GI Curlin Florida Derby

Alexandres LLC's Il Miracolo (Gun Runner) breezed five furlongs at Gulfstream Park Friday morning in preparation for a scheduled start in next Saturday's GI Belmont Stakes. He was timed in 1:00.88, the fastest clocking of four recorded at the distance. The Antonio Sano trainee is coming off a front-running score at Gulfstream in an optional claiming allowance at a mile May 11 in his first start since finishing sixth to 'TDN Rising Star' Forte in the GI Curlin Florida Derby. "The horse wants distance and is doing really good, so...

Mage. It's not a word you come across too often, though its roots are obviously entwined with those of "magus"--as in the three magi, the wise men who followed the star from the east-and indeed "magician." It denotes one of deep learning, sometimes to an occult degree. And if the horse bearing that name (a son of Good Magic, it hardly needs adding) should happen to win the GI Kentucky Derby, then perhaps we should view the man responsible for bringing him into the world as aptly honored. Because just...

A new kingpin graces the No. 1 slot after a wild, final weekend of 100-point preps. The rankings below are independent from the "Road to the Derby" leaderboard Churchill Downs uses to determine starting berths, with several horses included here who are currently below the cut.   1) PRACTICAL MOVE (c, Practical Joke--Ack Naughty, by Afleet Alex) O-Leslie & Pierre Jean Amestoy & Roger Beasley; B-Chad Brown & Head of Plains Partners (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. Sales history: $90,000 RNA yrl '21 KEESEP; $230,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-4-1-2,...

General Jim (Into Mischief), third choice at 6-1 on the morning line for Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream, will be scratched, reports trainer Shug McGaughey. The horse missed a day of training after developing a cough. "He ran a little temperature," McGaughey said.  "It went right down and he is doing fine but I didn't feel right running in this race." McGaughey said that the colt will remain on the Kentucky Derby trail and should be ready to go in another prep within a few weeks. "I...

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL--With no heavy favorite, the GI Curlin Florida Derby looked like it would likely go one of four ways on paper. The three winners of the four Florida-based GI Kentucky Derby preps--Simplification (Not This Time), White Abarrio (Race Day) and Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway)--were 2-1, 5-2 and 7-2, respectively, and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit), a flashy maiden winner hailing from the Todd Pletcher barn, was dispatched at 3-1. While all four of those runners were a factor in this event, it was C2 Racing Stable's White...

Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy (Runhappy) is among possible candidates for Gulfstream's GI Curlin Florida Derby Apr. 2, according to trainer Ken McPeek. Lucky Seven Stable also owns McPeek-trained Rattle N Roll (Connect), who is scheduled to make his 2022 debut in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 5 at Gulfstream. Smile Happy had been expected to make his second start of the year in either the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 9 or the GII Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Mar. 26. "You may...

Trainer Todd Pletcher joins this week's TDN Writers' Room after pulling the upset in this past weekend's GII Wood Memorial with Bourbonic.

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) will be featured on two big race days at Gulfstream Park and Turfway Park Saturday to promote aftercare awareness on the undercard of the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks and the GI Curlin Florida Derby. A presentation of a TAA blanket and swag bag to the winning connections will be made following the running of each race. Gulfstream's Race 2 presented by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will go off at 11:59 a.m. A limited number of patrons will be in attendance for the action-packed Florida Derby...

Greatest Honour (Tapit) rides a three-race win streak heading into the GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, however, the Courtlandt Farm homebred certainly hasn't scared anyone away as 10 other sophomores have also signed on in Saturday's Classic prep. A large part of the draw is that the Florida Derby will offer 170 qualifying points for the May 1 Kentucky Derby on a 100-40-20-10 basis. The 1 1/8-mile test has produced the winners of 60 Triple Crown events. The imposing bay kicked off his career with a trio of...

A Triple Crown winner in his native Barbados, Saffie Joseph Jr. took his first shot at America's Classics in 2020 with GISP Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), who failed to hit the board in both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. last fall before heading to the sidelines for the remainder of the season. Fast forward to 2021, Joseph returns to the Triple Crown trail with another exciting prospect in Three Chimneys Farm and eFive Racing's Collaborate (Into Mischief), who is slated to contest Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby...

SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC and Robert Masterson's Spielberg (Union Rags) has been confirmed to contest the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 27 at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the 3-year-old is expected to face GIII Holy Bull S. and GI Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. winner Greatest Honour (Tapit) in the nine-furlong test that has produced the winners of 60 Triple Crown events. "We'll see how he stacks up," Baffert said Friday. Spielberg, who is scheduled to...

St. Elias Stable's Known Agenda (Curlin) may have earned his way into the GI Curlin Florida Derby field Friday after romping to a 11-length victory in the Gulfstream Park's fourth race, a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds. "We'll talk about it with Mr. and Mrs. Viola and their team," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "We'll talk about it, but I think he ran well enough today that it's definitely in play." Known Agenda, who was sent to post as the 1-2 favorite in a field of six, rated off...