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‘See How He Stacks Up’: Baffert Sending Spielberg For Florida Derby

Multiple Grade 1 stakes-placed Spielberg has joined the star cast of scheduled starters for the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farm at Xalapa March 27 at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the 3-year-old son of Union Rags is scheduled to clash with Holy Bull (G3) and Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G1) winner Greatest Honour in the 1 1/8-mile stakes that has produced the winners of 60 Triple Crown events.

“We'll see how he stacks up,” Baffert said Friday.

Spielberg, who is scheduled to breeze Sunday at Santa Anita before shipping to South Florida, finished second behind Eclipse champion Essential Quality in the Feb. 27 Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park following a poor start.

“He's a great-feeling horse,” Baffert said. “He came out of that race in great shape.”

In his 2021 debut, the Kentucky-bred colt stumbled at the start of the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita before finishing fourth behind Baffert-trained winner Medina Spirit.

“He needs to get away from the gate well,” said Baffert of Spielberg's chances of winning the Florida Derby.

Spielberg had a productive six-race juvenile campaign, in which he finished second in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and third in the American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita before breaking is maiden in his fourth start. He went on to win the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) two starts later.

Spielberg was purchased for $1 million at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable LLC, Golconda Stables, Sienna Farm LLC and Robert Masterson.

In addition to Greatest Honour and Spielberg, the Florida Derby field is likely to include Collaborate, Known Agenda, Nova Rags, Soup and Sandwich, Papetu, Quantum Leap, Jirafales and Siglioso.

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Dual Prep Winner Greatest Honour Tops Nominees To Florida Derby

Courtlandt Farms' Greatest Honour, an impressive winner of the Jan. 30 Holy Bull (G3) and Feb. 27 Fountain of Youth (G2), is atop the list of 25 Triple Crown hopefuls nominated to the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farm at Xalapa at Gulfstream Park March 27.

Greatest Honour, who also broke his maiden at Gulfstream Dec. 26, is trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, who saddled Orb for victories in the 2013 Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby prior to his triumph in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

The 70th running of the Florida Derby will highlight a program with 10 stakes, six graded, worth $1.85 million in purses. The tradition-rich 1 1/8-mile stakes has produced the winners of 60 Triple Crown events, as well as 24 Kentucky Derby winners, 19 Preakness Stakes (G1) winners and 17 Belmont Stakes (G1) champions. Last year's Florida Derby winner Tiz the Law captured the Belmont.

Greatest Honour has won all three of his starts at Gulfstream over the 1 1/16-mile distance while rallying from well off the pace. The son of Tapit was fourth at the top of the stretch in the Fountain of Youth before surging to a 1 ½-length victory.

A total of 170 Kentucky Derby qualifying points will be up for grabs in the Florida Derby on a 100-40-20-10 basis.

Godolphin LLC's Prevalence is among the most prominent 3-year-olds on the Florida Derby nominations list, having won his only two starts impressively, both at Gulfstream Park. The Brendan Walsh trainee debuted Jan. 23, winning a seven-furlong maiden special weight race by 8 ¼ lengths, handily. The homebred son of Medaglia d'Oro came back to win a mile optional claiming allowance by three lengths March 11. A decision on the Kentucky-bred colt's next start has yet to be announced.

Juddmonte Farms, Inc.'s Mandaloun, the winner of Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds, is nominated to the Florida Derby but is entered in Saturday's Louisiana Derby (G2). John and Diane Franklin's Rombauer, the Michael McCarthy-trained winner of the El Camino Real Derby (G3) at Golden Gate Fields, is also nominated but is not expected to run.

St. Elias Stable's Known Agenda is among the likely starters in this year's Florida Derby, which has been won a record five times by the son of Curlin's trainer, Todd Pletcher. The homebred colt, who finished third in the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct in his juvenile season finale, rebounded from a fifth-place finish in his 2021 debut in the Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs with an eye-catching 11-length victory at Gulfstream in a Feb. 26 optional claiming allowance at the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby distance. Pletcher is also represented on the Florida Derby noms list by WinStar Farm LLC and CHC Inc.'s Sainthood, a Feb. 12 maiden winner at Fair Grounds following a narrow loss his Jan. 9 debut at Gulfstream.

Michael Shanley's Nova Rags, who finished second behind stablemate Candy Man Rocket in the Sam F. Davis, is expected to run in the Florida Derby. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the son of Union Rags had previously won the seven-furlong Pasco at Tampa.

Three Chimneys Farm and eFive Racing Thoroughbreds' Collaborate, a $600,000 yearling purchase, is scheduled to make the jump from the maiden special weight ranks to Grade 1 company after rebounding from a troubled debut to graduate in spectacular fashion Feb. 27, scoring by 12 ½ lengths under wraps. The son of Into Mischief is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., who is also represented on the nominations list by Moonlite Strike, who finished third in the March 6 Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse is expected to be represented in the Florida Derby field by undefeated Soup and Sandwich, a Live Oak Plantation homebred who debuted at Gulfstream Jan. 29 with a dominating 7 ¼-length victory in a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight event. The son of Into Mischief came back to capture a two-turn optional claiming allowance at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 24 by 2 ¾ lengths. Soup and Sandwich will be among the Florida-bred nominees who will be eligible for $100,000 in Florida-bred bonus money.

Magic Stables LLC's Papetu, who finished third in the Fountain of Youth following a very wide trip from his outside post position, is expected to return in the Florida Derby. The Antonio Sano-trained son of Dialed In had previously finished second in the Jan. 2 Mucho Macho Man and fourth in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream. Sano-trained Sigiloso, a son of Khozan owned by Gelfenstein Farm, is also nominated to the Florida Derby. The Florida-bred, who finished third in the Kitten's Joy (G3) on turf two starts back, is eligible for a $100,000 'Win Only' bonus offered to Florida Sire Stakes-nominated horses.

Trainer Dale Romans is represented by four 3-year-olds on the Florida Derby nominations list, including Albaugh Family Stables LLC's Sittin on Go and Smiley Sobotka, West Point Thoroughbreds and Peacock Stable's King's Ovation and Jim Bakke and Gerry Isbister's Ultimate Badger.

The Florida Derby will be supported by an undercard with nine other stakes – $200,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), $200,000 Pan American (G2), $100,000 Ghostzapper (G3), $100,000 Kitten's Joy Appleton (G3), $100,000 Orchid (G3), the $100,000 Sir Shackleton, $100,000 Sand Springs, the $100,000 Cutler Bay, and $100,000 Sanibel Island.

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Collaborate Has Best Of Morning Breeze As Florida Derby Prep

Three Chimneys Farm and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Collaborate breezed four furlongs Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park in preparation for a start in the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill n' Dale at Xalapa March 27.

The son of Into Mischief was timed in 47.05 seconds at the Hallandale Beach. Fla., track, the fastest clocking of 51 recorded at the distance, while returning to the worktab for the first time since producing a dazzling maiden victory at Gulfstream Feb. 27. He worked in company with Sound Machine, a 4-year-old stakes-winning filly.

“He showed great progression today. He's always been a good work horse,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He worked with Sound Machine. She was a little keen early on. She was on the outside and was leading and they finished head-and-head and he galloped out stronger than her.”

Collaborate graduated by 12 ½ lengths under wraps on the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) undercard after completing a one-turn mile in 1:36.35.

“He has the looks physically; he's big, tall. Few are comparable to him in looks. As big as he is, he's very athletic, very fluid, very efficient mover,” Joseph said. “Watching him work today, you don't even know he's working that quick. He came the last quarter in 22-and-4 and galloped out. You don't think he's going that fast, but when you look at the clock, he is.”

The Kentucky-bred colt, who was purchased for $600,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, had finished a troubled fifth, beaten by just a length by victorious Democracy, in his six-furlong career debut over a sloppy track Feb. 6. Shug McGaughey-trained Bears Watching, who finished third, a neck and a nose ahead of Collaborate, came back to graduate Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park by 7 ¾ lengths.

“First time out, losing was a blessing in disguise. It didn't feel good on the day, knowing the talent that he had, but I think it helped us going forward,” Joseph said.

Collaborate will concede racing experience to his rivals in the Florida Derby.

“I think he's a special horse. Obviously, we're asking a lot of him to make his third start in the Florida Derby and have to face a horse like Greatest Honour and a few others that will be more seasoned. I feel like he's a horse who has the ability to overcome seasoning.”

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Collaborate Works for Florida Derby

Three Chimneys Farm and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Collaborate (Into Mischief), last seen with a 'TDN Rising Star' graduation at Gulfstream Feb. 27, tuned up for an expected start in the Mar. 27 GI Curlin Florida Derby with a sharp four-furlong work in :47.05 (1/51) at the Hallandale oval Sunday. He worked in company with Sound Machine (Into Mischief), a 4-year-old stakes-winning filly.

“He showed great progression today. He's always been a good work horse,” trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said. “He worked with Sound Machine. She was a little keen early on. She was on the outside and was leading and they finished head-and-head and he galloped out stronger than her.”

Collaborate graduated by a geared-down 12 1/2 lengths on the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. undercard after completing a one-turn mile in 1:36.35.

“He has the looks physically; he's big, tall. Few are comparable to him in looks. As big as he is, he's very athletic, very fluid, very efficient mover,” Joseph said. “Watching him work today, you don't even know he's working that quick. He came the last quarter in :22 4/5 and galloped out. You don't think he's going that fast, but when you look at the clock, he is.”

Collaborate will be making just the third start of his career in the Florida Derby.

“I think he's a special horse,” Joseph said. “Obviously, we're asking a lot of him to make his third start in the Florida Derby and have to face a horse like Greatest Honour and a few others that will be more seasoned. I feel like he's a horse who has the ability to overcome seasoning.”

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