Racing fans cannot reach the first Saturday in May without first going through the first Saturday in April. Later today, three Kentucky Derby preps will be contested in three different states within the span of one hour.
In this trio of future-defining contests, the G1 Florida Derby is the most competitive, with talented runners from Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream converging in the state’s biggest race for three-year-olds. If you can’t tell, it’s an exciting day for me.
This year’s running of the Florida Derby seems to come down to a pair of familiar foes, White Abarrio and Simplification. Though the two squared off in the G3 Holy Bull back in February, Simplification suffered a poor start that day and could only rally for second as White Abarrio cruised to an easy victory. Simplification came back with a strong victory in the G2 Fountain of Youth, but White Abarrio has not raced since.