Zito, Sanchez Weigh Options for Sophomores

Trainer Nick Zito continues to mull options for the next start for Joe Moss's Spot (Pulpit), upset winner of the Mar. 1 GII Swale S. “I guess you could say I have to find the right spot for Spot,” Zito said. “That's what I'm looking at. Mr. Moss is a gamer and he wants to run somewhere. I'm basically looking at what I should do.” Spot is scheduled to work at Palm Meadows Saturday, after which a decision on the Mar. 29 GI Besilu Stables Florida Derby will be made. “I have to see how he works Saturday,” Zito continued. “After Saturday, I'm supposed to talk to Joe and tell him what we think,” Zito said. “Obviously we're home right now in Florida and I have a good record in the Florida Derby. If there's a small field in the Florida Derby, I know the horse is extremely tough. Everybody's goal, especially Mr. Moss's, is to run in the Kentucky Derby. On paper, the Florida Derby is very, very tough. No matter how you look at it, we're probably better off staying home. He looks good and he's doing fantastic, thank God. He's doing well and we've got a pretty good record in the Florida Derby, so who knows?” 
Also awaiting a weekend work before making a decision on a next start is Ron Sanchez, whose Social Inclusion (Pioneerof the Nile) is expected to work at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Both the Florida Derby and Apr. 5 GI Wood Memorial are under consideration. “We are weighing the advantages of running here or running in New York,” Sanchez said. “We will make an announcement on Saturday after the workout.” 
Sanchez is still weighing offers to buy the talented sophomore. “We have a bunch of offers, but some of them didn't send a contract,” Sanchez said. “We have a couple of contracts, but that kind of money doesn't make me happy. I have some conditions. Some of the people just want to take the horse and move him to another trainer and run him in the preps. After his next race, I'm pretty sure we're going to have a deal. We're very close to a deal.” 
John Oxley's Matador (Malibu Moon) has been added to the list of contenders for the Florida Derby. The Ontario-bred won last year's Cup and Saucer S. over the Woodbine turf. He was fourth in the Feb. 1 GIII Sam F. Davis S. and was most recently fifth after a slow start in the Mar. 8 GII Tampa Bay Derby. 
“We're going to put blinkers on Matador to try to get him a little more into the race [early],” said trainer Mark Casse. “We think he has a little more speed than he's been showing. He got away a little bit slow [in the Tampa Bay Derby]. They came over on him at the start and he was just plastered with dirt.”