2025 Florida Derby Entries at Gulfstream Park

Florida Derby Offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby Points To Top-Five Finishers

** UPDATE March 26 ** Jockey Mike Smith will replace Tyler Gaffalione on Madaket Road (7-2) after the jockey suffered a broken ankle as a result of incident prior to start of Gulfstream Park's 4th race on Wednesday, March 26 and is out indefinitely.

** UPDATE March 25 ** Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and Godolphin LLC have secured the riding services of Manny Franco for Sovereignty's highly anticipated start in Saturday's $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

The New York-based jockey will fill in for regular rider Junior Alvarado, who sustained a shoulder injury in a racing mishap Sunday. Alvarado has been aboard Sovereignty for all four starts, including a last-to-first victory in the March 1 Fountain of Youth (G1).

Franco is currently atop the jockey standings at the current Aqueduct meet.

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Between 1953 and 2025, a span of 73 years, the Florida Derby (G1), held annually at Gulfstream Park, has produced Twenty-five Kentucky Derby winners, a record unequaled by any other Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race.

Sovereignty, an impressive winner of the March 1 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2), was installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite in a field of 10 3-year-olds entered Saturday for the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa March 29 at Gulfstream Park.

The homebred son of Into Mischief drew Post 10 for the 74th running of the tradition rich Curlin Florida Derby, whose starters have gone on to win 60 Triple Crown events, including 25 editions of the Kentucky Derby (G1). The Curlin Florida Derby will provide Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale to its top five finishers, respectively.

The 1 1/8-mile Triple Crown prep will headline a 14-race program with 10 stakes, five graded, including the $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), the $165,000 Ghostzapper (G3), the $215,000 Pan American (G3) and the $165,000 Orchid (G3). First-race post time is set for 11:30 a.m.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Sovereignty made his 2025 debut in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth, in which he made a sweeping last-to-first drive to overtake River Thames by a neck. In his 2-year-old finale, he had captured the Street Sense (G2) at Churchill Downs with a similar last-to-first sweep to score by five lengths.

Junior Alvarado has the return mount aboard Sovereignty, who breezed an easy half mile in 50.20 seconds Saturday morning at Payson Park.

SF Racing and partners' Madaket Road, runner-up in the Rebel (G2) at Oaklawn last out, drew Post 8 before being rated second at 7-2 on the morning line. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the son of Quality Road previously finished third in the Robert B. Lewis (G2) at Santa Anita.

Tyler Gaffalione has the call on Madaket Road, who breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 seconds at Santa Anita Saturday morning.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who saddled Fierceness for a record 13 ½-length triumph in last year's Curlin Florida Derby to notch his record eighth success in Gulfstream's premier Triple Crown prep, is scheduled to saddle Repole Stable and partners' Disruptor for this year's edition. The son of Gun Runner, who was purchased for $1.15 million at the 2023 Keeneland September sale, drew Post 4 before being rated third at 4-1 on the morning line.

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the return mount aboard Disruptor, who turned in an eye-catching 9 ¼-length maiden special weight victory in his second career start on the Coolmore Fountain of Youth undercard. Disruptor breezed a half-mile in 48.99 seconds Saturday morning at Palm Beach Downs.

WinStar Farm LLC, CHC, Inc., and Cold Press Racing's Tappan Street, runner-up in the Feb. 1 Holy Bull (G3), was rated fourth at 5-1 on the morning line after drawing Post 9 for the Curlin Florida Derby. Trained by Brad Cox, the son of Into Mischief closed from off the pace to grab the lead in mid-stretch in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull, only to be overtaken by Burnham Square. He was beaten by 1 ¾ lengths while finishing 9 ¼ lengths clear of third-place finisher Burning Glory.

Luis Saez has the return mount aboard Tappan Street, who had scored a 1 ¾-length debut victory at Gulfstream in his prior start. He breezed five furlongs in 1:01.80 Saturday morning at Payson Park.

Ian Parsard, Shining Stable LLC and Stefania Farms LLC's Neoequos, who finished third in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth, drew Post 1 for the Curlin Florida Derby. The son of Neolithic, who scored a dominating victory in a Florida-bred optional claiming allowance in his 2025 debut, is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., who saddled White Abarrio for a victory in Gulfstream's signature race for 3-year-olds in 2022.

Edgard Zayas has the mount on Neoequos, who is rated at 10-1 on the morning line.

Donald Dizney LLC's Jimmy's Dailys drew Post 6 and was rated at 12-1 for his stakes debut in the Curlin Florida Derby. The Brian Lynch-trained son of Vekoma, who finished second behind undefeated Grande while trying two turns for the first time in a Feb. 27 optional claiming allowance.

Joel Rosario has been named to ride Jimmy's Dailys, who tuned up for the Curlin Florida Derby at Palm Meadows Training Center with a five-furlong breeze in 1:01.80 Saturday morning.

AMO Racing USA's Cool Intentions, who finished fifth in the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man following back-to-back victories at Gulfstream, drew Post 2 and was rated at 20-1 on the morning line.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has been named to ride the Jorge Delgado-trained son of Authentic.

Chester A. Bishop and partners' Enterdadragon, who is scheduled to make only his second dirt start in the Curlin Florida Derby from Post 7. The Jose D'Angelo-trained son of Outwork, who finished second in the Colonel Liam on turf on the Coolmore Fountain of Youth undercard last out, is rated at 30-1.

Dylan Davis has the call on Enterdadragon.

Just for Fun Stable Inc.'s Indecisiveness, a winner of one of four career starts, was rated at 30-1 after drawing Post 5.

Jorge Ruiz has the mount.

KEM Stables' Smoken Boy, claimed for $75,000 out of an off-the-board finish in the Feb. 27 optional claiming allowance in which Jimmy's Dailys finished second behind undefeated Grande, drew Post 3 and is rated at 30-1.

Edgar Perez has the call on the Grade 1 winner in Puerto Rico.

Jimmy's Dailys Set for Curlin Florida Derby

March 19 - Trainer Brian Lynch confirmed Wednesday that Donald Dizney LLC's Jimmy's Dailys will make his next start in the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park March 29.

"We're going to run him in the Florida Derby," Lynch reported.

Jimmy's Dailys is slated to make his stakes debut in the Curlin Florida Derby, the premier prep for the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1), but the 3-year-old son of Vekoma has certainly kept the very best of company in his three starts at Gulfstream during the 2024-2025 Championship Meet after a six-month layoff following an unplaced June 23 debut at Churchill.

Jimmy's Dailys made his return to action with a fourth-place finish behind Tappan Street, who went on to finish second in the Feb. 1 Holy Bull (G3), in a Dec. 28 seven-furlong maiden race, in which Multiverse finished third before going on to break his maiden and finish second in the Hutcheson.

"After his first start at Churchill, he had an unusual injury that we had to give him time for. He's owned by the Dizneys, so we sent him down here to their farm in Florida," Lynch said. "He probably wasn't in the form that we'd have liked, but we wanted to try to get him on the Derby program. So, he probably wasn't as ready for his first start as he could have been, but he's really come on from that."

The Dizney homebred was certainly ready for his second Gulfstream start in a seven-furlong maiden special weight race on the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup (G1) undercard, drawing clear by 1 ¼ lengths after closely stalking the pace. Disruptor, a $1.15 million purchase finished third in that race, before going on to graduate by 9 ¼ lengths for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher on the March 1 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) undercard.

Jimmy's Dailys subsequently made his first start around two turns in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance Feb. 27, setting the pace before finishing second behind Pletcher-trained Grande, who is undefeated in two career starts, both at Gulfstream.

"I thought he ran very gritty his first start around two turns," Lynch said. "He got inside pressed after breaking from the 1 hole - he was committed. He was pressed by that horse of Todd's, who got the jump on him. I liked the way when he got to the outside of that horse that he boxed on and tried to make up ground. It gave me some confidence that he can go a little bit further. You have to think second time around two turns he's going to get better."

Joel Rosario, a 2024 Hall of Fame inductee, will have the mount aboard Jimmy's Dailys for the 1 1/8-mile Curlin Florida Derby, in which Godolphin LLC's Sovereignty, a most impressive winner of the Coolmore Fountain of Youth for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, is scheduled to return.

Jimmy's Dailys is also on course to meet former rivals Tappan Street and Disruptor in the Curlin Florida Derby.

Fountain of Youth Top Trio Head G1 Florida Derby Nominations

March 17 - Sovereignty, River Thames and Neoequos, the top three finishers from the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2); Holy Bull (G3) runner-up Tappan Street and Citizen Bull, the champion 2-year-old male of 2024, are among 40 3-year-olds nominated to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 29 at Gulfstream Park.

The 74th running of the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby, Gulfstream's signature race that during its history has produced the winners of a remarkable 59 Triple Crown races, is the centerpiece of a spectacular program featuring 10 stakes, five graded, worth $2.62 million in purses.

As one of the country's premiere Triple Crown preps, the Florida Derby offers Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis.

Sovereignty, who graduated third time out in last fall's Street Sense (G3) at Churchill Downs to cap his juvenile season, opened this year with a dramatic late-running neck triumph over River Thames in Gulfstream's 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth March 1. The victory gave Sovereignty 60 points, tied for third-most on the Derby qualifying list.

River Thames, a winner of each of his two prior tries at Gulfstream this year after going unraced at 2, is one of six nominees from Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who owns a record eight Florida Derby victories including 2024 with champion Fierceness by a record 13 ½ lengths.

Among Pletcher's other nominees are Disruptor, a 9 ¼-length maiden special weight winner sprinting seven furlongs March 1 at Gulfstream; Gate to Wire, winner of the seven-furlong Swale Feb. 1 that ran fifth in the Fountain of Youth; Grande, a 2 ½-length winner of each of his two starts, both this year, the latter Feb. 27 at 1 1/8 miles; and Skate Away, a 2 ¾-length maiden special weight winner going 1 1/8-miles Feb. 22 at Gulfstream.

Citizen Bull capped his championship season with a second Grade 1 victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), opening his sophomore season with a popular and dominant triumph in the one-mile Robert B. Lewis (G3) Feb. 1 at Santa Anita over stablemates Rodriguez and Madaket Road, both also nominated to the Florida Derby, a race Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has yet to win.

Neoequos, trained by Championship Meet leader Saffie Joseph Jr., ran second in a pair of Florida Sire Stakes, the Dr. Fager and Affirmed, sprinting last fall and stretched out to two turns for the first time in the Fountain of Youth, setting the pace before giving way and holding on to third.

Tappan Street broke his maiden by 1 ¾ lengths going seven furlongs Dec. 28 at Gulfstream, making his two-turn and stakes debut in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull Feb. 1. Sent off the favorite, the Into Mischief colt was in front in mid-stretch before getting passed in the final sixteenth of a mile by Burnham Square.

Also prominent among Florida Derby nominees are 2024 Breeders' Futurity (G1) winner East Avenue; Owen Almighty, last-out winner of the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) March 8; and Tappan Street's Brad Cox-trained stablemate Passion Rules, undefeated in three starts, all going two turns.

Sovereignty Most Likely Headed to G1 Florida Derby

March 7 - Sovereignty, Godolphin's homebred 3-year-old, dramatic late-running winner of the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) March 1, is being pointed to a return to Gulfstream Park for the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 29.

Sovereignty earned 50 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points for his Fountain of Youth victory by a neck over River Thames, and is tied with 2024 2-year-old male champion Citizen Bull for second on the list with 60. The 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby offers points to the top five finishers on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis.

"I think we're leaning very heavily toward the Florida Derby," Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said Friday. "We're 95 percent sure that's where we're going."

Sovereignty, a bay son of Into Mischief, entered the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth having gone unraced since breaking his maiden in his third start, the Oct. 27 Street Sense (G3) at Churchill Downs. He trailed by as many as five lengths after six furlongs in the Fountain of Youth before closing with aplomb to nail previously undefeated River Thames.

Mott said Sovereignty exited his comeback race well and has resumed training at his winter base of Payson Park.

"He looks good," Mott said. "He's doing good and back on the track galloping."

2025 Florida Derby Probables

Sovereignty, Tappan Street, Disruptor, River Thames, Neoequos, Grande

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