A bevy of contenders for the Apr. 1 GI Xpressbet.com Florida Derby tuned up Saturday from Gulfstream Park, Gulfstream West and Palm Meadows. Leading the way, GII Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth S. winner Gunnevera (Dialed In) went five furlongs at Gulfstream Park West in 1:01.80 (video) and Fountain of Youth third-place finisher Three Rules (Gone Astray) covered the same distance in a bullet 1:00.50 (video) at Gulfstream Park.
Jockey Leonel Reyes replaced regular exercise partner Edgard Zayas, who was in Dubai riding Sharp Azteca in the G2 Godolphin Mile, for Gunnevera's work.
“It was very good for me,” trainer Antonio Sano said of the drill, which was seventh fastest of 20 at the distance Saturday. “The jockey did exactly as I asked him and it went perfectly. He was very calm on my horse. The last two furlongs, I got him in :10 4/5 and the gallop out was very good.”
Sano said he caught Gunnevera galloping out six furlongs in 1:14. Last Saturday, Gunnevera worked five furlongs in 1:04.40.
“Last week the horse worked very slow,” Sano explained. “He is ready for the race. He didn't need more for the Florida Derby, so I breezed him looking ahead to the next one.”
Three Rules's drill was the fastest of 24 at the distance over a the Hallandale oval which received overnight rains.
“It put a little moisture in the track and that's really good for him. He's fit and ready,” trainer Jose Pinchin said. “He went five-eighths this morning and galloped out good. Everything went perfectly. It couldn't have been a better work.”
Three Rules set a pressured pace before tiring to third in the Fountain of Youth. Looking back on the race, Pinchin admitted he was impressed with his charge's effort.
“It was a hell of a good performance,” Pinchin said. “He got pressured from the go by Irish War Cry (Curlin) and then [Practical Joke] took him on real early and didn't really give him a chance, but he ran real good. I thought it was a very good race.”
Fountain of Youth runner-up Practical Joke (Into Mischief), who was making his first start in four months in that Mar. 5 race, is considered probable for the Florida Derby after working went five furlongs in 1:00.90 (video) in company with graded stakes winner Shagaf (Bernardini) at Palm Meadows.
“I want to speak to the owners and come up with a final decision…weigh our options,” explained trainer Chad Brown. “It's probable I will run [in the Florida Derby], but it's not certain. We'll see how the horse comes out of his work. The other idea is maybe running in the [Apr. 8 GII Toyota] Blue Grass.”
Also working at Gulfstream Saturday for the Florida Derby, Impressive Edge (Harlan's Holiday) went five furlongs in 1:01.87 (video).The N and K Racing colorbearer, fourth in the GIII Swale S., is coming off an eight-length allowance victory going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Mar. 5. He completed his drill shortly after stablemate and GIII Gotham S. winner J Boys Echo (Mineshaft)'s five-furlong workout in 1:02.89 under Tammy Fox.
“They both worked good,” commented trainer Dale Romans. “They're totally different horses–one worked fast, the other worked slow. But we know they can both run and they're both fit and ready to roll.”
J Boys Echo is expected to run next in Keeneland's Blue Grass S.
Others working towards the Florida Derby at Palm Meadows Saturday were: GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby runner-up State of Honor (To Honor and Serve) who went four furlongs in 48.30 (video); Talk Logistics (High Cotton), fourth in the Fountain of Youth, worked five furlongs in 1:01.25; and Unbridled Holiday (Harlan's Holiday) covered four furlongs in 48.00 (video) in advance of his graded stakes debut.
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