Florida Derby

The Florida Derby

The $1 million Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park headlines a massive 14-race card this Saturday, offering 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner. The 1 1/8-mile feature centers on a high-stakes rematch between Commandment, riding a three-race win streak for Brad Cox, and Chief Wallabee, who fell just a neck short in the Fountain of Youth (G2). Adding to the depth is Todd Pletcher’s Nearly, the Holy Bull (G3) winner also seeking his fourth consecutive victory.

Potential spoilers include Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner The Puma. The undercard is equally prestigious, featuring the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), where the dominant She Be Smooth is the heavy favorite for Kentucky Oaks points. Additionally, trainer Miguel Clement brings back Grade 1 stars Far Bridge and Carson’s Run for turf stakes, while the heavy-hitting Grande returns to graded company in the Ghostzapper (G3).

Florida Derby Race History

Twenty-five Kentucky Derby winners. That’s right—between 1953 and 2023, a span of 71 years, the Florida Derby (G1) produced the Kentucky Derby (G1) winner on 25 occasions, a record of success unequaled by any other Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race.

When writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr noted “the more things change, the more they stay the same,” he could very well have been writing about the Florida Derby. The race has barely changed at all since its inaugural running in 1952. It’s always been held over 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park, and it’s always been a key steppingstone toward the Run for the Roses, producing multiple Kentucky Derby winners every decade.

Ironically, the first Florida Derby participant to achieve fame under the Twin Spires went thoroughly unheralded at Gulfstream Park. After finishing 13th in the 1953 Florida Derby, Dark Star pulled off an unforgettable upset in the Kentucky Derby, stemming off a late charge from superstar Native Dancer to win by a head.

In the decades to follow, Iron Liege (1956), Tim Tam (1958), Venetian Way (1960), Kauai King (1966), Cannonade (1974), Foolish Pleasure (1975), Strike the Gold (1991), and Go for Gin (1994) all followed Dark Star’s lead by turning defeat in the Florida Derby into victory at Churchill Downs.

But winning both races has been an even more common feat, with the Florida Derby/Kentucky Derby frequently serving as a springboard to champion three-year-old honors. The Florida-bred standout Needles was the first to complete the double 1956, followed by Tim Tam (1958), Carry Back (1961), Northern Dancer (1964), Forward Pass (1968), Spectacular Bid (1979), Swale (1984), Unbridled (1990), Thunder Gulch (1995), Monarchos (2001), Barbaro (2006), Big Brown (2008).

The 2010s saw continued success for the Florida Derby as Orb (2013), Nyquist (2016), and Always Dreaming (2017) parlayed triumphs in Gulfstream’s signature race into victories under the Twin Spires. Maximum Security (2019) also crossed the wire first in both races, but was disqualified from Kentucky Derby glory after causing interference on the far turn.

In 2023, Mage parlayed a fast-closing second in the Florida Derby into a late-running triumph at Churchill Downs.

Since the 1950s, no Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race has come close to producing as many Kentucky Derby winners as the Florida Derby. It’s easy to see why the race ranks as a top-tier prep awarding points on a 100-50-25-15-10 split to the top four finishers.

By J. Keeler Johnson/TwinSpires.com