Sovereignty the one to beat in Florida Derby; seven vie in Gulfstream Park Oaks

Mar 24, 2025 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Sovereignty wins the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. (Photo by Coglianese Photo / Credit to Lauren King)

A long layoff and a short stretch could not stop Sovereignty from taking the Fountain of Youth (G2) in the final strides earlier this month. For an encore, the Godolphin homebred will look to enhance his Kentucky Derby (G1) credentials in the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

Contested at 1 1/8 miles, the Florida Derby is the last of 14 races on a stakes-laden card. Qualifying points of 100-50-25-15-10 for the Kentucky Derby will be distributed to the respective top five finishers.

Safely in the Kentucky Derby by virtue of his neck win in the Fountain of Youth, Sovereignty will seek his third prep win in a row in Gulfstream's signature event. When last seen prior to the Fountain of Youth, Sovereignty showed a fondness for the Churchill strip with an eye-catching, five-length romp in the Street Sense (G3) in late October.

Most of Sovereignty's Fountain of Youth rivals have not returned for the Florida Derby. The one exception is pacesetter Neoequos, who faded to third after setting the pace. However, he's likely to be eclipsed in the wagering by at least two others.

Madaket Road, an increasingly rare ship-in to Gulfstream from the Bob Baffert stable, finished a distant third to stablemate and champion Citizen Bull in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) to start the season. He followed up with a slightly better run in the Rebel (G2) at Oaklawn, where he finished second to Coal Battle after carving out the early pace.

Tarpan Street enters the Florida Derby off a break of nearly two months. A debut winner in late December, he next started as the favorite in the Feb. 1 Holy Bull (G3), finishing a clear second to Burnham Square it was was his debut around two turns.

Also among the field of 10 is Disruptor, a last-out maiden winner for Todd Pletcher, who has won the Florida Derby a record eight times, including the last two editions with juvenile champions Forte and Fierceness.

Earlier on Saturday, seven three-year-old fillies will contest the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) over 1 1/16 miles. Davona Dale (G2) heroine The Queens M G has yet to try two turns, an advantage held by the stakes-winning Five G, who was most recently second in the Honeybee (G3) at Oaklawn.

Trainer Saffie Joseph has entered the stakes-placed pair of Paradise City and Early On, while Shug McGaughey has an intriguing second-time starter in Cassiar, a debut winner at Tampa Bay Downs last month for owner Will Farish.

The Kentucky Oaks qualifying points on offer in the Gulfstream Park Oaks are 100-50-25-15-10 to the respective top five finishers.

The scheduled post time for the Gulfstream Park Oaks is 3:31 p.m. ET, with the Arkansas Derby following at 6:42. Both races can be watched and wagered on at TwinSpires.com.