HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -- Upstart and Itsaknockout have almost certainly done enough to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.
By no means does that make the Florida Derby insignificant to either side.
The last time these top 3-year-olds met was in the Fountain of Youth last month, when Upstart finished ahead of everyone else, only to be placed second behind Itsaknockout after a hotly debated ruling by stewards who decided Upstart impeded his opponent's path in the stretch.
The rematch comes today in the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, where Upstart and Itsaknockout will lead an expected field of nine. Both are virtually guaranteed spots in the Kentucky Derby based on point totals from past races, but the $600,000 winners' share on the line in this one isn't a small matter either.
Upstart was made the early favorite at 8-5, just ahead of Itsaknockout at 2-1.
Trainer Rick Violette said he is pleased with the way Upstart is coming into the race.
"He actually recovered quite well from the Fountain of Youth," Violette said. "That was a pretty tiring racetrack and he bounced back pretty quickly and he hasn't had a hair out of place sinse. ... Trainers are tempted to tweak things, but there's nothing to tweak."
One issue for Upstart is that he's starting on the outside of the field in the 1 1/8 mile race. The field will start entering the first of two turns about 11 seconds after the gate opens.
"It's certainly the last choice," Violette said of the No. 9 post. "It's not ideal. It's a little bit longer run to the first turn. He's a good horse and we'll let him handle it."
Upstart won the Holy Bull with ease, then looked comfortable again in the Fountain of Youth over the same surface. It will be the fourth start for Itsaknockout, all at Gulfstream, all with trainer Todd Pletcher adding a bit of distance to the workload every time.
Itsaknockout's speed numbers have gotten better each time.
"He's trained really well," Pletcher said. "He's a very consistent colt, he's very easy to train. He's one of those horses that does whatever you ask. You'd never know he's in the barn."
Pletcher, who is on pace to have at least three and possibly more starters in the Kentucky Derby, said he likes the way this race sets up for Itsaknockout.
"It doesn't look on paper like this race has a ton of front-runners," Pletcher said. "I think he's the type of colt that's adaptable to kind of any running style, but we'd envision him probably not being too far off of it if the pace is soft."
Pletcher has a second entrant in the Florida Derby, with Materiality running out of the second post.
"I think they're both colts that should establish a forward position in the first turn and hopefully stay out of trouble," Pletcher said.
The Florida Derby is one of two North American races in Nort that will guarantee the top two finishers enough points to qualify for the May 2 Kentucky Derby. The other significant prep is the Grade II $750,000 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
The Louisiana Derby is headlined by International Star and War Story, the 1-2 finishers in the Lecompte and Risen Star Stakes, at Fair Grounds and Mr. Z., an Oaklawn-based colt trained by D. Wayne Lukas coming off back-to-back third-place finishes in the Smarty Jones and Southwest Stakes.
A third race offering qualifying points for the Derby is being held at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, giving international horses an opportunity to run for the Roses.
Sports on 03/28/2015