EAST - FLORIDA - For a few days, it appeared that the $1 million Florida Derby (GI), the premier Derby prep in Florida, would only attract six or seven horses. But the defection of the Bobby Frankel-trained Master David prompted a few more horses to enter the fray for Saturday's race at Gulfstream Park.

Fountain of Youth (GI) winner Read the Footnotes is the 7-5 morning-line favorite in the talent-rich 10-horse field. The son of Smoke Glacken, who was credited with a Beyer Speed Figure of 113 in his Fountain of Youth win, enters Saturday on a three-race winning streak and has won five of six career starts. He will be ridden again by Jerry Bailey and will start from post three.

The Richard Violette-trained Read the Footnotes will face a stern challenge from a plethora of challengers in the 1 1/8 mile race. Foremost among them may be Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Tapit, who will make his 2004 debut. Trained by Michael Dickinson, the talented son of Pulpit has been away from competition since an impressive win in November's Laurel Futurity (GII). Tapit had been scheduled to make his season premier last month, but a minor injury prompted Dickinson to keep him on the sidelines until Saturday's race.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who nominated a record 35 horses to the Visa Triple Crown, sends out of one of his more accomplished runners in Aaron & Marie Jones' Value Plus. The gray son of Unbridled's Song won his 3-year-old debut last month in a Gulfstream allowance race in which he ran a 108 Beyer Speed Figure. The $1.1 million yearling purchase has won two of five career starts and will be ridden by John Velazquez.

Also in the Florida Derby field is The Cliff's Edge, one of two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Nick Zito's "big three" contenders. The colt is coming off a disappointing runner-up finish as a heavy favorite in Tampa Bay Downs' Sam F. Davis, a 1 1/16-mile race in which he lost ground with wide runs on both turns. The Gulch colt ended 2003 with wins in Churchill Downs' Iroquois (GIII) and Kentucky Jockey Club (GII).

Looking for redemption is Sir Oscar, who will be saddled by new trainer Martin Wolfson as the colt looks to rebound from a fifth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth -- his first loss in seven career starts. Sir Oscar bled in that setback and will be treated with the anti-bleeding medication Lasix for his run in the Florida Derby.

As for Master David, who bypassed the Florida Derby after spiking a fever, it appears that the chestnut colt will not make his next start for Frankel until the April 10 Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct. Post time for the Florida Derby is 4:20 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the race will be telecast on ESPN2.

Swale Stakes - Just 40 minutes after the Florida Derby, fans will witness two more prime Kentucky Derby candidates in action in the $100,000 Swale (GIII). The 7-5 morning line favorite in the seven furlong race is Buckram Oak Farms' Eurosilver, another of Zito's trio of Derby hopefuls.

The Unbridled's Song colt, who captured Keeneland's Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (GII) at two, launched his 2004 campaign last month with a Gulfstream allowance win. Javier Castellano will ride. Eurosilver's main competition could come from Derrick Smith & Michael Tabor's Chapel Royal, the 8-5 second choice in the morning line. Trained by the ubiquitous Pletcher, the son of Montbrook has not raced since a third place finish behind eventual 2-year-old champion Action This Day in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI). Chapel Royal has never finished worse than third in six career starts and regular jockey John Velazquez will ride.

Promising, but unproven, 3-year-olds will be showcased in allowance races on the Gulfstream undercard. Pletcher will saddle Forest Danger, who won in his career debut on Fountain of Youth day, in the day's second race. The seventh race will showcase John C. Oxley's Tango Tales, a son of Tale of the Cat who scored his first win for Kentucky Derby-winning trainer John Ward (Monarchos, 2001) at Gulfstream in early February.

Tampa Bay Derby - At Tampa Bay Downs, a pair of South Florida colts could be favored after a trip north for Sunday's 1 1/16 mile $250,000 Tampa Bay Derby (GIII).

Dogwood Stables' Limehouse, who is coming off a victory a sharp victory in his 3-year-old debut in Gulfstream's Hutcheson (GII), figures to attract strong support at Tampa Bay. The Pletcher-trained son of Grand Slam has won four of seven starts including a pair of stakes victories at Churchill Downs in the Three Chimneys Juvenile and Bashford Manor (GIII). Limehouse will be ridden by Pat Day.

The other major South Florida invader is Swingforthefences, a stablemate of Read the Footnotes trained by Violette. The bay colt cruised to a 5 1/4-length victory in his last start over the well regarded Shaniko and the Tampa Bay Derby will mark his stakes debut.

WEST - CALIFORNIA - Two-year-old champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) winner Action This Day will be looking for his first victory as a 3-year-old on Sunday at Santa Anita as he squares off against 10 rivals in the $250,000 San Felipe (GII) at 1 1/16 miles.

The Richard Mandella-trained champion makes his second start of year after finishing a late-running fourth to Master David in the Feb. 8 Sham at Santa Anita. The son of Kris S. has two wins in four starts and will be ridden by David Flores.

His primary competition could come from rising star St Averil, the winner of the Santa Catalina (GII) in his most recent start. His only loss in three races came at the hands of Lion Heart in December's Hollywood Futurity (GI). Trained by Rafael Becerra, the son of Saint Ballado will have Tyler Baze back in the irons.

Three-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Bob Baffert will saddle James McIngvale's Odds On and Mike Pegram's Preachinatthebar. The former, a son of Baffert's 1997 Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm, rolled to a three-length victory in his 3-year-old premier last month at Santa Anita and may be the stronger member of the Baffert duo.

In other news, the Mandella-trained Minister Eric will finally make his long awaited 2004 debut on Saturday's undercard in a 6 1/2 furlong optional claiming allowance race on Santa Anita's distinctive downhill turf course. He had been entered in last month's Baldwin (GIII), but was excluded from that overflow field.

The only other Visa Triple Crown nominee in the nine-horse field is Boboman, a French import and son of Kingmambo who makes his United States debut for Mandella.

El Camino Real Derby - Sunday's $200,000 El Camino Real Derby (GIII) will have human and equine star power as entertainer Merv Griffin's Skipaslew heads a field of 10 at Golden Gate Fields. The son of Skip Away has a two-race winning streak that includes the Golden Gate Derby (GII). Skipaslew is trained by Southern California-based Doug O'Neill.

His main rival in the 1 1/16 mile contest is O.K. Mikie. The gelded son of Michael's Flyer was claimed by owner Charles Lo for $25,000 in November and captured the Golden State Mile last time out. Two other high-powered Southern California stables will be represented in the race. Bobby Frankel will run Baldwin winner Seattle Borders and Baffert has Totally Platinum.

« Back To Derby Updates