HorseDoc® coated each the 2025 Curlin-Florida Derby and the Ghostzapper Stakes. Learn the total recap under.
The $1,000,000 Curlin-Florida Derby and the Ghostzapper Stakes had been run on Saturday, March twenty ninth at Gulfstream Park Racetrack in Hallandale Seaside, Florida. The 1-1/8 mile Grade 1 Florida Derby is a key race with a win guaranteeing sufficient factors for automated entry into the Kentucky Derby. Even a decrease place end usually provides further qualifying factors to allow a horse to run as one of many high 20 horses licensed to compete within the Kentucky Derby on the primary Saturday of Could.
Ten of the nation’s finest two-year-olds had been entered at Gulfstream Racetrack to problem the favored and up to date winner of the 1-1/16 mile Grade 1 Florida Derby, Sovereignty. Sovereignty is educated by Corridor of Famer Billy Mott. His jockey, Junior Alvarado, was just lately injured and has been changed by New York’s main rider Manny Franco.
#
Horse
Coach
Jockey
Odds
1
Neoquos
Saffie Joseph, Jr.
Edgard Zayas
10:1
2
Cool Intentions
Jorge Delgado
Javier Castellano
20:1
3
Smoken Boy
Cheryl Winebaugh
Edgar Perez
30:1`
4
Disruptor
Todd Pletcher
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
4:1
5
Indecisiveness
Ruben Sierra
Jorge Ruiz
30:1
6
Jimmy’s Dailys
Brian Lynch
Joel Rosario
12:1
7
Enterdadragon
Francisco D’Angelo
Dylan Davis
30:1
8
Madaket Street
Bob Baffert
Mike Smith
7:2
9
Tappan Avenue
Brad Cox
Luis Saez
5:1
10
Sovereignty
William Mott
Manny Franco
8:5
The chances makers’ anticipated order of end was:
1)Sovereignty
2)Madaket Street
3)Disruptor
4)Tappan Avenue
Nonetheless, the order of race end was:
1)Tappan Avenue
2)Sovereignty
3)Neoequos
4)Madaket Street
Tappan Avenue, Florida Derby. Picture by Lauren King.
Tappan Avenue’s coach Brad Cox commented after profitable the Florida Derby, “We have now 5 weeks. We have now to ensure he comes out of it in good order. Our plan is Monday or Tuesday to ship him to Churchill (KY). Hopefully, he comes out of it in good order, and we are able to march ahead. I feel he’s going to get an amazing quantity out of this.” This was Brad Cox’s first Florida Derby winner.
Sovereignty’s coach Invoice Mott commented after his second-place end, “This doesn’t need to be his finest race. Generally you may take a look at it and say, perhaps that’s a superb factor. You don’t need their finest race earlier than the massive occasion. I feel the truth that he ran very large final time and ran very properly this time, perhaps he’ll proceed to enhance.”
No Kentucky Derby (G1) prep race has produced extra winners of the Run for the Roses than the Florida Derby, from which 25 horses have gone on to win the primary leg of the Triple Crown. The newest second place Florida Derby horse to win the Kentucky Derby in 2023 was Mage, educated by Gustavo Delgado Sr & Jr.
Equally, the $165,000 1-1/16 mile Grade 3 Ghostzapper Stakes was additionally run earlier that very same day. There have been six older horses entered towards the closely favored White Abarrio. White Abarrio is maybe the most effective horse within the nation as a a number of graded stakes winner who has earned over $17 Million in purse cash. He just lately received the $3 Million 2025 1-1/8 mile Grade 1 Pegasus Stakes at Gulfstream Park on January twenty fifth.
White Abarrio was working within the Ghostzapper Stakes as a prep for the upcoming 1-mile $1 Million Metropolitan (Met Mile) Grade 1 Handicap to be run at Saratoga Racetrack on Saturday, June seventh on Belmont Stakes’ Day. The upcoming Met Mile might create a contest amongst the most effective older horses within the nation, resembling White Abarrio, Fierceness, Sierra Leone, Mystic Dan, and others.
Entries for the Ghostzapper Stakes had been:
#
Horse
Coach
Jockey
Odds
1
The Thor
Amando Sanchez
Luis Saez
30:1
2
Tuscan Sky
Todd Pletcher
Dylan Davis
5:1
3
Lightning Tones
Carlos Narvaez
Jorge Ruiz
8:1
4
White Abarrio
Saffie Joseph, Jr.
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
1:9
5
Energy Squeeze
Jorge Delgado
Javier Castellano
8:1
6
One Sharp Cookie
Saffie Joseph, Jr.
Edgard Zayas
15:1
The chances makers’ anticipated order of end was:
1)White Abarrio
2)Tuscan Sky
3)Lightning Tones
4)Energy Squeeze
Nonetheless, the order of race end was:
1)White Abarrio
2)Energy Squeeze
3)Tuscan Sky
4)Lightning Tones
White Abarrio wins the Ghostzapper. Picture by Angelo Lieto.
Just like the Kentucky Derby entries, this group of remarkable racehorses will likely be thought-about for the elite 2025 year-end Eclipse Awards honors.
After White Abarrio’s 5-1/2 size victory win within the Ghostzapper Stakes, coach Saffie Joseph Jr mentioned: “He’s in a distinct league proper now. He did it simple as he can. I feel he’s the most effective horse within the nation.” Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr said: “I didn’t do an excessive amount of. I simply let him be him, and that was it. I let him be him each step of the way in which.”
White Abarrio was challenged by 2024 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) winner Energy Squeeze to his outdoors on the far flip. Turning into the house stretch, Ortiz inspired White Abarrio who responded immediately, drawing away to a cushty victory of 1:41.97. Energy Squeeze, the one mare within the race, completed in second place.
White Abarrio within the Winner’s Circle. Picture by GBeroza.
Each races are extra intimately coated through private pre-race predictions and interviews with educated racing insiders resembling trainers Todd Pletcher, Saffie Joseph, Jr., White Abarrio C2 proprietor Mark Cornett, Jockey Mike Smith, 2023 Kentucky Derby profitable coach Gustavo Delgado, Jr., Each day Racing Kind Analyst David Grening, and others.
You’ll be able to view the 18-minute video overlaying each races right here:
Kentucky Derby qualifying races nonetheless have potential factors to permit horses to make the reduce for the Kentucky Derby. They’re:
4/5/25 Wooden Memorial G2 Stakes at Aqueduct (100 factors)
4/5/25 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes G1 at Keenland (100 factors)
4/5/25 Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita (100 factors)
4/5/25 UAE Derby G2 at Meydan Racecourse-Dubai (100 factors)
4/12/25 Stonerstreet-Lexington Stakes G3 at Keenland (20 factors)
Dr. Gregory A. Beroza, DVM, DACVS, DABVP has been a practising veterinarian and advisor for 42 years; and HorseDoc® ‘Speaking Horses’® media host, creator, and advisor since 2007. Dr. Beroza is a multimedia host and broadcasts his productions, together with a brand new Podcast, through his WuzUpDoc Media web site: www.WuzUpDoc.com. He might be discovered on Twitter, Fb, Youtube and different social media sources.
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