Let’s Get It Started: Florida Derby Preview

After a controversial disqualification in the GII Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth S. Feb. 21, the one-two finishers from that one, plus an unbeaten ‘TDN Rising Star,’ headline Saturday’s GI Besilu Stables Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. 

Upstart (Flatter), third in last term’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, kicked off his 3-year-old campaign in style with a powerful 5 1/2-length decision in the GII Holy Bull S. Jan. 24. The Ralph M. Evans colorbearer crossed the line 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid) in the Fountain of Youth, but had his number taken down for causing interference in deep stretch. The New York-bred, a $130,000 SARAUG graduate, is the 8-5 morning-line favorite. 

“He dug very deep that day,” trainer Rick Violette said. “He doesn’t need his racetrack. He’s run on a wet racetrack and he’s run on a deep, tiring racetrack and everything in between.” 

Starlight Racing’s Itsaknockout, a $350,000 FTSAUG yearling purchase, entered the Fountain of Youth with a perfect two-for-two record at Gulfstream, including a runaway optional claiming victory going a mile Jan. 4. 

“I thought it was a courageous effort,” trainer Todd Pletcher commented. “It was his first time around two turns and first time in a stakes. He was giving up some seasoning to some other horses and I thought he handled it very well. Who knows what would have happened if he wasn’t impeded a bit in the stretch? But even had he finished second and there had been no disqualification, I would have been very pleased and proud of his effort. It was a lot to ask of a horse.” 

The powerhouse Pletcher barn will also be represented by the very promising Materiality (Afleet Alex). A six-furlong debut winner in the slop here Jan. 11, the Alto Racing colorbearer successfully stretched to nine furlongs with a ‘Rising Star’ performance in the Islamorada H. Mar. 6. The half-brother to GII Gazelle S. heroine and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up My Miss Sophia (Unbridled’s Song) brought $400,000 at the 2014 EASMAY sale. Fellow ‘TDN Rising Star’ and Pletcher trainee Constitution (Tapit) won last year’s Florida Derby in his third career start. 

“It’s a huge step,” Pletcher admitted. “It was also a huge step going from a maiden race to a mile-and-an-eighth stakes, which concerned us a little bit, stretching him out to a mile and an eighth, but he seemed to handle it well. He’s a big, robust horse and he seems to have taken the race well.”