HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With several unexpected entrants coming out of the woodwork Wednesday morning, a full field of 12 3-year-olds, plus one also-eligible, was drawn for the marquee race of the Gulfstream Park Championship meet, the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
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As the managing partner of Sackatoga Stable, Jack Knowlton desperately wants to watch the Florida Derby on-site. Sackatoga owns Florida Derby favorite Tiz the Law.
Florida Derby: News, contenders, and videos
Gulfstream Park is not allowing fans on the grounds, but Knowlton was hoping to be able watch from beyond the outer rail in midstretch to upper stretch.
That Gulfstream Park figures to be extremely quiet on Saturday because there will be no fans or owners in attendance may actually help Independence Hall.
Florida Derby: News, contenders, and videos
Independence Hall has been a handful for his handlers in the paddock, at least in his two races at Aqueduct. A more serene environment may help Independence Hall with his pre-race behavior.
“It should be pretty quiet,” trainer Michael Trombetta said. “That should help me.”
Jockey Florent Geroux on Sunday was about two hours into a drive from New Orleans to his home in Louisville – where he had hoped to spend a couple of days off – when he got a call alerting him that if he wanted to ride in the Florida Derby on Saturday, he needed to be in Florida by that night. As he has all spring, Geroux sped across the finish line with plenty of room to spare.
Trainer Todd Pletcher ran his first horse in the Florida Derby in 2001 and since then has missed only one running of Gulfstream Park’s marquee race for 3-year-olds. More significantly, Pletcher has won a record five Florida Derbies, including four of the last six.
Saturday, Pletcher will be back for another go at the Florida Derby when he sends out Gouverneur Morris and Candy Tycoon in the last of 14 races on a blockbuster card.
Tiz the Law
Constitution – Tizfiz, by Tiznow
Bred in New York by Twin Creeks Farm ($110,000 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling purchase by Jack Knowlton)
Like every trainer in the country, particularly those with Kentucky Derby prospects, trainer Bill Mott is trying to find a path forward for Modernist without having all that data he’ll need regarding potential prep races, or when racing will return to some semblance of normalcy.
:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2020: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more
“To even try to plan for anything beyond tomorrow is a little bit ridiculous right now,” Mott said.
With Fountain of Youth winner Ete Indien scheduled to run in the Florida Derby on Saturday and Tampa Bay Derby runner-up Sole Volante being pointed to the Arkansas Derby, trainer Patrick Biancone has had a great year so far, but no victory will top a personal milestone he achieved earlier this week, when he was pronounced cancer-free after having his left kidney removed a few weeks ago.
WHO’S HOT
Wells Bayou and Ny Traffic earned 100 and 40 points, respectively, for their one-two finish in the Louisiana Derby on Saturday and have moved onto the Derby Watch top 20 list. Wells Bayou impressed Daily Racing Form’s Marty McGee enough to make him the co-fifth choice at 12-1 for the Kentucky Derby, now scheduled for Sept. 5. Ny Traffic is 50-1 on McGee’s line.
:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2020: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Two of the leading contenders for Saturday’s Grade 1 Florida Derby, Tiz the Law and Independence Hall, turned in their final preps for the meet’s marquee event at virtually the same time albeit 40 miles apart, shortly after 7:30 a.m. on Sunday.