HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The name Apollo will be sure to surface at least a couple of hundred times between now and Kentucky Derby Day following Constitution’s game neck decision over Wildcat Red in Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.
That’s because Constitution will enter the Derby having made only three starts and none before launching his career with an impressive seven-furlong maiden special weight victory here Jan. 11.
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – About 4 1/2 hours before trainer Todd Pletcher watched Constitution fight his way into the Kentucky Derby, he witnessed In Tune do the same for the Kentucky Oaks.
In her stakes debut, In Tune held off a prolonged challenge from House Rules to win the Grade 2, $300,000 Gulfstream Oaks by a neck to remain undefeated in three career starts and secure a spot in the $1 million Kentucky Oaks on May 2.
Group 2, $2 million UAE Derby, Meydan Racecourse, Dubai, 1 3/16 miles, Tapeta synthetic surface, March 29
(100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for win, 50 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth.)
Toast of New York turned in a smooth winning performance at 11-1 odds on a relatively dead Tapeta surface, getting the 1 3/16 miles in a creditable 1:57.92. But even with this convincing 2 1/2-length victory over 6-1 shot Asmar, it is questionable whether he can pose a serious threat in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3.
NEW ORLEANS – Vicar’s in Trouble, the winner of the Louisiana Derby here Saturday, came out of the race in good order and, by Sunday afternoon, was scheduled to be in Louisville, Ky., where he will be prepared for the Kentucky Derby along with his Mike Maker-trained stablemate, General a Rod, who was third Saturday in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.
NEW ORLEANS – Sure, it’s horse racing, but there are times when a jockey, understanding the nuances of the track and able to make split-second decisions based on unforeseen developments, can make a huge difference.
So it was at Fair Grounds on Saturday, when the track’s leading rider, Rosie Napravnik, adjusted to the track profile and a slow start by a key rival when sending Vicar’s in Trouble to a front-running victory in the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Constitution showed a new dimension while also keeping his record unblemished going into the Kentucky Derby when outfinishing a game Wildcat Red to post a well-deserved neck decision in Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The mutuel field closed as the favorite yet again in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which closed Saturday at 6 p.m. Eastern following a three-day run.
The field, the 24th or “all others” option, closed at 5-1, followed by California Chrome (9-1), Cairo Prince (9-1), Social Inclusion (11-1), Candy Boy (13-1), Bayern (15-1), Hoppertunity (15-1), Tapiture (15-1), Samraat (17-1), Constitution (19-1), and Intense Holiday (20-1).
ARCADIA, Calif. – Almost two months after his last start, Candy Boy was pronounced ready for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 5 after a quick six-furlong workout in 1:11.80 at Santa Anita on Saturday.
Trainer John Sadler described Candy Boy’s training in recent weeks as “steady” and said the colt has excelled since a win in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 8. Sadler said the gap between races should benefit Candy Boy in advance of the Triple Crown.
“So many drop out, you want to have a fresh horse,” he said.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Twenty-four hours before he was scheduled to board a van headed for Aqueduct, Social Inclusion worked a half-mile in 46.90 seconds Saturday morning at cloudy, muggy Gulfstream Park.
Toast of New York, whose previous claim to fame was a romping $6,400 allowance-race win Nov. 1 over the synthetic surface at Wolverhampton in England, crushed 11 rivals in the UAE Derby on Saturday night in Dubai, winning by 2 1/2 lengths over Asmar.
Toast of New York had earned $8,115 coming into the UAE Derby, but took home the winner’s share of a $2 million purse for his owner, Michael Buckley.
