Off the Tracks to have few rivals in Gulfstream Park Oaks

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – While the much-anticipated encounter between division leaders Mohaymen and Nyquist in the $1 million Florida Derby highlights next Saturday’s program, the race is just one of eight stakes on the card, seven of which have graded status.

The prospective field for the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby is now up to eight 3-year-olds, according to stakes coordinator Mike Costanzo. Along with Mohaymen and Nyquist, the list includes Fellowship, Majesto, Ifyousnoozeyoulose, Sawyers Mickey, Takeittotheedge and Fashionable Freddy. Trainer Todd Pletcher has said he also might run one in the race, although likely not his top Kentucky Derby prospect, Zulu.

While the prospective lineup for the Florida Derby has grown gradually over the past week, that’s not the case for its filly counterpart, the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks.

As of Friday, the racing office had only three confirmed starters for the 1 1/16-mile Oaks, led by the undefeated Off the Tracks, who was purchased privately and transferred to Pletcher’s barn following her impressive victory in last month’s Margate Handicap. Paolo Queen and Double Entendre are the only others whose connections have said they will participate in the Oaks, which attracted only 17 nominations.

The small field is somewhat surprising in light of the announcement earlier this month that the undefeated Cathryn Sophia would bypass the race in lieu of the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland the following week.

One of those 17 nominees is Carina Mia, who has not started since capturing the Grade 2 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs in her 2-year-old finale. She had her 3-year-old debut delayed earlier this month due to the equine herpesvirus quarantine at Payson Park, and trainer Bill Mott said Friday that she will skip the Oaks and join Cathryn Sophia in the Ashland.

“I guess the biggest reasons to go to the Ashland are that we planned on running in the race since last fall – of course, with the hopes of having had a race into her before that – the fact she’s already run well twice and set a track record over the Keeneland track, and it’s a Grade 1, whereas the race here is a Grade 2,” Mott said.

The Gulfstream Oaks and Ashland are key preps for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 6.

“Naturally, we would have loved to have gotten a race into her before this,” said Mott. “You always know they’ll be a little fitter that way. But we’ve put some good works in her, she’s worked well, and we’ll just cross our fingers and hope she’s ready enough in the Ashland.”

Carina Mia was not the only stakes horse in Mott’s potent stable to have lost an opportunity to compete over the last several weeks because of the three-week quarantine at Payson.

“We had a half-dozen horses over a couple of weekends scheduled to run in stakes here at Gulfstream, at Tampa, and in California, but there’s no point whining about it now,” said Mott. “Unfortunately, sometimes it’s hard to keep these horses going after you’ve got them cranked up and ready to run. Those types of races don’t always show right up again. You can’t always run them back the next week, so then you have to let them back down again.”

While he won’t be in action in the Florida Derby or Gulfstream Oaks, Mott said he plans to run Celestine in the Grade 2 Honey Fox and will have starters in both the Grade 3 Orchid and Grade 3 Appleton here next Saturday.

Among some of the other prominent names expected to compete on the Florida Derby undercard are Valid in the Grade 3 Skip Away; Grand Tito, Kaigun, and possibly Twilight Eclipse in the Grade 2 Pan American; and Divisidero in the Appleton.