Florida Derby 2015: Post Time, Post Positions, Contenders Odds and Schedule
The road to the Kentucky Derby continues on Saturday when some of the top hopefuls for the Run of the Roses compete in the 2015 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.
Nine horses will compete for a $1 million purse during the 1 1/8-mile stretch. It's a lucrative race, though the money isn't the biggest draw. Winning the Florida Derby strengthens the resume of the horse who finishes first ahead of the Kentucky Derby. That's perhaps the most important perk of this race.
BloodHorse.com detailed the importance in full: "The Florida Derby has produced 57 winners of Triple Crown races since its inaugural running in 1952. This year's 1 1/8-mile contest will provide the winner 100 points in the 'Road to the Kentucky Derby' standings. It is the finale on a 14-race card that includes eight stakes, seven of which are graded."
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
This event doesn't involve the fanfare surrounding the Triple Crown races coming later this spring, but it's still one to keep an eye on. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the below information before Saturday.
Post Time and Race Day Schedule
| Breakfast at Gulfstream | 7 - 10 a.m. |
| The Gulfstream Park Oaks | - |
| The Sanibel Island | - |
| The Besilu Florida Derby | 6:48 p.m. |
| The Skip Away | - |
| The Sir Shackleton | - |
| The Appleton | - |
| The Honey Fox | - |
| The Pan American | - |
| The Orchid | - |
The main event—the Florida Derby—will begin at 6:48 p.m. ET. Other events do not have times listed online. All information courtesy of GulfstreamPark.com.
Post Positions and Odds
| 1 | Ami's Flatter | 8-1 |
| 2 | Jack Tripp | 20-1 |
| 3 | Indianaughty | 20-1 |
| 4 | Itsaknockout | 2-1 |
| 5 | Quimet | 20-1 |
| 6 | My Point Exactly | 30-1 |
| 7 | Materiality | 7-2 |
| 8 | Dekabrist | 30-1 |
| 9 | Upstart | 8-5 |
The Top Contender
As you can see from the above odds, there is one overwhelming favorite in the nine-horse field. Upstart, who will be ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz, is the 8-5 favorite with the best chance at inching closer to the Kentucky Derby.
The fact that Upstart is so heavily favored to win will certainly raise some eyebrows, especially given that he'll start from the outside post.
Despite a draw that is far from ideal, Upstart is poised to pace the field. Trainer Rick Violette has been pleased with the horse's training, which should bode well for Upstart's camp this weekend:
Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form added that the time posted came in the final tuneup before the race:
Even a strong showing in training might not be enough to overcome the outside post—and it probably wouldn't even be Ortiz or Upstart's fault. One of the several issues of starting on the outside is that it can be difficult for horses to muster enough speed to overcome a large group of somewhat slower horses on the inside.
That's what Violette is worried about, writes Jennie Rees of The Courier-Journal: "Part of Violette’s concern is the lack of horses with true speed. That could cause the field to bunch up and either force Upstart and jockey Jose Ortiz to be wide into the first turn or taken out of their best game plan by having to show too much speed early to secure position or risk being sucked back too far."
It's this fact that should keep the other eight horses in the race. After Upstart, eyes will be on Itsaknockout. The two horses have a bit of a rivalry, and Itsaknockout's four-race win streak puts the pressure on Upstart.
Saturday will certainly be a pressure-filled day given the coveted 100 points (and $1 million) on the line. A chance to compete in the Kentucky Derby and earn national attention will definitely be on each jockey, trainer and owner's mind.
Few race teams are as well-equipped to win as Upstart's, however. Look for his crew to be all smiles at the end of the race.
Kenny DeJohn is a Breaking News Team Featured Columnist. Follow him on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
