While the overall schedule for horse racing remains in flux due to the Covid-19 crisis, many tracks are still giving it a go for the time being.
Looking ahead to the weekend, we have a big highlight to look forward to in the form of one of the biggest races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Here are the details.
Florida Derby – G1
A big 14-race card remains on the docket at Gulfstream Park. The highlight of the day is the last race on the card, the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby. It’s a 1 1/8 mile race on a dirt track with 13 starters scheduled to compete.
This is one of the biggest prizes on the road to the Derby, as the top four finishers will earn points based on a 100-40-20-10. Here’s how the field shapes up along with their morning line odds.
1- As Seen on TV, 12-1
2- Shivaree, 30-1
3- Disc Jockey, 20-1
4- Soros, 30-1
5- Gouverneur Morris, 8-1
6- Ajaweed, 20-1
7- Tiz the Law, 6-5
8- My First Grammy, 50-1
9- Independence Hall, 9-2
10- Candy Tycoon, 20-1
11- Sassy but Smart, 50-1
12- Ete Indien, 4-1
13- Rogue Element, 50-1 (AE)
In other Derby prep news, Saturday will also see the running of the Fukuryu Stakes in Nakayama, Japan. This is also a 1 1/8 mile race on a dirt track, and points for the Derby chase will be awarded on a 40-16-8-4 scale.
Other Saturday Stakes Races
While it’s true that the pickings are getting slim at tracks across the US, we still have a number of other quality races on the docket for Saturday. Here are the biggest ones to keep on your radar.
$100,000 Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes
Oaklawn Race 9 – 5:08 PM ET
6 Furlongs, Dirt, 9 Starters
$100,000 Santa Anita Stakes
Santa Anita Race 7 – 3:31 PM PT
1 1/4 Miles, Downhill Turf, 9 Starters
$100,000 Cutler Bay Stakes
Gulfstream Park Race 4 – 1:00 PM ET
1 Mile, Turf, 16 Starters
$100,000 Hal’s Hope Stakes
Gulfstream Park Race 6 – 2:00 PM ET
1 1/8 Miles, Dirt, 11 Starters
$100,000 Sanibel Island Stakes
Gulfstream Park Race 7 – 2:30 PM ET
1 Mile, Turf, 13 Starters
$75,000 Sir Shackleton Stakes
Gulfstream Park Race 8 – 3:00 PM ET
7 Furlongs, Dirt, 12 Starters
$100,000 Sand Springs Stakes
Gulfstream Park Race 9 – 3:34 PM ET
1 Mile, Turf, 13 Starters
$100,000 Orchid Stakes
Gulfstream Park Race 10 – 4:17 PM ET
1 3/8 Miles, Turf, 12 Starters
$100,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks
Gulfstream Park Race 11 – 4:49 PM ET
1 1/16 Miles, Dirt, 14 Starters
$200,000 Pan American Stakes
Gulfstream Park Race 12 – 5:26 PM ET
1 1/2 Miles, Turf, 10 Starters
$100,000 Appleton Stakes
Gulfstream Park Race 13 – 6:00 PM ET
1 Mile, Turf, 16 Starters
It’s a jam-packed day on tap at Gulfstream, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed that everything goes off without a hitch. Due to the current environment, we unfortunately have to consider scheduled racing at all tracks to be subject to change.
One other note on Gulfstream: As of this writing, the Rainbow Pick 6 is still carrying over. At last check, over $1.4 million is up for grabs and it’s still growing.
Hitting the Pick 6 with a unique entry is far from easy, as you have to pick the winner of six consecutive races on the card. When there’s no lone winner, a portion of the pool is paid out to those with correct entries while the remainder carries over.
If no one hits it in advance of Saturday’s card, the Pick 6 begins with Race 9 on the card and carries through to the finale, the Florida Derby in Race 14.
