Wathnan Racing’s COMMANDMENT overcame a tepid early pace to stamp himself as the early favourite for this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) with a late-rallying drive to eke out a narrow victory in the 75th running of the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
The Brad Cox-trained son of perennial leading sire Into Mischief (also the sire of Arkansas Derby winner Renegade) who was coming off a victory by a neck in the Feb. 28 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream, prevailed by just a nose over Tampa Bay Derby winner The Puma in the tradition-rich 1 1/8-mile stakes for three-year-olds that closed out a stacked 14-race program featuring 10 stakes, five graded, with purses totaling $2.675 million.
Commandment’s brave triumph gave Cox back-to-back wins in Gulfstream’s definitive Kentucky Derby prep, following Tappan Street’s victory last year over eventual Horse of the Year Sovereignty.
“I’m proud of the horse. He’s a solid horse,” Cox said. “This is a good race and it’s going to set him up for the Derby. Win or lose. I’m glad we came out on the right end.”
The Diamond Anniversary of the Curlin Florida Derby offered 200 qualifying points for the May 2 Kentucky Derby on a scale of 100-50-25-15-10 to the first five finishers. The first jewel of the Triple Crown has been won by 26 starters in the Curlin Florida Derby, while 47 starters have captured a total of 63 Triple Crown races.
Commandment, the 9-5 second choice, rallied from last in a field of six under Flavien Prat after sitting off the pace set by Wayne’s Law and pressed by Nearly past fractions of 24.10 and 48.80 seconds for the first half-mile. Nearly, who was coming off a 5 ¾-length victory in the Jan. 31 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream, took over the lead on the far turn only to be immediately challenged by The Puma, who took over the lead on the turn into the homestretch and opened up a clear lead. Prat sent Commandment five-wide on the final turn to loom as the only danger. The Cox-trainee responded to Prat’s urging to just catch The Puma at the wire.
“I was a bit worried because I wasn’t traveling very well the first part. The pace wasn’t very fast, and I was just in the back, and I thought I would be a bit closer. Then I tipped him out turning for home, he swapped leads and from there he gave me a good, solid run,” Prat said.
“I thought I had the bob, but I wasn’t sure,” Prat added. “He’s very workmanlike. He’s straightforward, and he’s a fighter. He showed some guts down the lane.”
Commandment, a three-time winner during this season’s Championship Meet, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.99. The colt was a buy-back as a weanling for $485,000 in 2023 by breeder Lee Pokoik and bought back again the following year from the Saratoga yearling sale for $475,000. He finally sold for $500,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September sale to Case Clay Thoroughbred management. Commandment is from the Orb mare Sippican Harbor, who won the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes as a 2-year-old in 2018.
“We thought we had him,” said Gustavo Delgado Jr., the son and assistant to The Puma’s trainer, “but other than that, it was really, really what we wanted to see before the [Kentucky] Derby.”
The Puma, who was ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, edged third-place finisher Chief Wallabee, the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) runner-up trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, by a half-length.
“The trip was okay. We were saving ground. He tipped him out and he just felt like, as easily as he was traveling, he would probably accelerate a little quicker than what he did. I mean, he came on but maybe not as quick,” Mott said. “As well as he was traveling on the bridle, when [jockey Junior Alvarado] released him he thought he would probably quicken a little more. But, you know, it’s only his third race and they’ve got to learn to do that. He’s getting more experience, and it wasn’t a bad race. It was a good race.”
Chief Wallabee rallied mildly in the stretch to finish 3 ¼ lengths clear of a tiring Nearly, who finished fourth under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.
“Maybe he needed this to make him move forward. We’ll see. We’ve got time to see how he comes out of it, train here a little bit, survey the complexion of everything,” said Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, whose 7-5 favorite was coming off three straight victories at Gulfstream by a combined 20 lengths. “[Velazquez] felt like he didn’t handle the track the way it was today, the way he handled it previously. He felt like he was sort of just spinning his wheels a little bit. He didn’t run bad. He just didn’t run as well as he’s capable of.”
-with files from Gulfstream media
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