Florida Derby Runners Look Forward

Twin Creek Racing and WinStar Farm's Constitution (Tapit) emerged from his victory in Saturday's GI Besilu Stables Florida Derby in fine shape, according to trainer Todd Pletcher. “He came out really well,” Pletcher, who earned his 11th consecutive Gulfstream Park training title, commented Sunday. “He returned home to Palm Meadows this morning and seemed to be in good shape.” 
    The unbeaten Constitution was making just his third start in the Florida Derby. “He's a horse that has progressed a lot over the winter,” Pletcher continued. “He broke his maiden in January, won an allowance in February and he won the Florida Derby in just his third start–that's pretty impressive.” 
    Pletcher said the handsome bay colt will continue to train at Palm Meadows for the GI Kentucky Derby. “I'm thinking about [shipping to Kentucky] 12 days before [the Derby],” the conditioner said. “I'd like to have one work at Churchill. I'll just have to see how the weather is here and how the weather is there. I'll have to see how things go about flight arrangements and things like that.” 
    Trainer Jose Garoffalo admitted Wildcat Red (D'wildcat)'s determined runner-up effort in the Florida Derby was “bittersweet.” “We're happy with the horse,” Garoffalo said. “The horse did his job. We trained the horse to win the race, but races are races. You can either win or lose. But the horse showed that he can go longer, and proved to a lot of people that they were wrong. In a way, there are a lot of positive points.” Garoffalo said Wildcat Red would likely to ship to Kentucky the week before the race. 
    Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin admitted he was extremely disappointed with the fourth-place effort of favored Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile), but he said the colt came out of the race well. “He's very happy and sharp out of the race,” McLaughlin said. “But it's just been a tough, tough day.” 
    The conditioner had no excuses for his charge's lackluster performance. “I haven't been able to say what went wrong,” he said. “It's very disappointing. We're disappointed, almost shocked at the results. But it is horse racing and it is what it is. He's fine out of the race and we'd like to go on if we can, but the points situation isn't favorable.” 
    Cairo Prince has earned 24 total points towards an entry into the GI Kentucky Derby, good enough for 16th on the list of sophomores aiming for the Classic, but with several key prep races still to come. “The way the points are now, there are four races out there for eight horses to get first and second [and enough points to qualify],” McLaughlin said. “So we're hoping that they're already in, but that's not likely.” 
    McLaughlin said no definite plans had been made for Cairo Prince. “He's going to stay here right now, but that could change,” McLaughlin said. “Plan A didn't work and we don't really have a Plan B. I'm going to have to talk to everybody, all the owners, and make a Plan B.”