ftboa.com • Tuesday & Wednesday • March 23 & 24, 2021 FEC/FTBOA PUBLICATION FLORIDA’SDAILYRACINGDIGEST FOR ADVERTISING Spielberg ‘Doing Well’ for INFORMATION or to subscribe, please call Saturday’s Florida Derby Antoinette at 352-732-8858 or BY GULFSTREAM PARK email: [email protected] PRESS OFFICE ________ HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Spielberg breezed five fur- In This Issue: longs Sunday morning at Santa Anita Park while tun- Daughter of Racing Hall of Famer Sends ing up for a scheduled start Out Two Winners at Tampa Bay Downs at Gulfstream Park in Saturday’s $750,000 Curlin Florida-bred Winners at Gulfstream Park Florida Derby presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm at Xalapa Kentucky Derby Next for Hot Rod Charlie (Grade 1). Trained by Hall of Famer Mind Control Works in Preparation for Bob Baffert, the son of Carter Handicap Union Rags was timed in :59.40, the second fastest New Kentucky Derby Ticket Inventory clocking of 81 workouts To Go On Sale Friday recorded at the distance. “He went well. He’s very workmanlike and he’s Kentucky Derby Leaderboard steady,” Baffert said. “He’s doing well.” Gulfstream Park Charts Spielberg is slated to make his third start of 2021 Tampa Bay Downs Charts in the mile-and-one-eighth Florida Derby, which has Florida Stallion Progeny List produced the winners of 60 Triple Crown events. Florida Breeders’ List In his 2021 debut, the Kentucky-bred colt stum- Wire to Wire Business Place bled at the start of the Robert B. Lewis (G3) won by Florida-bred Medina Featured Advertisers Spirit at Santa Anita before Spielberg/BENOIT PHOTO finishing fourth. He then had Baoma Corp a worse beginning in the Southwest Stakes place finisher and 6-5 second choice (G3) at Oaklawn Park as he appeared Jackie’s Warrior in third. Florida Department of Agriculture unprepared at the start then ducked out Spielberg had a productive six-race after leaving the starting gate to spot the juvenile campaign, in which he finished FTBOA field a couple of lengths. However, he ral- second in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and Journeyman Stud lied to finish second behind unbeaten third in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) Essential Quality. Although he was four- at Santa Anita before breaking his maiden Ocala Breeders’ Feed & Supply and-a-half lengths behind the winner at the in his fourth start. He went on to win the Ocala Stud finish, we had the same margin on third- FLORIDA DERBY See on page 3 Seminole Feed Back to Top Page 3 Florida Derby Continued from COVER Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) two starts later. Javier Castellano has the mount on Spielberg, who is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC and Robert Masterson. Greatest Honour Pleases McGaughey in Sunday Breeze Courtlandt Farms’ Greatest Honour tuned up for the Florida Derby with a half-mile breeze at Payson Park Sunday morning, pleasing his Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. “He’s not a good work horse, but I thought this was a lot like his work before the Fountain of Youth, maybe better,” McGaughey said. Greatest Honour, who is coming off an impressive off-the- pace win in the Feb. 27 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream, was timed in :50.40. “I liked the way he worked. The other day, he went off a little Greatest Honour/RYAN THOMPSON PHOTO quicker than I wanted,” McGaughey said. “I impressed upon [the rider] to just let him ease away from the pole and finish up strong, which he did. I got the last quarter in 13-and-change.” The son of Tapit broke his maiden in his fourth career start See GREATEST HONOUR on page 5 FTBOA Maintains Office Building Drop Box For Official Business While the FTBOA offices remain closed to visitors and mem- bers doing business as a precaution due to the Coronavirus pan- demic, be advised that all services provided by the Association and its related companies remain on going. Most business can be conducted via mail, email or telephone and a drop box has been installed near our side entrance of the FTBOA building at 801 SW 60th Avenue, Ocala, Fla. for mem- bers to use when dropping off time-sensitive documents. Forms may be found at this lo- cation or on our website at www.ftboa.com. Please call us at 352-629- 2160 if you have any questions or contact us at [email protected]. Back to Top Back to Top Page 5 Greatest Honour page 3 Continued from Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) undercard while completing Dec. 26 at Gulfstream before capturing the Jan. 30 Holy Bull (G3) a one-turn mile in 1:36.35. by five-and-three-quarters lengths and establishing himself as a prime Triple Crown candidate with a going-away length-and-a- Florida Derby Week Begins with half victory in the Fountain of Youth. Wednesday’s Post-Position Draw Also at Payson Park Sunday morning, Michael P. Shanley’s Nova Rags breezed three furlongs in :38.60 for the Florida Derby. Florida Derby Week kicks off Wednesday with the post-posi- “His works have been very steady,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill tion draw for the Florida Derby. Mott said. “He’s worked well enough here at Payson Park and I The draw will be simulcast on GulfstreamPark.com at 12:15 think he’s plenty fit.” p.m. Nova Rags is coming off a second-place finish behind Mott Saturday’s Derby Day program will have 10 stakes, six graded, stablemate Candy Man Rocket in the Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa worth nearly $2 million. Races include the $250,000 Gulfstream Bay Downs, where the son of Union Rags won the seven-furlong Park Oaks (G2) and $200,000 Pan American (G2) presented by Pasco by two-and-three-quarters lengths in his previous start. Rood & Riddle. At Gulfstream Park, Collaborate breezed five furlongs in First-race post time for Saturday’s 14-race Derby Day program 1:01.18 in preparation for making the leap from maiden company is 11:30 a.m. Advanced wagering on Saturday’s 14 races will be to a Grade 1 stakes in the Florida Derby. The Saffie Joseph Jr.- available Friday. trained son of Into Mischief worked in company with Queen The Silks simulcasting room will open at 8 a.m. Saturday for Nekia, the winner of the Royal Delta (G3) in her most recent start, ticketed patrons. The simulcast of eight races from Dubai, includ- who was timed in 1:02.49. ing the Dubai World Cup (G1) featuring Pegasus World Cup (G1) “The first eighth he went off a little slow in 14-and-change and runner-up and South Florida-based Jesus’ Team, is scheduled to picked it up after that. He galloped out well for the next eighth begin at 8:15 a.m. after the wire,” Joseph said. “Overall, I’m very pleased with the There will be a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 work. I’m happy with him.” Saturday on Florida Derby Day. The Championship Meet at Collaborate graduated by 12 ½ lengths under wraps Feb. 27 the Gulfstream concludes Sunday. Gulfstream Park Championship Meeting Florida-bred and Florida Sire Stakes Bonuses Date Race Conditions Distance Purse Mar. 27 Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1) 3 yo 1 1/8 mi. $750,000** Mar. 27 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) 3 yo Fillies 1 1/16 mi. $200,000*** **Plus $100,000 Win Bonus for Florida Sire Stakes Eligibles and $100,000 Florida-bred Top 3 Bonus 70%-20%-10%. ***Plus $25,000 Win Bonus for Florida-breds and $25,000 Win Bonus for Florida Sire Stakes Eligibles Daughter of Racing Hall of Famer Sends Out Two Winners at Tampa Bay Downs BY TAMPA BAY DOWNS card under her own name for the first time PRESS OFFICE____________________ that caused Boland to choke up. The occa- sion also gave her a chance to reflect on a OLDSMAR, FL. – As she accepted con- lifetime around thoroughbred racing that gratulations from a stream of well-wishers has provided rewards lasting far beyond after winning Saturday’s sixth race on the the excitement of getting to the winner’s turf with 5-year-old mare Twirling Star, circle. trainer Sharon Boland struggled to keep “I was still breaking babies five or six her emotions under control. years ago, but I was pretty much thinking It wasn’t just winning two races on a See TAMPA BAY DOWNS on page 7 Sharon Boland/SV PHOTOGRPAHY Back to Top Back to Top Page 7 Tampa Bay Downs page 5 Continued from one-sixteenth, $32,000 maiden claiming with Rumeli, a 3-year- about getting out of the game because it was changing so much. I old gelding bred and owned by Godolphin and ridden by Tomas had a lot of owners who said ‘You need to be back at the races. Mejia. Stidham added a victory in race 10, a one mile, $16,000 This is what you love, and this is what your passion is.’ So I came claiming with Fly Nightly, a 5-year-old gelding bred and owned back and it’s paying off,” she said. by Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm and ridden by Jesus Castanon. Boland, who also won the first race with 5-year-old gelding For his part, Castanon also won the second race for 3-year-old He’s Royalty, has 12 horses in training at Tampa Bay Downs and special weight maiden fillies on first-time starter six more babies at Lambholm South in Reddick including a few Danceswithbourbon, a 3-year-old filly owned by Euclid Racing she bred and “which I’m quite excited about.” and trained by Jordan Blair.