Notes & Quotes From the G1 Florida Derby: Commandment

Cox Trainee Stamps Himself as Early Kentucky Derby Favorite

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Wathnan Racing’s Commandment overcame a tepid early pace to stamp himself as the early favorite for this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) with a late-rallying drive to eke out a narrow victory in the 75th running of the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

The Brad Cox-trained son of 2014 Curlin Florida Derby winner Constitution, who was coming off a victory by a neck in the Feb. 28 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream, prevailed by just a nose over The Puma in the tradition-rich 1 1/8-mile stakes for 3-year-olds that closed out a stacked 14-race program featuring 10 stakes, five graded, with purses totaling $2.675 million.

Commandment’s brave triumph gave Cox back-to-back wins in Gulfstream’s definitive Kentucky Derby prep, following Tappan Street’s victory last year over eventual Horse of the Year Sovereignty.

“I’m proud of the horse. He’s a solid horse,” Cox said. “This is a good race and it’s going to set him up for the Derby. Win or lose. I’m glad we came out on the right end.”

The Diamond Anniversary of the Curlin Florida Derby offered 200 qualifying points for the May 2 Kentucky Derby on a scale of 100-50-25-15-10 to the first five finishers. The first jewel of the Triple Crown has been won by 26 starters in the Curlin Florida Derby, while 47 starters have captured a total of 63 Triple Crown races.

“He’s a big sturdy horse, I’ve said that several times. He takes his races really well and a couple people told me he was the paddock pick,” Cox said. “He’s a big sturdy horse and once again, if he comes out of it in good order, I think it will set him up for five weeks.”

Commandment, the 9-5 second choice, rallied from last in a field of six under Flavien Prat after sitting off the pace set by Wayne’s Law and pressed by Nearly past fractions of 24.10 and 48.80 seconds for the first half-mile. Nearly, who was coming off a 5 ¾-length victory in the Jan. 31 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream, took over the lead on the far turn only to be immediately challenged by The Puma, who took over the lead on the turn into the homestretch and opened up a clear lead. Prat sent Commandment five-wide on the final turn to loom as the only danger. The Cox-trainee responded to Prat’s urging to just catch The Puma at the wire.

“I was a bit worried because I wasn’t traveling very well the first part. The pace wasn’t very fast, and I was just in the back, and I thought I would be a bit closer. Then I tipped him out turning for home, he swapped leads and from there he gave me a good, solid run,” Prat said.

“I thought I had the bob, but I wasn’t sure,” Prat added. “He’s very workmanlike. He’s straightforward, and he’s a fighter. He showed some guts down the lane.”

Commandment, a three-time winner during this season’s Championship Meet, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.99 to nip The Puma, who captured the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) in his prior start.

“We thought we had him,” said Gustavo Delgado Jr., the son and assistant to The Puma’s trainer, “but other than that, it was really, really what we wanted to see before the [Kentucky] Derby.”

The Puma, who was ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, edged third-place finisher Chief Wallabee, the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) runner-up trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, by a half-length.

“The trip was OK. We were saving ground. He tipped him out and he just felt like, as easily as he was traveling, he would probably accelerate a little quicker than what he did. I mean, he came on but maybe not as quick,” Mott said. “As well as he was traveling on the bridle, when [jockey Junior Alvarado] released him he thought he would probably quicken a little more. But, you know, it’s only his third race and they’ve got to learn to do that. He’s getting more experience, and it wasn’t a bad race. It was a good race.”

Chief Wallabee rallied mildly in the stretch to finish 3 ¼ lengths clear of a tiring Nearly, who finished fourth under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

“Maybe he needed this to make him move forward. We’ll see. We’ve got time to see how he comes out of it, train here a little bit, survey the complexion of everything,” said Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, whose 7-5 favorite was coming off three straight victories at Gulfstream by a combined 20 lengths. “[Velazquez] felt like he didn’t handle the track the way it was today, the way he handled it previously. He felt like he was sort of just spinning his wheels a little bit. He didn’t run bad. He just didn’t run as well as he’s capable of.”

Wayne’s Law and Timeless victory finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

Winning Time: 1:49.99
Winning Margins: nose, half, 2 ¾
Winning Payoff: $5.80
Fractions: :24.10, :48.80, 1:13, 1:37.32
Order of finish: Commandment, The Puma, Chief Wallabee, Nearly, Wayne’s Law, Timeless Victory

Trainer Brad Cox (Commandment, 1st): “Proud of the horse. He’s a solid animal.”

“I thought he had a shot. I couldn’t tell. At the sixteenth pole, with the ground he was making up, I didn’t feel there was a tremendous amount of pace on, where he was in the race, when [jockey] Flavien [Prat] called on him inside the three-eighths [pole], I thought he responded well. My mindset was already, this is a good race and it’s going to set him up for the [Kentucky] Derby, win or lose. I’m glad we came out on the right end.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t loving it [trailing the field early]. Even on the far turn it looked like the top flight was traveling well. I think he put to bed the question was how far he wants to go. I think the 1 1/8 miles, the mile and a quarter, with the right trip he can get it done.”

“He’s a big, sturdy horse. I’ve said that several times. He takes his races really well and a couple people told me he was the paddock pick. He’s a big, sturdy horse and once again, once he comes out of it in good order, I think it will set him up for five weeks.”

“The Kentucky Derby is without doubt the hardest race to win, there’s no doubt about it, and that’s why it’s so special. And you need to run as many as you can.”

“A little too close for comfort, but he pulled through. I thought at three-eighths [pole jockey Flavien Prat] kind of had to show him the way, asked him a little bit, he responded well, didn’t seem like there was a tremendous amount of pace on. Obviously, last going into the last turn, he was able to finish up well.”

“To watch the weather in Kentucky and figure out what’s the best time to ship. Give him a couple days to recover, like I said I’m serious about the weather and we’ll map out a plan and on to Kentucky.”

“He’s an easy horse to ride. Just take him away, warm him up, put him where he’s comfortable. And I thought that’s what [Prat] did going into the first turn and into the backside. He responded when he caught up to them inside the three-eighths. He’s a smart horse. He’s very intelligent. He always gallops out well in his works, and [when] he works with his workmate, he doesn’t put him away or anything. He’s kind of easy on himself. He’s a big, strong, physical horse that takes his races well and I think it’s going to suit him well moving forward.”

Jockey Flavien Prat (Commandment, 1st): “I was a bit worried because I wasn’t traveling very well the first part. The pace wasn’t very fast and I was just in the back, and I thought I would be a bit closer. Then I tipped him out turning for home, he swapped leads and from there he gave me a good, solid run.”

“When he turned for home it looked like Junior Alvarado [on Chief Wallabee] had plenty of horse and he was just going to get through and when we turned for home he wasn’t going anywhere. My horse just leveled off nice. From that point, at the eighth pole, I thought I had a chance.”

“I thought I had the bob, but I wasn’t sure. He’s very workmanlike. He’s straightforward, and he’s a fighter. He showed some guts down the lane.”

Trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. (The Puma, 2nd): “We thought we had him, but other than that it was really, really exactly what we wanted to see before the [Kentucky] Derby.”

Jockey Javier Castellano (The Puma, 2nd): “He ran a huge race. I’m very satisfied. Perfect trip. That’s what we were looking for today. He gave me a very good run. I thought I had it.”

Trainer Bill Mott (Chief Wallabee, 3rd): “The trip was OK. We were saving ground. He tipped him out and he just felt like, as easily as he was traveling, he would probably accelerate a little quicker than what he did. I mean, he came on but maybe not as quick. As well as he was traveling on the bridle, when he released him he thought he would probably quicken a little more. But, you know, it’s only his third race and they’ve got to learn to do that. He’s getting more experience, and it wasn’t a bad race. It was a good race.”

Jockey Junior Alvarado (Chief Wallabee, 3rd): “I had a good trip. To be honest, when I was turning for home I was behind those two horses and I felt like I was very loaded. Once I put him in the clear, he didn’t kick on. He just stayed the same speed. I was hoping the way I got to that point in the bridle, I figured when I ask him he’d give me at least a mild kick, but he didn’t. He just kept the same pace. We needed a little bit of a kick to get the job done. He could feel the horse on the outside and kind of shied a little bit away from him but he’s just a baby. It’s only his third start and all the horses had more experience over him. He has given us what we asked from him.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher (Nearly, 4th): “Maybe he needed this to make him move forward. We’ll see. We’ve got time to see how he comes out of it, train here a little bit, survey the complexion of everything. He [Velazquez] felt like he didn’t handle the track the way it was today, the way he handled it previously. He felt like he was sort of just spinning his wheels a little bit. He didn’t run bad. He just didn’t run as well as he’s capable of.”

Jockey John Velazquez (Nearly, 4th): “We got a good position. The track was playing pretty slow. The track was against us today. I might have had him a little too tight. The track was not in our favor. His style before, he was off the pace. Now he was a little too keen, and the way the track was playing, it was not the way you wanted to be there.”