Florida Derby

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be present at Gulfstream Park for Florida Derby Day on Saturday, Mar. 30. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance has partnered with 1/ST RACING to have a variety of on-site activations during the day. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be honored with a named race on the Florida Derby Day undercard. Following the running of the race, a presentation will be made to the winning connections, including a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance branded blanket and gift bag branded merchandise. 1/ST RACING will promote accredited aftercare throughout the day. A representative from...

Le Dom Bro (Mucho Macho Man) will train towards a start in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, his connections announced Saturday. The GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. runner up worked a half mile in :49 4/5 Saturday morning at Palm Meadows. "He went really well," said owner Vincente Stella. "We are looking at the Florida Derby 100 percent. He's a very happy horse. He's going really well." The winner of the Fountain of Youth, Dornoch (Good Magic), also worked a half mile Saturday morning in :49 4/5 and will...

D. J. Stable and Robert Cotran's Hades (Awesome Slew), coming off a win in the Feb. 3 GIII Holy Bull S., tuned up for an expected start in the Mar. 30 GI Curlin Florida Derby with a five-furlong work in 1:00.34 (2/14) Sunday at Gulfstream Park. The gelding worked in company with 3-year-old maiden Halon (Flameaway). "It was what I call a 'Wow!' work," trainer Joe Orseno said. "I put a horse in front of him to have a horse to run at a little bit. At the quarter-pole, I...

Dornoch (Good Magic) pleased Danny Gargan with his victory in Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. and the trainer said a decision on the colt's next start would likely be made by the end of the week. "He's great. He looked good this morning. He cooled out nice. We're happy with him. He ate up well," Gargan said. "We're pleased with him." Following Dornoch's professional performance as the 1-5 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, Gargan said the 3-year-old full-brother to 2023 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage...

D. J. Stable LLC and Robert Cotran's Hades (Awesome Slew), upset winner of Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. over juvenile champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), may be pointed to either the Mar. 2 GII Fountain of Youth S. or the Mar. 30 GI Curlin Florida Derby, hinted trainer Joe Orseno to the Gulfstream Park notes team Thursday. "We're obviously working backwards from the first Saturday in May," said Orseno. "We'll do what's best for the horses. I don't think both races are in the plans. If...

After upsetting his maiden field at 5-1 odds Nov. 24, Otello shipped south from Aqueduct to Gulfstream to make a successful jump into stakes company Monday, taking the Mucho Macho Man S. under Luis Saez. Favored this time around at 8-5 for Christophe Clement, the newly-turned 3-year-old executed a very similar race plan than that of his debut, sitting off the pace in fifth as longshot Everdoit (Gary D) was intent on the early lead. In a field that remained rather tightly bunched, Otello sat patiently through a :46.63 half...

2-year-old champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence), whose retirement was announced earlier this week, has arrived at Spendthrift Farm where he will take up stud duty in 2024. His introductory fee will be $50,000 S&N and he is available for inspection by appointment. "The first thing I think about Forte is just how much of an honor it is for us to bring a horse like him to Spendthrift. He's the fifth champion we've been fortunate enough to add to our stallion ranks since 2020, and that's a testament...

Il Miracolo (c, 3, Gun Runner--Tapit's World, by Tapit), a longshot second in Saratoga's Curlin S. July 21, broke through with a career high in Tuesday's GIII Smarty Jones S. at Parx. Drawn widest of all in post eight, the 7-2 chance was hustled from his outside draw and raced three wide around the clubhouse turn. He sat a perfect, stalking trip from an outside third, made his move on the far turn, kicked for home as the one to catch, and, despite drifting out badly down the lane,  was...

Mage (Good Magic), last out beaten a length by Forte (Violence) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, returned to the Gulfstream Park worktab Sunday morning with an easy five furlongs in 1:01.09, as reported by Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch. "What we usually do after a big race like we had, we try to go nice and easy. That seems to be what he did today," said Gustavo Delgado Jr., assistant to his father. Mage, who collected 40 points for his runner-up Florida Derby finish and 10 points for his...

We're approaching the edge of the GI Kentucky Derby abyss. Three final 100-points prep races Saturday, followed by four weeks of microscopic analysis and animated speculation. Bring it on! 1) FORTE (c, Violence--Queen Caroline, by Blame) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-South Gate Farm (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt, MGISW, 7-6-0-0, $1,833,230. Last start: 1st GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Apr. 1. Kentucky Derby Points: 190. 'TDN Rising Star' Forte has made...

Irad Ortiz Jr. finished off the Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park in style Saturday, piloting Forte to a victory in Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby to tally his sixth winner on the day alone. With three more winning rides on Sunday's closing day program, Ortiz finished the Championship Meet with 128 victories to reclaim the jockey title for the winter Thoroughbred session. Ortiz ran away with this year's title while finishing 57 wins ahead of the Luis Saez, who finished three wins ahead of third-place Jose Ortiz. "I've had big...

After reviewing the race, Equibase has adjusted the final time for Saturday's GI Florida Derby, won by Forte (Violence). The original time of 1:48.51 has been changed to 1:49.37. In a statement released Sunday by Equibase, the company said that the finish line beam may have been tripped before the horses reached the finish line. Prior to Equibase recognizing the mistake, the error was caught by the Beyer speed figure team. Initially, Forte was credited with a 98 Beyer figure. That number was lowered to a 95. "The time is...