10.12.2002 Photo By: Jean Raftery   Calder-based Trust N Luck (above), a 5 1/4-length winner of the Fountain Of Youth Stakes (GI) in his 3-year-old debut, is the 2-1 second choice on the morning line for Saturday's $1 million Florida Derby (GI) at Gulfstream Park.

Empire Maker Favored, Trust N Luck The One To Beat In $1 Million Florida Derby
By: John Gaver III

(Mar. 13, 2003) - Based on his lofty reputation, high-profile connections and regal pedigree, Empire Maker has been installed the 9-5 morning line favorite for Saturday's 52nd running of the $1 million Florida Derby (GI), which will be contested at a distance of a mile and an eighth at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. The Juddmonte Farm homebred is not the horse to beat, however.

Six 3-year-old colts will have to catch and run down free running Trust N Luck, an impressive 5 ¼-length, wire-to-wire winner of the Fountain Of Youth Stakes (GI) on Feb. 15, in Saturday's race, and Einar Robsham's Florida-bred son of Montbrook is a close 2-1 on Gulfstream Park's morning line.

Calder-based Trust N Luck, who is trained by Ralph Ziadie, has not been headed in his past two starts, winning by a combined total of 16 ¼-lengths, and he drew the rail in a short field in a race that will be contested over a traditionally speed-favoring surface.

On paper, Midway Cat is the only other entrant in the compact field who figures to challenge Trust N Luck from the opening bell, as that rival was very rank when his rider took a hold of him early in the Fountain Of Youth in the attempt to try to get him to rate, and the son of Sir Cat nearly ran off. His connections may elect to let Midway Cat run early this time. Formal Attire, a late addition to the field, is another who has shown speed at shorter distances and may be sent early from his wide post draw.

Jerry Bailey, who will ride favored Empire Maker on Saturday for trainer Bobby Frankel, also believes Trust N Luck is the horse he must run down to win.

"Trust N Luck is the horse we have got to beat," Bailey said. "He will control the pace."

Empire Maker, a bay son of Unbridled and the blue hen broodmare Toussaud, was held in high regard even before he made his first start and didn't disappoint when he broke his maiden in his career debut at Belmont last fall. Since that effort, the colt has finished third, beaten 5 ½ lengths in last year's Remsen Stakes (GII) by Toccet, and was second, beaten a length by Man Among Men, in the restricted, nine-furlong Sham Stakes in his 3-year-old debut.

Empire Maker has always had to carry lofty expectations on his back - evidenced by his backing at the betting windows - in all three of his previous starts and has yet to run a bad race in his career. Trainer Bobby Frankel will run Empire Maker in blinkers for the first time on Saturday, and the colt has been training exceptionally in the hood since his loss in the Sham Stakes.

"Empire Maker has only made three starts, so he's inexperienced, but Bobby [Frankel] is putting blinkers on him now, so I'll probably be a little closer to the pace," said Bailey. That's essential going into this race."

The x-factor in in the race is the lightly raced El Prado colt Senor Swinger, who is undefeated from two starts, the most recent of which coming in a dead-heat with the graded stakes-placed colt Ten Cents A Shine at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 31. Senor Swinger was being pointed to a Jan. 18 allowance test at Gulfstream, a race that his trainer, Mickey Goldfine, said would have served as a prep for the Feb. 15 Fountain of Youth Stakes (GI), when he developed a respiratory infection.

"We originally planned to run him in a race on Jan. 18, but he came down with a respiratory infection and that messed up our schedule," Goldfine said.

In his final major tune up for the Fountain Of Youth, Senor Swinger sizzled six furlongs in 1:11 2/5 on Mar. 2 at Gulfstream. He is the 6-1 fourth choice on the morning line.

The rest of the field is comprised of the aforementioned Midway Cat and Formal Attire in addition to Supah Blitz, an honest second to Trust N Luck at nearly 34-1 in the Fountain Of Youth, and Indy Dancer, a late-running colt who disappointed as the favorite in the Risen Star Stakes (GIII), a race won by Badge Of Silver, who was off-the-board as the favorite in the Mar. 9 Louisiana Derby (GII).

The field, in post position order with rider and morning line odds for the 52nd Florida Derby is Trust N Luck, Cornelio Velasquez, 2-1; Supah Blitz, Rosemary Homeister, Jr., 8-1; Midway Cat, Jorge Chavez, 5-1; Indy Dancer, John Velazquez, 10-1; Senor Swinger, Edgar Prado, 6-1; Empire Maker, Jerry Bailey, 9-5 and Formal Attire, Eibar Coa, 12-1. All entrants will carry 122 pounds.

« Back To Derby News