Florida Derby

Trainer Todd Pletcher spent Saturday evening in the United Arab Emirates watching the simulcast of the $1 million Florida Derby cutting in and out on his computer screen. While Pletcher's view of the race was blurred, the result couldn't have been clearer. Scat Daddy's 1 1/4 -length victory not only established himself as one of the top 3-year-olds in the country, but also provides Pletcher with a strong hand come the May 5 Kentucky Derby. Pletcher, who has unsuccessfully saddled 14 starters in the Kentucky Derby the past six years, could wind up at Churchill Downs in five weeks with three of the favorites in Scat Daddy, Louisiana Derby winner Circular Quay and Tampa Bay Derby runner-up Any Given Saturday.

HALLANDALE, Fla. - Bobby Frankel, fresh from another major victory in the Louisiana Derby, and Ralph Ziadie, fresh from, well, an obscure 40-year training career, will saddle the favorites Saturday in the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Empire Maker, trained by Frankel, winner of the past three Eclipse Awards as the nation's top trainer, drew post 6 yesterday and was made a 9-5 favorite in a seven-horse field. Trust N Luck, trained by Ziadie, a native Jamaican whose best horse was the veteran campaigner Sir Bear, drew post 1 and was designated the second favorite at 2-1. That's odd, because Trust N Luck has won five of nine races and dominated the Fountain of Youth Stakes, the traditional Florida Derby prep, by a lengthening 5 1/4 lengths.

Bob Baffert says the same thing every winter: Don't get excited until the Kentucky Derby contenders start racing 1 1/8 miles. If that's the case, then the fun begins Saturday with the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. The California-based Baffert knows his way along the Kentucky Derby trail. He has won three, and he uncovered another contender yesterday in Wimbledon, surprise winner of the Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. The Louisiana Derby doesn't fit Baffert's criteria for a significant Kentucky Derby prep.

HALLANDALE, Fla. -- The Kentucky Derby winner likely races this weekend -- today at Gulfstream Park in the Florida Derby or Swale Stakes, today at Santa Anita Park in the San Felipe Stakes or tomorrow in New Orleans at the Fair Grounds in the Louisiana Derby.At least "Derby Dozen" thinks so. Our top nine prospects compete in the four races. After this, the major Kentucky Derby preps dwindle to a precious few, including the Santa Anita Derby on April 4 and the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on April 11 at Keeneland.

HALLANDALE, Fla. -- The name of the race is the Florida Derby, but the phenomenon running rampant in southern Florida is Pulpit-mania.Pulpit is the next Cigar, the second coming of Secretariat. He is the salvation of horse racing. He is the cure for the common cold. Pulpit-maniacs get a little carried away.But the fact is, Pulpit is racing's newest superstar -- after only three races. And Saturday here at Gulfstream Park, Pulpit is the early 3-5 favorite to win the $500,000 Florida Derby, the year's first Grade I prep race for the Kentucky Derby.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The best horse competing in this weekend's major stakes for 3-year-olds might not run tomorrow in the Florida Derby or Gotham Stakes, or Sunday in the San Felipe Stakes. Sorry, guys, but the best horse might be a filly, and one with deep Maryland roots. She races today in the $250,000 Bonnie Miss Stakes here at Gulfstream Park. In a lackluster year in which 3-year-old fillies are generating as much excitement as their male counterparts, at least at this juncture on the Kentucky Derby trail, the roll call for promising fillies starts with Belterra.

HALLANDALE, Fla. -- The roller-coaster ride along the Kentucky Derby trail dips into Florida today and soars tomorrow into Louisiana and California. Eight weeks before the May 6 Derby at Churchill Downs, 10 colts will contest the prestigious Florida Derby this afternoon at Gulfstream Park between Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach. Tomorrow, 10 more colts and geldings will run in the Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. Also tomorrow, Surfside, the lone filly threatening males along the Kentucky Derby and Preakness trails, will compete one last time against her own gender in the Santa Anita Oaks at Santa Anita Park before challenging males next month in the Santa Anita Derby.

Horse: Fusaichi Pegasus Trainer: Neil Drysdale Jockey: Kent Desormeaux Last race: 1st San Felipe Stakes Next start: Wood Memorial Stakes, today Comment: Win in Wood solidifies rank as Derby favorite Odds*: 4-1 Horse : The Deputy Trainer : Jenine Sahadi Jockey : Chris McCarron Last race: 1st Santa Anita Derby Next start: Kentucky Derby, May 6 Comment: Strong, agile turn move bodes well for Derby Odds* : 6-1 Horse: Mighty Trainer: Frank Brothers...

Trainer Nick Zito's expression of disbelief as he faced television cameras moments after having watched Birdstone founder in the mud at Turfway Park as the odds-on favorite in Saturday's Lane's End captured the chaos into which the chase toward Churchill Downs has lapsed. Zito's incredulity is widely shared. The pile of dented armor grows and the emerging possibilities previously unforeseen multiply with each weekend. Thirty different horses have won 38 stakes races for 3-year-olds run since Jan. 1. In fact, the horses that did well in this week's edition of the Triple Crown Ratings were those that didn't run. Only two horses received top 10 votes from all five panelists - Eurosilver, rated first, and Florida Derby winner Friends Lake, who is third.

Too much Mucho Kevin Van Valkenburg Baltimore Sun No one seems particularly wowed by any of the horses in this year's crop of 3-year-olds, especially after Uncle Mo looked like "Uncle Slow" at the Wood Memorial. If not for that lackluster race, Uncle Mo would be an easy pick. He's the most talented horse in the field, but thanks to a gastrointestinal infection, we're still not sure if he'll even be in the gate on Saturday. It's too risky to pick a horse with so many questions.