Rule heads field of 11 in Florida Derby

In the more things change the more they stay the same department, trainer

Todd Pletcher will still have the horse to beat in the Florida Derby.

Eskendereya's conditioner will instead send out RULE (Roman Ruler), the Sam F.

Davis S. (G3) winner who was flattered to an extent by Sam Davis runner-up

Schoolyard Dreams' (Stephen Got Even) narrow loss in last weekend's Tampa Bay

Derby (G3). The WinStar homebred, who has won three consecutive stakes in

wire-to-wire fashion, will likely attempt to do the same over one circuit of

Gulfstream's main oval under John Velazquez.

An intriguing newcomer to the classic trail is RADIOHEAD (GB) (Johannesburg),

whose career highlight to date was a score in the Norfolk S. (Eng-G2) at Royal

Ascot last June. Following a rough-trip seventh in the Breeder's Cup Juvenile (G1),

the colt was privately acquired by IEAH Stables and transferred to trainer Rick

Dutrow, who saddled the chestnut to a convincing 3 1/4-length allowance score at

a mile on dirt over Champagne S. (G1) winner Homeboykris (Roman Ruler) on

February 27.

The legacy factor is in play in this year's Florida Derby. LENTENOR

(Dynaformer), a full brother to the ill-fated Florida and Kentucky Derby (G1)

winner Barbaro, will be trying dirt for the first time Saturday after a

convincing maiden score and second-place allowance finish over the local turf

earlier in the meet. SOARING EMPIRE (Empire Maker), whose sire took this event

in 2003, enters with a two-for-three record, the most recent being a

seven-furlong allowance win last month.

D' FUNNYBONE (D'wildcat), who was under consideration for the Florida Derby,

will stay sprinting for now when he heads a field of nine in Saturday's $150,000

Swale S.

(G2) over seven furlongs. The Dutrow charge is already a three-time

graded stakes winner, having taken the Saratoga Special S. (G2) and Futurity S.

(G2) last year and the course-and-distance Hutcheson S. (G2) in his seasonal

debut on Fountain of Youth day. His only major hiccup so far was a last-place

finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, a result most observers would blame on his

dislike for Pro-Ride.

IBBOYEE (Medallist), a respectable third in the Hutcheson, appears to be the

most logical threat to D' Funnybone. A three-time stakes winner in the New

York-bred ranks, the Pletcher charge challenged the winner late last time before

tiring a bit at the finish.