Curlin Florida Derby (Grade 1)

THE build up to the Kentucky Derby badly needed a bit of impulsion from its likely protagonists and it came in no uncertain terms when the Eclipse Award-winning champion Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Fierceness came back to his best form in no uncertain manner.

The son of City Of Light had only managed a lacklustre third-place finish in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes on February 3rd, when he struggled to get away from the gate.

There was no such obstacle in the nine furlong Florida Derby. Fierceness and jockey John Velazquez broke from stall eight in the nine-horse field, went to the lead in the first turn, and remained in front the rest of the way.

Not only did he lead into the final bend, he quickened away to widen his advantage to an impressive 13 and a half lengths from outsider Catalytic with Grand Mo The First over two more back in third.

The time was 1m 48.22secs, having set fractions of 47.50 for a half mile, and 1m 11.31 for six furlongs. His final time measures up well with recent renewals.

Fierceness currently sits on top the standings for the May 4th Kentucky Derby with 136 points.

Confident

Winning jockey John Velazquez said to media afterwards: “When he broke, I was very confident in what he was doing. I was expecting this out of him. I was just thinking, he can’t be lying to me, the way he works. He showed up today and did it today.”

Concern remains on how the colt will handle a likely different scenario in the Derby with early pace and position so important in the frantic early stages in recent seasons.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who was winning his eighth Florida Derby, was quoted by BloodHorse: “From a talent perspective, he has it all. Then, like everyone else, you have to hope you get a good post and a good trip, that (he likes) Churchill Downs, and all those things. We’ll enjoy this and start to worry about all that.”

Owner Mike Repole was also on a high when interviewed. “It’s not normal to do it once, (he won in Florida last season with Forte, who was then pulled from the Derby at the last minute with an injury scare) twice in back-to-back years to win this race and go in with the Kentucky Derby favourite? As you guys know from the past, a lot can happen from now to post time, but we saw something pretty special today.”

In the fillies’ Oaks trial, the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks presented by FanDuel TV over half a furlong less, victory went to the Jorge Delgado-trained Power Squeeze and rider Daniel Centeno, who proved too strong in the final stages for the Chad Brown-trained Ways And Means.

Ways And Means emerged with plenty of credit as she had not run since being placed in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga in September when she suffered an ankle injury.

“(Irad) said the first turn cost him. It got tight in there, he was bounced around a bit, and he got wide. And then when she saw daylight, she kind of pulled herself up to the front, a little premature move,” Chad Brown said.

The winner is a daughter of Union Rags, winner of the 2012 Belmont Stakes.

Arkansas Derby (Grade 1)

THE second Grade 1 trial of the weekend only served to seemingly knock horses out of contention for the Run for the Roses as it had seemed a match between Bob Baffert’s Muth and Brad Cox’s Timberlake, both Grade 1 winning juveniles and the own-two in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

With Muth winning but Baffert banned from entering the Derby and Timberlake only managing a rather poor fourth, the only positive element from the race going forward to Churchill Downs was that the second-placed outsider Just Steel appears to have gained a place in the Derby for his legendary trainer D Wayne Lukas.

Just Steel (65 points) and Timberlake (81 points) appear in a safe position to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

There was no disputing Muth’s fine performance, now finishing first or second in his six starts and putting away leader Timberlake on the second turn and maintaining a comfortable advantage over runner-up Just Steel down the stretch. The winner raced the nine furlongs on a fast track in 1m 49.54secs.

$2 million purchase

The son of Good Magic was purchased for $2 million at the Ocala Breeders’ March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training in 2023.

Timberlake raced keenly, chased leaders, went between horses to lead after 3 furlongs, was headed over two and a half out, ridden, but did not quicken and made no impression in the final furlong, losing two places inside final 110yds

Mystik Dan, trained by Kenny McPeek, had also been on the Derby trail but was beaten by over six lengths into third and would have to step up considerably.

Winning jockey Juan Hernandez said in post-race interviews: “Around the quarter pole, I asked my horse and he took off again. He took off like he was breaking again out of the gate.”

In the fillies’ trial, the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes, Thorpedo Anna, made it three wins from four starts as she beat nine three-year-old fillies to clinch a spot in the May 3rd Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs for trainer Kenny McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.

The Fast Anna filly opened up in the stretch and was a four-length winner from West Omaha.