Road to the Roses - The Florida Derby

The Florida Derby has been staged on a sloppy Gulfstream Park surface only three times in its 57-year history.

I saw Bull in the Heather score in 1993 and return a whopping $60.80. Fourth-place finisher Kissin Kris went on to run second in the Belmont Stakes.

Two other winners were favored and captured two Belmont.

I was astonished that the South Florida track’s premier race, worth $250,000 less than the $1 million offered from ’02 through ’07, was staged over a fast track 54 times since ’52. Sky Ship captured the inaugural, paid $24.10 and earned more than 70 percent of the $24,750 purse.

The area is noted for surprise showers, a phenomenon I know well since residing there from ’51 to ’00. Saturday’s forecast: partly cloudy with a high of 84 degrees.

I saw the first of many races in ’57 when Gen. Duke defeated Bold Ruler by 1 ½ lengths and set the stakes record that still stands: 1:46 4/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

On the eve of the Kentucky Derby, the son of Bull Lea came up lame and was scratched. Gallant Man was on his way to victory at Churchill Downs when Bill Shoemaker misjudged the finish line and Iron Liege won by a nose.

Bold Ruler took the Preakness and Gallant Man captured the Belmont. Gen. Duke later developed the spinal affliction known as wobbles and died.

The weather played havoc last weekend when four contenders in Saturday’s contest planned final works. The top two candidates beat the rain on Saturday at Palm Meadows Training Center, an hour up the highway from Gulfstream.

Impressive allowance race winner Dunkirk, working handily in company of 3-year-old stablemate Affirmatif, posted a bullet 1:00 for five furlongs last Saturday.

“I was looking for something between a minute and 1:01 and got a minute the right way,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He finished strong and galloped out well. I couldn't have been more happy with that.”

Quality Road, coming off a Fountain of Youth (FOY) victory on Feb. 28, was timed in 1:25 for seven furlongs later in the morning. “He worked good,” trainer Jimmy Jerkens said. “I got the first half in 48 and change and the last quarter in 23.”

At Gulfstream, FOY third-place finisher Beethoven wasn’t so lucky. But he worked anyway, going five furlongs in a very slow 1:09 4/5 in the slop.

“I wasn’t looking for anything brilliant,” trainer John Ward said. “He had a good work last week and he’s run some of best races after he had not much more than a blowout a week before.”

Track conditions prompted trainer Ken McPeek to put off Theregoesjojo’s final work for 24 hours. However, the main track remained sloppy and the FOY runner-up breezed six furlongs in 1:15 1/5, galloping out seven furlongs in 1:30.

“I don’t normally like to work horses on a muddy track, but this went well,” McPeek said. “He got what he needed and came out of it just fine. He’s all done up and put away.”

Theregoesjjo did defeat Quality Road earlier in the year in a sever-furlong race on Jan. 10 at Gulfstream.