With top-ranked Kentucky Derby (G1) prospects together with three who’ve every raced nicely in graded stakes at Gulfstream Park this 12 months in Commandment , Chief Wallabee , and Almost , the March 28 Florida Derby (G1) shapes up as a pivotal and aggressive check that figures to have main implications for the primary Saturday in Could.
Coach Brad Cox will search to win a second straight Florida Derby with a son of Into Mischief as he has entered Wathnan Racing’s Commandment within the $1 million race at Gulfstream. Commandment, bred in Kentucky by Lee Pokoik, is the 5-2 second alternative off a hard-fought Fountain of Youth win.
“I believed he was getting a superb journey … inside path and completed up nicely,” Cox stated after final month’s win. “Needed to struggle the wind and he galloped out nicely once more. (Jockey) Irad (Ortiz Jr.) stated he form of requested him to gallop out previous the second wire and he had a lot … handed the two-turn check.”
The seventy fifth working of the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby provides 200 qualifying factors (100-50-25-15-10 schedule) towards the Kentucky Derby (G1) and anchors a 14-race program value $2.675 million.
Traditionally, the Florida Derby has been one of the crucial productive preps on the Street to the Kentucky Derby, producing dozens of Triple Crown race wins and persevering with to function a key launching pad, as seen in 2025 when Cox captured the race with Into Mischief colt Tappan Road . After all out of that race, it might be runner-up Sovereignty who would change into the twenty sixth Florida Derby runner to win the Kentucky Derby whereas Tappan Road missed the Triple Crown races after injuring his proper entrance leg in an April 26 work. Join BloodHorse Each day
Regardless of this 12 months’s Fountain of Youth consequence, the nine-horse Florida Derby morning-line is led by Michael and Katherine Ball homebred Chief Wallabee , who’s educated by Invoice Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado. The son of Structure boasts the identical coach and jockey as Sovereignty and is the 2-1 favourite off an in depth runner-up end within the Fountain of Youth. Corridor of Famer Mott nonetheless seeks his first Florida Derby victory.
Centennial Farms’ Almost , a son of Not This Time educated by eight-time Florida Derby-winning coach Todd Pletcher and ridden by six-time winner John Velazquez, is the 3-1 third alternative. Bred in Florida by Wind Hill Farm, he brings a three-race win streak to the gate, together with the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) Jan. 31 at Gulfstream.
OGMA Investments, JR Ranch, and Excessive Step Racing’s The Puma is educated by Gustavo Delgado and ridden by Javier Castellano. The 9-2 contender, bred by Hidden Brook Farm and Brian Kahn, exits a Tampa Bay Derby (G3) victory. Delgado and Castellano teamed to win the 2023 Kentucky Derby with Mage , after he completed second within the Florida Derby.
Baalbek Corp.’s Wayne’s Regulation , educated by Amador Sanchez and ridden by Marcos Meneses, is a son of 2020 Florida Derby winner Tiz the Regulation . Wayne’s Regulation was bred by Margaret McFarland in Florida.
Leon Ellman, Glassman Racing, and Laurie Plesa’s Timeless Victory is educated by Ed Plesa Jr. and ridden by Jose Morelos. The colt, bred by Allied Racing Secure, has three wins on the Gulfstream floor.
JC Racing Secure’s Gregarious , owned and educated by Jose Castro and ridden by Rajiv Maragh, enters as a maiden and can make simply his second begin. George Krikorian bred the son of Mo City .
Pin Oak Stud’s Albus , educated by Riley Mott and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, is a last-out maiden winner. The son of Yaupon was bred in Kentucky by Susan Casner.
Calypso Racing Stables’ Redland Rebels can be entered within the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. He was bred by Hickstead Farm.
Entries: Curlin Florida Derby introduced by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1)Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 28, 2026, Race 14Grade I1 1/8mDirt $1,000,0003 yo6:42 PM (native)
