The fifteenth race on the card for this weekend of racing in Florida will be the Grade III Panhandle Park Derby over a mile and one eighth over the inner turf course. The race will be immediately following the ladies Panhandle Park Oaks, the two races going off as the graded race features in Florida this week. While it has been rainy here today in Florida, the weather is expected to clear out as early as tomorrow morning leaving Saturday race day to, in all likelihood of being a sunny day with temperatures in the mid 70\u00baF region. Despite the weather improvement into the weekend, it looks like the field for this years Panhandle Park Derby (G3) will be a short one, with only nine horses running. The stakes record for the Panhandle Park Derby (G3) was initially set by Run Whabit Run<\/b>, trained by stormbound<\/i> in a time of 1:49 1\/5. However, this speed was tied just the year after by joshua2\u2019s<\/i> colt M. Radke<\/b>. No horse has been able to equal or surpass this time set by either of these two horses since 2005. The nine colts hope to change that this Saturday.
1. Chill Of A Journey (IRE)<\/b> – (Dylan Thomas (IRE) x Galileo (IRE) x Gone West) – calle4<\/i> – C. Calhoun – 3\/1
Going into the inside post in the Panhandle Park Derby (G3) is the very impressive son of freshman sire sensation Dylan Thomas (IRE). The bay three-year-old colt will be going to the post under the black, green and blue silks of Nickesyd Racing Club. The Irish-bred colt was lightly raced as a two-year-old making just five starts in that season. He won in all but one of these starts, his only loss coming in his maiden debut over six and a half furlongs. The most recent race for this powerhouse was in the nine furlong Apparently Juvenile (G3), the colt\u2019s first graded stakes start, where he managed to hold onto the win by a narrow one-fourth of a length while posting a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-nine. Look for the colt to come out of the rail post on Saturday and go looking for the lead early on in the race. If need be, the colt may be able to rate slightly out of the box.
2. London Scene (ENG)<\/b> – (Cockney Rebel x Seattle Slew x Mr. Prospector) – foxon5<\/i> – L. Buchta – 9\/2
Second betting choice in the race is this top colt out of England heading to gate two. The now-turned three-year-old chestnut colt is out of the race-winning and three-time stakes producing mare Little Minx. The colt will be heading to the track under the white and black silks of Foxon Stables. The colt was raced eight times as a two-year-old, only finishing off the board in one of his starts during his two-year-old season. His only off the board start was in his most recent start, this in the nine furlong Phenom Stakes (G3) where the colt finished just in the money in fifth after an awkward start out of the gate. However, to his credit does go a third place finish in the Grand Critter Stakes (G3) last October over a mile. If all goes well out of the starting gate this weekend you can probably expect the chestnut colt to be held back to the middle of the pack out of the gate and not be asked to make his move until the field comes down to the stretch.
3. I Don\u2019t Want To Go<\/b> – (Touch Gold x Kingmambo x El Prado (IRE)) – bigblueone<\/i> -A. Blackmore – 8\/1
Next up making our way down the line we find a more local Kentucky-bred colt going into gate number three. The brown colt will be making his way out onto the turf track under the white, black and red silks of Kaif Stables. This colt was also fairly lightly raced last racing season, making six starts as a two-year-old. The colt began his career on the dirt, though not seeing much success in his two maiden starts over the surface. In early August of last year, trainer bigblueone<\/i> decided to make the switch and try the colt over the turf. He won in his turf debut and hasn\u2019t finished off the board in a turf race yet. His most recent start was in the listed Loyal Hick Bonanza over eight and a half furlongs, the colt winning the race impressively and recording a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-three. The colts only other stakes start, in the listed Vanilla Dancer Bonanza resulted in a second place finish. His run Saturday in the Panhandle Park Derby (G3) will mark the colt\u2019s first attempt at a graded stakes race. We can probably expect the brown colt to be rated out of the starting gate this weekend and stay back towards the middle of the field until making an early move before the stretch.
4. The Appeal<\/b> – (Dynaformer x Empire Maker x Danzig) – billzpaid2<\/i> – O. Barrett – 8\/1
Towards the middle of the turf track we will be having the first offspring of the race-winning mare Dontcountmeout going to the gates. The three-year-old son of turf legend Dynaformer has been very lightly raced with only four career starts, though half of them ending in wins for the impressively-bred colt out of the Willyam13 Stables. The colt won two of his first races in his carer, his maiden debut and a seven furlong allowance caliber race held in Nevada early on in the year. In September he would make his first and only graded stakes start in the mile long Cryogenics Juvenile (G3), finishing fifth in the race. And finally, his most recent start, the listed GR Simsters Juvenile Restricted over eight and a half furlongs, in which the brown colt finished an unlucky thirteenth. It may perhaps still be speculation as to wether the colts two most recent races and the failure to finish on the board was the step up in class or the step up in distance that perhaps contributed to the colt not placing. Undaunted, the colt will be going to the gate again in graded stakes this Saturday in the Panhandle Park Derby (G3). We can probably expect the colt to be set out within the middle of the pack, maybe perhaps slightly forwardly placed in the early stages of the race before making a big move down the stretch.
5. Sacro Bosco (ENG<\/b>) – (Rail Link x Irish River (FR) x Lyphard) – limpid<\/i> – S. Popo – 8\/1
Still out towards the center of the turf course at starting gate five we will have the son of the graded placed mare Cecile (FR) going into the race. The English-bred chestnut colt will be under the two-tone green and red silks of Rafa Stables for the running of the Panhandle Park Derby (G3). The colt made a total of six starts last year, finishing on the board in all but two of these starts. The most recent race for the colt is in the listed Graphic With Jumbo Memorial over eight and a half furlongs where the colt won impressively by two lengths with a speed figure of eighty-four. This Saturday will be the English colt\u2019s first start in a graded stakes race, though the colt has made two other listed stakes starts in the Gift Wrapped Just For You Stakes and the Barb\u2019s Shaadi Special, both of which the colt finished in the money in. Look for the colt to be sent towards the rear of the field at the break, but making an early move before the field enters the stretch to try to steal the win.
6. The Gladiator<\/b> – (Marcus Andronicus x Mineshaft x Private Account) – nathndtroi<\/i> – A. Darling – 30\/1
The longshot will be going to the track to be placed in the sixth post. The three-year-old son of now second-year-sire Marcus Andronicus made eight starts as a two-year-old last season, winning two of his races. These two victories were in his maiden debut over six furlongs and The Delpenn Washington Apple Owner Restricted allowance race over six furlongs. Te colt hasn\u2019t seen a victory or an on the board finish since the afore mentioned allowance race took place in June. The colts most recent race came in another allowance caliber race over seven and a half furlongs where the colt finished ten and three-fourth furlongs back in sixth setting a speed figure of seventy for the race. The bay colt has made just one stakes start in his career so far. This came in the listed River Learn Challenge over eight furlongs on the dirt. The colt finished tenth. This Saturday is the colts first try back at a stakes caliber start and his first try at a graded stakes. Expect the colt to probably be slow out of the gate and sit far off the pace at the rear of the field, until hopefully, he will charge forward at the stretch and make a move on the rest of the field.
7. Putamatri (AUS)<\/b> – Pendragon (NZ) x Dance In Time x Sicambre (FR)) – hohenlohe<\/i> – W. Baumann – 24\/1
At the seventh post shipping from Athens, originally bred in Australia, comes the three-year-year old homebred from the Dupre Stables. The bay colt has been lightly raced with just a total of five lifetime starts, all over the turf. Of the colts five starts, he\u2019s won just won race, but also finished second in two of his other races. This Saturday\u2019s start will mark his first attempt in any stakes caliber race, graded or otherwise, as well as his first start over eight and a half furlongs. The colt hasn\u2019t won a race since breaking his maiden the third time out by a length and a half with a speed figure of seventy-nine. His two allowances races after his maiden win resulted in a sixth and second place finish. The second place finish, the most recent of his races, was nearly a win, the colt only loosing out on the win by a slight one-fourth a length. Look for the Australian first-timer in stakes try to go straight to the lead to challenge Chill Of A Journey (IRE)<\/b> for the lead to his inside.
8. Title Defense<\/b> – (Awesome Again x Kingmambo x Storm Cat) – futurestar<\/i> – V. Gardner – 7\/2
At the eight post we have the favorite going into the race, the three-year-old son of multiple Grade 1 winner and three-time stakes producing mare, Dangerous Reward. The Kentucky-bred brown colt started his racing career over the dirt, placing in many of his races but was far from something to write home about. It wasn\u2019t until October that futurestar<\/i> decided to try the colt over the turf. His first start over the new surface would come in a stakes race, his maiden finally broken on the dirt after four starts. This turf race would be the listed Labelle Woodsman Bonanza at eight and a half furlongs. The colt won the second race in his career, and impressively at that, taking home the prize by three lengths and recording a speed figure of ninety-two, superior to what the colt had ever posted going over the dirt. His only other turf race, and most recent start, came against Chill Of A Journey (IRE)<\/b> in the nine furlong Apparently Juvenile (G3) where the rival colt got the better of Title Defense<\/b>, defeating him by just one-fourth of a length at the wire. Everyone expects another showdown here between the two in the Panhandle Park Derby (G3). We can probably look for the race favorite to be rated in the back half of the middle of the pack or all the way towards the rear, making a move on the field before they turn to go into the stretch.
9. AP Bullit<\/b> – (A.P. Warrior x Linamix (FR) x Drone) – rockrace<\/i> – M. Wright – 4\/1
Our final entrant will be loaded into the far outside post position in the form of the brown homebred of Rockrace Stables. The brown Kentucky-bred colt has the most experience of any of the horses racing in Saturday\u2019s Panhandle Park Derby (G3) with a total of nine career starts, seven of them ending in on the board finishes for the prized colt. His most recent start came over nine furlongs in the Phenom Stakes (G3) where he made a great recovery to finish second after a shaky start out of the gates. The colts only other graded stakes start, the Club Stakes (G2) over the dirt, resulted in a tenth place finish for the colt in only his second attempt over his less-favored surface. But over the turf, the colt has been early unstoppable, never finishing off the board in any of this turf starts. Expect the colt to be sent towards a middle-of-the-pack running style out of the gates, making a late move to close in ground down the stretch.
Good luck to all with runners in this weekends Panhandle Park Derby (G3). This is tellnotale<\/i> signing off.
Tellnotale\u2019s Picks<\/u><\/b>
Win:<\/b> Title Defense
Place<\/b> Chill Of A Journey (IRE)
Show:<\/b> AP Bullit<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Crowd Expects Showdown Rematch<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":421,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/421"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7098"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7098\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}