By Steve Sherack
Wathnan Racing's Commandment (Into Mischief) came with a late surge to nail The Puma (Essential Quality) by a nose in a heart-stopping renewal of Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.
It was a half-length back to 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Chief Wallabee (Constitution) in third. Favored Nearly (Not This Time) tired to fourth.
The Diamond Anniversary of the Curlin Florida Derby offered 200 qualifying points for the GI Kentucky Derby on a scale of 100-50-25-15-10 to the first five finishers. The first jewel of the Triple Crown has been won by 26 starters in the Curlin Florida Derby.
“A little too close for comfort, but he pulled through,” winning trainer Brad Cox said. “I thought at three-eighths (jockey Flavien Prat) kind of had to show him the way, asked him a little bit, he responded well, didn't seem like there was a tremendous amount of pace on. Obviously, last going into the last turn, he was able to finish up well.”
With Flavien Prat riding for the first time, the 9-5 chance trailed the field in an inside sixth through a half mile in :48.80. The Puma, a come-from-behind winner of the GIII Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 7, made an eye-catching move to hit the front approaching the quarter pole as Commandment began to wind up from the back.
The Puma put away Nearly in the stretch and looked to have the race won. But Commandment just kept on coming down the center and finished up in a field-best :12.31 to get there in a dramatic photo finish.
Commandment heads to Louisville riding a four-race winning streak. He romped in Gulfstream's Mucho Macho Man S. Jan. 3, then passed his two-turn debut with a neck victory over Chief Wallabee in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. Feb. 28.
“He's a big, sturdy horse,” Cox said. “I've said that several times. He takes his races really well and a couple people told me he was the paddock pick. He's a big, sturdy horse and once again, once he comes out of it in good order, I think it will set him up for five weeks.”
Prat added, “I was a bit worried because I wasn't traveling very well the first part. The pace wasn't very fast and I was just in the back, and I thought I would be a bit closer. Then I tipped him out turning for home, he swapped leads and from there he gave me a good, solid run.
I thought I had the bob, but I wasn't sure. He's very workmanlike. He's straightforward, and he's a fighter. He showed some guts down the lane.”
Commandment was featured in Steve Sherack's 'Second Chances' series following a debut fourth at Keeneland last fall. The series has now introduced nine future winners at the top level.
Pedigree Notes:
Commandment becomes the third Curlin Florida Derby winner for the all-conquering Into Mischief. He is also the sire of last year's winner Tappan Street and the race's 2018 winner Audible. Commandment's broodmare sire Orb brought home the roses after a popular win in the 2013 Curlin Florida Derby.
The Lee Pokoik-bred Commandment brought $500,000 from Case Clay Thoroughbred Management on behalf of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani's operation as a Keeneland September yearling. He previously RNA'd for $485,000 as a Fasig-Tipton November weanling and $475,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling.
Commandment is out of Sippican Harbor (Orb), who carried Pokoik's kelly green-and-pink silks to a 16-1 upset victory in the 2018 GI Spinaway S. at Saratoga.
Sippican Harbor, a half-sister to Japanese superstar Awesome Result (Justify), RNA'd for $1.45 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Sippican Harbor is also responsible for a 2-year-old colt by Curlin ($180,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Epic Horses) and a yearling filly by Elite Power. She was bred to McKinzie for 2026.
Commandment is bred on the same Into Mischief x A.P. Indy cross as 2025 Horse of the Year Sovereignty.
COMMANDMENT!
The $1 million Florida Derby (G1) goes to #4 COMMANDMENT, a son of @spendthriftfarm Into Mischief. Flavien Prat up on the @bradcoxracing trainee, who is owned by Wathnan Racing. The Puma nipped on the line, Chief Wallabee third, and Nearly finished fourth. pic.twitter.com/bRHoHJc3Ac
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) March 28, 2026
Saturday, Gulfstream
CURLIN FLORIDA DERBY PRESENTED BY HILL 'N' DALE FARMS AT XALAPA-GI, $1,000,000, Gulfstream, 3-28, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49.99, ft.
1–COMMANDMENT, 123, c, 3, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Sippican Harbor (GISW, $262,650), by Orb
2nd Dam: Blossomed, by Deputy Minister
3rd Dam: Texas Cinema, by Mt. Livermore
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($485,000 RNA Wlg '23 FTKNOV; $475,000
RNA Ylg '24 FTSAUG; $500,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Wathnan
Racing; B-Lee Pokoik (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat.
$613,800. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, $1,017,339. Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–The Puma, 123, c, 3, Essential Quality–Eve of War,
by Declaration of War. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($95,000 RNA Ylg
'24 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR). O-OGMA Investments
LLC, JR Ranch and High Step Racing LLC; B-Hidden Brook Farm
& Brian Kahn (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado. $198,000.
3–Chief Wallabee, 123, c, 3, Constitution–A La Lucie,
by Medaglia d'Oro. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'.
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Mike Ball & Katherine Ball (KY);
T-William I. Mott. $99,000.
Margins: NO, HF, 2 3/4. Odds: 1.90, 7.90, 2.20.
Also Ran: Nearly, Wayne's Law, Timeless Victory. Scratched: Albus, Gregarious, Redland Rebels. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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