his regular seat on Strike Power on the same day in the Florida Derby.

A small field seems to be shaping up for the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby on March 31, led by Promises Fulfilled and Strike Power; Audible, runaway winner of the Grade 2 Holy Bull in February at Gulfstream; and Catholic Boy, runner-up in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes in February at Tampa Bay Downs.

Other potential starters include Tip Sheet, who breezed a slow five furlongs in 1:04.02 here Friday, and either Belle Tapisserie or Millionaire Runner from the barn of trainer Jaime Mejia, according to stakes coordinator Mike Costanzo.

Hennig was also pleased with the way his lightly raced but promising 3-year-old filly Cache worked Friday, drawing away from her early target Summersault en route to a 47.52 half-mile clocking. She galloped-out five furlongs in 1:00.04. Cache is coming off a fifth-place finish in the one-mile Davona Dale following an impressive debut victory five weeks earlier.

Hennig said Cache might run in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on the Florida Derby undercard on March 31. The Shug McGaughey-trained Fly So High was expected to be a heavy favorite in the Oaks after winning the Davona Dale, but she is sidelined with an injury.

“I’ve made some equipment changes and I thought she really worked well this morning,” Hennig said. “I didn’t think she got a good trip in the Davona Dale. In a perfect world I’d like to have run her back in an allowance race after her maiden win, but haven’t been able to get one to go here. If she continues to go forward I’d consider bringing her back in the Oaks. Especially with Shug’s filly out of the race.”

◗ Sunday’s 13-race program will be highlighted by a $48,000 first-level optional claimer at five furlongs on the turf for Florida-bred fillies and mares. Ariel B., undefeated in two starts and an 8 1/2-length winner under a $16,000 claiming tag Feb. 15, will likely be favored making her first start off the claim for trainer Luis Luna. Meant Tobe Mine, also haltered for $16,000 out of her last start, and Mojo’s Queen are also key contenders.