Fourteen to Fight It Out in Florida Derby

The highlight race of this weekend’s card is, of course, the Florida Derby (G1), a Derby Lock Prep race that will secure the victor a post in this years’ Bluegrass Derby (G1) on that first Saturday in May. The weather has been pleasant here in Florida, which should hold throughout the weekend. The race will be held over the dirt at a mile and an eighth and has attracted a field of fourteen, including one filly taking on the boys. Let’s take a glance at this years contenders. 

1. Fillin My Cup – beerkeg13 – R. Hansen – 10/1 

On the inside rail slot, this bay gelding by War Front will be making his seventh career start and just his second Grade I start of his career. Last raced in the Ode to Lo (G2) over the same distance of the Derby this weekend, the gelding rallied late after stalking the pace and crossed the wire in third back by three and a half lengths. His last win came as a two-year-old, prior to being gelded, in a mile long allowance in Canada. The gelding has finished on the board in three of his six starts. 

2. Quistrical – darkstareleven – E. Seifert – 14/1 

The lone filly in the field will be going into the number two slot. Also noteworthy is that she is one of only two Grade I winners going into the starting gate this weekend for the Florida Derby. The bay filly is is currently ranked at seven in the standings and is impressively bred by Nyquist and of a Theatrical by Secretariat back end. Her most recent start was here in Florida during The Miss Bonnie (G2) against other fillies. She made a move late in the nine-furlong race and crossed the wire in fifth. Her most recent start was late in her two-year-old season in The Darley (G1) at eight and a half furlongs, which she won by one and a half lengths. Also of note, this will be the fillies first attempt at racing with the boys.  

3. El De Manhattan – venezolano – O.A. Haack – 16/1 

Next up we have this brown colt, who is the first graded placed offspring out of the broodmare La Tricolor. The Frost Giant sired New York bred made his last start across continent in The Scam (G3) at a mile and an eighth. He stalked the pacesetter the entire race, crossing the wire second. The colt’s most recent win was June of last year in his two-year-old season during a mile long allowance in New York. To date, the colt has never finished worse than second in any career start. 

4. My First Gunnevera – sjmeloa19 – B. Renfroe – 5/1 

The favorite going to the post, the local Florida bred is the other Grade I winner going into the gate this weekend. As his name suggests, the brown gelding is the son of Gunnevera and out of the stakes winning broodmare First Flight Out. The three-year-old colt has already eclipsed the million-dollar mark in earnings. His most recent start was in another Derby Lock prep race, the 2022 Equinics (G1) at nine furlongs. The colt was set out of the gate to stalk the early pace in fifth and gradually started picking off runners early on. He went on to win the race by two lengths. If the colt manages to win again this weekend, it will bring him his third consecutive win, after also crossing the wire first in the Giant Slayer Classic (G3) at eight and a half furlongs overseas in Denmark. 

5. Kiama Bear – sparadise – M. Scott – 8/1 

In the fifth slot will be this graded placed bay colt making his eighth career start. He is out of a very consistent broodmare, Outback Bear, and sired by Quality Road.  Finished off the board in only one start, the colt most recently took to the track in The Fountain Of Ute (G2) earlier this year here in Florida at the same distance to be run on Saturday. Set far back off the pace early on in tenth, the colt made a move in the turn and came home down the stretch two finish two lengths back in third at the wire, setting a lifetime best speed figure for the colt of one hundred two. His most recent win was late in his two-year-old season during a listed stakes over eight and a half furlongs in Mexico. 

6. Nyquist Nine Song – ddstables36 – K. Ledwith – 8/1 

Seeking his first graded win, this bay colt is the second horse in the field sired by Nyquist and another that has not finished off the board yet in his career. So far, the colt has just won once, this coming when he broke his maiden in his second start at seven and a half furlongs in Louisianna. His most recent start was here in Florida during the Hutchingson Stakes (G2), also at seven and a half furlongs. Held back in sixth, the colt made a late move that brought him across the wire in second, off the pace only by three quarters of a length, setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred four. This will be the colts start attempt at going a mile and an eighth, though he has on the board finishes in graded company at eight and a half furlongs. 

7. Firestone Walker – thezoo5 – L. Radzinski – 8/1 

Working our way towards the center of the starting gate, the light gray colt should be easy to spot coming out of the gate in his seventh career start. Shipping down from Canada, the colt made his last start there in a graded stakes over nine furlongs, which earned him a three-quarter length win. He’ll be returning to graded competition after that confidence boosting drop in class to start his three-year-old season after previously starting in the Movieland Futurity (G1) and Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile (G1), both out in California as a two-year-old, earning him sixth and fourth place finishes respectively.  

8. Forty Mcks – scoobzilla23 – R. Scoobi – 11/1 

Moving along to the number eight post, the brown gelding will be making his second graded start this weekend in the Florida Derby and will also be seeking out that first graded win. His most recent start was in the Risen Star Stakes (G3) at a mile and a sixteenth. The gelding set a career best speed figure of one hundred three while crossing the wire just a half-length back in second. The connections are now doubt hoping the added distance in the Florida Derby will give this late closing gelding what he needs to get his nose over the wire first. Prior to his start in the Risen Star, the gelding had previously won back-to-back allowance races, also at a mile and one sixteenth.  

9. Elephantine – rockriver0 – W. Kewmwa – 8/1 

Never finishing off the board, the bay colt by Bernardini has already secured a graded victory, but is still looking for his first Grade I win. Out of the well-seasoned broodmare Resting Toucher, he is a full sibling to the Grade I winning filly Based On Class, so attaining that win is certainly not out of the question for the bay three-year-old. His most recent start was here in Florida during the Fountain Of Ute (G2). He narrowly won this race by a quarter of a length, coming off another victory in a listed stakes over a mile in Illinois. Should he win on Saturday, it would mark the fifth consecutive win for the colt. 

10. A Kings Court – zkingab41 – I. Thomas – 6/1 

Trying for his first graded win this weekend, the chestnut colt is bred in the purple, sired by Triple Crown winning Justify and out of an A.P. Indy mare. The connections of the colt sent him out for his first graded try in the 2022 Equinics, another Derby lock prep race. Out of the gate unusually late and settled off the pace in tenth, the colt did manage to make up a good amount of ground towards the tail end of the mile and an eighth race, crossing the wire six lengths off the pace in fourth, the colts only off the board finish to date. Prior to this, the colt had won two consecutive listed stakes races, both at eight and a half furlongs. 

11. Epic Greeley Good (TUR) – matf – C. Wyatt – 21/1 

The longshot going into the start gate this weekend, the surprising Turkish-bred bay colt is nonetheless an accomplished runner and is coming off four consecutive wins, including a graded race in his most recent start. This came in the form of The Saint Vincent (G2) in California over seven furlongs where he took the field wire to wire over the dirt, winning by a length and three quarters. He’d previously won a listed stakes in Turkey, along with an allowance and his maiden race in similar front running fashion. This colt will no doubt be forwardly placed on Saturday, but having never raced past seven furlongs, the big question that looms with him is: can he go the distance? 

12. Red Highblade (BRZ) – deyoto – G. D. Mate – 18/1 

Nearing the end of the field, this bay colt by Verrazano is already graded placed and will be looking for his first graded win in this weekend’s field of hopefuls. He is out of longtime stakes winning broodmare Morse Code. Like a few of the other contenders in Saturday’s race, he is coming out of the 2022 Equinics. It was a well bunched together field, and while the colt only crossed the wire in ninth, he was just four and a half lengths off the winner. He is graded placed, finishing second, in The Cornstalk (G2). The colts most recent win was in September of last year during a listed stakes at seven furlongs in Canada. 

13. Giant Persona – blankpoin6 – L. Colucci – 13/1 

Next up, we have this bay colt who is the most accomplished offspring out of his dam, Persona, to date. He is a listed stakes winner and will be making his third attempt at graded caliber competition this weekend. His most recent trip to the post was in the Fountain Of Ute (G2), where he set off out of the gate just off the pace of the front runner in second. The colt wasn’t able to hold on down the stretch and crossed fire wire fifth, though setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred. His prior start was his listed stakes victory over a mile in Indiana.  

14. Bold Legacy – layoff – T. Ace – 17/1 

On the far outside post, the light grey colt is one of the more experienced runners in the field with eight starts under his belt. The Oklahoma-bred is graded placed and out of the Grade III winning dam Broad And Bold. His most recent start was in February during the VT Is 4 Lovers (G1) at a mile and an eighth. The colt, positioned on the far outside as he will be on Saturday, settled back towards the rear of the field, but wasn’t able to make up much ground on his challengers, coming home eighth at the wire, though putting in a speed figure of ninety-eight, a lifetime best for the colt. His most recent win was in a mile long allowance race in the Lone Star state. Of note, the colt was also a starter in last years’ Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile (G1), where he finished thirteenth. 

Flrancho’s Picks 

Win: My First Gunnevera 

Place: Elephantine 

Show: A King’s Court