The FL Derby- Grade I [KYD]
1 1/8 Miles Dirt Graded Stake Purse $1,000.000 Three-Year-Olds. At GP
The FL Derby is one of the great indicators of future success. It’s been here since the beginning with the first running in 2004 when won by Pan Pacific owned by Pacific Coast Stable, a mysterious stable said to have been owned by three related stables back before there were any clear rules about related stables… in fact the term had not yet even been coined. Commander Phil won the following year in the race that ended his remarkable eight-race win streak. He ran second in the KYD in his following race. The most remarkable winner of all was Five Fives which went on to come closest of all time to winning the Triple Crown with a win in the KYD, a head second in the Prk and a win in the BEL. This year’s edition is a bit of a surprise in that it is probably the softest field to ever come together. Not only are there no also-eligibles, but there is already a scratch taking the number down to eleven starters. There are no Graded stakes winners in the race and only two dirt stakes winners. It looks as though the race comes down to a battle between Joykiller and Hengroen, the two horses which ran second and third in the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes this year separated in a photo. Here’s the field:
Horse Owner Odds SRF
Joykiller Mb Stables *8-5 96
Hengroen Delta Farms 9-5 96
Sweet Avenger Alydar Stables 4-1 95
Attacks Night Rider Stables 5-1 90
Gogh Wild TwinTowersRacing 5-1 92
Simple Man Serenity Stables 6-1 95
The Hunter Maxmillion Farm 8-1 91
Indian D J C Racing Stables 8-1 99
Poised Mb Stables 10-1 90
Destined Charge Mb Stables 12-1 89
Banggoesthpeaceprize Asgar 20-1 86
1 Sweet Avenger Alydar Stables 95
Sweet Avenger scored a couple of third places in six-furlong sprint stakes races before winning the seven furlong $125.000 LAPN Prince at DED, then stretched out in the Grade III TAM Derby where he went flat, yet registered a 95 SRF in defeat.
2 Destined Charge Mb Stables 89
Destined Charge took a little more effort to get that first win than his stablemates and will likely need time to develop.
3 Attacks Night Rider Stables 90
Raj’s $10.000 claim Attacks was looking quite the bargain after a deep closing third in the $175.000 CA Cup Derby at SA, but some of the sheen began to fade when his kick didn’t as the favourite in the win and you’re in Battaglia Memorial Stakes at TP. With the added 1/16th, we’ll see if he can recover.
4 Poised Mb Stables 90
One less race for Poised than Destined Charge, slightly tougher competition and a little faster win. Both of them likely need seasoning.
5 Indian D J C Racing Stables 90
It took Indian six races to score his maiden win, and he liked it so much, he came right back with another win. Dom was so impressed, and likely with his works as well, that he offered Red Fox Farms $50.000, was accepted and sent him here to see if he’s interested in continuing to win.
6 Hengroen Delta Farms 96
Hengroen ran second as a very long shot in the $150.000 Kittens Joy at GP to Joykiller and then came back to finish third as a long shot to that one in a photo in the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes at GP. These lads seem to arrive at the finish line at the same time over and over and are likely to do so again.
7 Banggoesthpeaceprize Asgar 86
Banggoesthpeaceprize has yet to win on dirt and has never taken on this kind of competition.
8 The Hunter Maxmillion Farm 91
The Hunter had a big year as a juvenile placing in enough monied races to earn a berth in the BC Juvenile. He laid off until January when he ran up the track as a fresh horse in the $150.000 Jerome at AQU. A few days later he was sold by Hunterman Stable for $375.000. His first race for his new connections was a disappointment in spite of very sharp works leading up to the Grade III Gotham at AQU.
9 Joykiller Mb Stables 96
Joykiller, with all of four races, is the most experienced of Dan’s three entries, and actually one of the most successful horses in this field. After breaking his maiden at second asking, he jumped up to stakes level and won the $150.000 Kittens Joy at GP and followed that with a second in the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes at GP in a photo for that spot with Hengroen. It sure looks like it will come down to which of those two arrive at the finish line first.
10 Gogh Wild TwinTowersRacing 92
Gogh Wild stretched out to a mile to break his maiden after a couple of six-furlong losses, then stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for a couple of stakes races and flopped. So, back to six-furlongs and add Bute and a win. So now, out to 1 1/8 mile and geld the horse. If he wins, what do you credit for it?
12 Simple Man Serenity Stables 95
Serenity Stables returns to the races with some interesting purchases to rebuild his stable. Simple Man is one of his latest, a $400.000 purchase from Aer Stables just last week. Simple Man won a dirt sprint and a dirt route that got him a berth in the $150.000 Swale Stakes where he fired too late in a very green looking run. He then came back at a whopping 85-1 odds on turf in the $125.000 Columbia Stakes at TAM and scored a three-quarter length win. So, the big question here is can he transfer back over to dirt at this level?
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES, TC 2026, THE TRIPLE CROWN