Turf contests share Florida Derby undercard with main track events

Turf contests share Florida Derby undercard with main track

events

While the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby and Grade 2, $300,000 Gulfstream

Park Oaks will garner most of the attention on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, six

other stakes will fight for their share of the limelight.

Three of those are turf contests, headed by the Grade 2, $200,000

Pan

American sending an 11-strong field 1 1/2 miles over Gulfstream's green.

Admiral Kitten will be making just his second start of the year in the Pan

American with jockey Julien Leparoux retaining the mount for trainer Mike Maker.

The Kitten's Joy four-year-old closed out his sophomore campaign with a pair of

runner-up efforts in the Jamaica Handicap and Hollywood Derby, both Grade 1s,

before returning on January 25 to take the John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam

Houston by a neck.

Admiral Kitten, hero of last season's Secretariat at Arlington Park, is one

of two Maker trainees in the race and one of three Ken and Sarah Ramsey-owned

entrants. The other Maker/Ramsey charge is Grade 3 victor Joes Blazing Aaron,

who just finished third in a $50,000 claimer on January 19. Fellow Ramsey

colorbearer Charming Kitten is looking for his first graded score in the Pan

American after taking the Kitten's Joy Stakes last year and will be saddled by

trainer Todd Pletcher. The four-year-old captured an optional claimer over the

course on January 11 but was sixth in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap last

out.

Also of note in the Pan American is dual Grade 2 hero Amira's Prince, who

finished third in the Gulfstream Park Turf 'Cap.

The other two turf events are the Grade 3, $150,000

Orchid,

which attracted nine fillies and mares to go 1 1/2 miles; and the Grade 3,

$100,000

Appleton, featuring 12 runners, including two main-track only entrants, at a

mile on the green.

Inimitable Romanee brings a two-race win streak into the Orchid, having

captured the Long Island Handicap and The Very One, both Grade 3s, in her 2013

finale and six-year-old debut. The gray daughter of Maria's Mon primarily faced

state-bred company before that and will face off against the likes of Grade 2

star Caroline Thomas on Saturday.

The one-mile Appleton features Mr. Online seeking a return to the winner's

circle after just being caught by a neck on the wire of the Canadian Turf last

month. Prior to that the Silent Name gelding scored three-straight wins,

including the El Prado over course and distance on December 28. Salto was third

in the Canadian Turf, just 1 3/4 lengths behind Mr. Online, and missed by a head

to that rival in the El Prado. Sandwiched in between those two races was a nice

runner-up effort in the Tampa Bay Derby.

Tetradrachm is also entered in the Appleton and could try to set the pace

once again. The Badge of Silver gelding utilized that tactic in the Gulfstream

Park Turf Handicap, resulting in a good fourth, and was also runner-up in both

the Ft. Lauderdale and Tropical Turf Handicap.

Grade 3 winner Five Iron and Fredericksburg, a neck second to Admiral Kitten

in the Connally Turf, could also challenge in the Appleton.

The three undercard dirt races are headed by the Grade 3, $150,000

Rampart

for distaffers. The nine-furlong affair drew eight runners while the Grade 3,

$100,000

Skip

Away will send 11 older competitors 1 3/16 miles over the main track and the

$100,000

Sir Shackleton attracted 10 sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs.

Devil's Cave scored by 3 1/2 front-running lengths in the February 16 Sabin

and will try to emulate that performance once again in the Rampart. The Marty

Wolfson-trained four-year-old captured her stakes debut in December in the Ocala

and then ran second after setting the early pace in the Florida Sunshine

Millions Distaff on January 18.

Among those Devil's Cave will face on Saturday is Unlimited Budget from the

Pletcher shedrow. That Street Sense filly racked up four straight victories in

2013, including the Rachel Alexandra and Fair Grounds Oaks, before finishing

third in the Kentucky Oaks and sixth in the Belmont Stakes against the boys. The

bay miss closed out her sophomore campaign with a well-beaten last-of-five in

the Coaching Club American Oaks, and was fourth in her four-year-old bow on

March 8. Unlimited Budget has plenty of room for improvement in this second

start off the break.

Csaba could get back to his winning ways in the Skip Away after trying turf

on March 1 at Gulfstream. The Kitten's Joy five-year-old is much better than

that eighth-placing suggests, evidenced by the multiple Grade 3 wins on his

resume. Grade 2 scorer Nikki's Sandcastle and Grade 1-placed stakes hero

Micromanage are also entered.

Ribo Bobo is the one to beat in the Sir Shackleton and puts his three-race

win streak on the line in the sprint. The six-year-old gelding has triumphed in

12 of his last 13 races, with the only hiccup being a half-length second in the

Fabulous Strike Handicap in November. Florida Sunshine Millions Sprint runner-up

Happy My Way and Caixa Eletronica second Dad'z Laugh re-oppose Ribo Bobo in the

Sir Shackleton.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com