SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2016 AIROFORCE OUT TO FLY RIGHT IN SPIRAL EQUINE SUPERHEROS DUEL by Ben Massam In the aftermath of Airoforce (Colonel John)=s recent last-place IN THE SUNSHINE STATE finish as the favorite in the Feb. 20 GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds, trainer Mark Casse and his team could not find anything noticeably wrong with their multiple graded stakes- winning colt. As such, the John Oxley colorbearer has been given the green light to take one more crack at a spot in the GI Kentucky Derby starting gate in Saturday=s GIII Spiral S. at Turfway Park, which offers 50 qualifying points to the winner and an increasingly rare graded stakes opportunity over an all-weather surface. AWe=re still not really sure what happened [in the Risen Star],@ said Casse on an NTRA conference call Tuesday. AWe brought him to Ocala, which is home for us, and went over him from head to tail and really haven=t found a whole lot to giving him an excuse.@ Cont. p5 Mohaymen (left) & Nyquist | Coglianese/Martin (left), Benoit WARD=S TEAM BEGINS MARCH TO ASCOT Emma Berry speaks with trainer Wesley Ward, who fields by Alan Carasso two runners in England Saturday. Eight days ago, Batman v. Superman debuted to mixed Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. reviews, but was a hit amongst moviegoers, turning in the biggest opening weekend in motion picture history. Even Hollywood producers could not have gotten it more right for Saturday=s GI Xpressbet.com Florida Derby, as the $1-million event has attracted the nation=s two leading contenders for the GI Kentucky Derby five weeks down the road in the form of the >homestanding= Mohaymen (Tapit) and reigning 2-year-old champion Nyquist (Uncle Mo) in from California. Together, the two horses have accounted for over $3 million in gross receipts at public auction and have won their 11 starts combined. And though it stands to reason that there is improvement to come from each, the slight nod on the morning line goes to Mohaymen, whose three wins from as many tries around two turns have come with a great deal of ease. Victorious in the GII Nashua S. and in the GII Remsen S. to work his way onto the Eclipse ballot, the $2.2-million co-topper at the 2014 Keeneland September sale was returned to action relatively quickly and proved the comfortable winner of the GII Lambholm South Holy Bull S. Jan. 30, defeating GI Champagne S. hero Greenpointcrusader (Bernardini) by 3 1/2 widening lengths. Cont. p3 GISW Rachel=s Valentina (Bernardini), last seen finishing PRESIDENT & CO-PUBLISHER Barry Weisbord @barryweisbord second in the GI Breeders= Cup [email protected] Juvenile Fillies Oct. 31, will make SR. V.P. & CO-PUBLISHER her sophomore debut in next Sue Finley @suefinley Saturday=s GI Ashland S. at [email protected] Keeneland. She=s expected to face V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS the likes of fellow >TDN Rising Gary King @garykingTDN Stars= Cathryn Sophia (Street [email protected] Boss) and Carina Mia (Malibu EDITORIAL Moon). | Horsephotos [email protected] Editor-in-Chief: Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor: Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor: IF PARX IS UP FOR GRABS, HORSEMEN WANT IN RR-1 Steve Sherack @Steve SherackTDN After learning that the live racing portion of operations at Parx Casino and Racing Editor: Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN Racing might be up for bid and that The Stronach Group (TSG) could be the Associate Editors: lead suitor to take over, the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Association (PTHA) has moved swiftly to initiate negotiations with Greenwood Assistant Editors: Gaming and Entertainment Inc. Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN Ben Massam @BMassamTDN Joe Bianca @countdown2march CARIDAD CENTER: A GOOD STORY THAT ADVERTISING [email protected] CAN GET BETTER RR-2 Director of Advertising: Alycia Borer Mike Kane profiles the Caridad Center, which provides free medical and Advertising Manager: Lia Kusch Sr. Ad Coordinator/Dir. of Distribution: dental services to workers at the Palm Meadows training facility Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew Advertising Designer: Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistant: August Pons Social Media Strategist: Nichola Henry MARKETING STRATEGIST Brittlan Wall @BrittlanWall [email protected] EST Race Click for TV CUSTOMER SERVICE 1:50p Skip Away S.-GIII, GP (TJCIS.com PPs) TVG [email protected] 2:50p Gulfstream Park Oaks-GII, GP (TJCIS.com PPs) TVG Director of Customer Service: 3:21p Appleton S.-GIII, GP (TJCIS.com PPs) TVG Vicki Forbes 5:00p Orchid S.-GIII, GP (TJCIS.com PPs) TVG INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 5:07p Bourbonette Oaks-GIII, TP (TJCIS.com PPs) TVG Director of IT: Ray Villa 5:35p Honey Fox S.-GII, GP (TJCIS.com PPs) TVG [email protected] 5:43p Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral S.-GIII, TP (TJCIS.com PPs) TVG WORLDWIDE INFORMATION 6:11p Pan American S.-GII, GP (TJCIS.com PPs) TVG International Editor: Kelsey Riley [email protected] 6:30p San Simeon S.-GIII, SA (TJCIS.com PPs) TVG 6:48p Xpressbet.com Florida Derby-GI, GP (TJCIS.com PPs) TVG European Editor: Emma Berry [email protected] Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing: Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.thoroughbreddailynews.com www.thetdn.com HEADLINE NEWS $ PAGE 3 OF 10 $ THETDN.COM SATURDAY $ APRIL 2, 2016 FEATURE PRESENTATION • GI FLORIDA DERBY Xpressbet.com Florida Derby cont. The steel-gray colt was given another tactically perfect ride by Junior Alvarado when facing a fresh challenge from >TDN Rising Star= Zulu (Bernardini) in the GII Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth S. Feb. 24 and came calling for the lead outside that rival turning for home before scampering clear to score by 2 1/4 handy lengths. His speed figures have held steady and something=s gotta give Saturday, but trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is welcoming the challenge. AWe=d rather face him later in the Derby than now, but this is an important race, the Grade I Florida Derby,@ the conditioner commented. AWe=re not a Grade I winner, so it=s a very important race and we=re ready to go.@ While Mohaymen has a future in the Shadwell stallion barn, Nyquist has already been snapped up by Sheikh Hamdan=s brother Sheikh Mohammed to stand at Darley=s Kentucky satellite at Jonabell Farm. And that decision is looking a decidedly shrewd one at this stage. In contrast to the favorite, who made just one sprint appearance, Nyquist tried abbreviated trips in his first three runs, posting easy wins in the GII Best Pal S. and GI Del Mar Futurity, defeating the solid barometer Swipe (Birdstone) on each of those occasions. Though he handled two turns with another defeat of Swipe as the 1-2 chalk in the GI FrontRunner S. at Santa Anita Sept. 26, he hardly set the world on fire and was thusly no better than a 9-2 chance in the GI Breeders= Cup Juvenile, his wide draw in 12 further fueling the doubt and the doubters. But in spite of a horror trip that Halloween Saturday, Nyquist managed to overcome all for a half-length defeat over his familiar foe. Named champion of his generation in mid-January, the Reddam colorbearer sat up on a fast pace in the GII San Vicente S. Feb. 15 and raced away for a 1 1/2-length victory in that seven-furlong comebacker. The $400,000 Fasig-Tipton March grad is in line for a cool million- dollar bonus with a win Saturday, but trainer Doug O=Neill suggested Gulfstream had been the plan, kicker or no kicker. AAfter we got lucky in the Breeders= Cup Juvenile, that was the decision we made, where he=d go in the San Vicente and then the Florida Derby,@ the trainer explained. AUsually in life, when you make a plan, you=ve got to call some audibles, but so far things have unfolded they way we wanted. The million-dollar bonus does come into play a little bit, but it was our intent to go in the Florida Derby.@ Cont. p4 HEADLINE NEWS $ PAGE 4 OF 10 $ THETDN.COM SATURDAY $ APRIL 2, 2016 Florida Derby cont. The two favorites appear on paper to be a country mile ahead of the others, but third is worth $100,000 and a Grade I placing, so one could not fault the connections of eight others who might be satisfied enough to round out the triple. With 11 starts under his belt, Fellowship (Awesome of Course) is the field=s second most-tried horse, and has earned some good money in finishing third behind Mohaymen in the Holy Bull and the Fountain of Youth. But it is >TDN Rising Star= Takeittotheedge (Broken Vow) who offers the most intrigue. The chestnut was bet down to 4-1 for his seven-furlong debut over this track Mar. 5 and set a decent pace beneath Eclipse Award winner Tyler Gaffalione to lengthen away by 7 3/4 lengths. The $135,000 Keeneland September graduate, who descends from the female family of GI Travers S. winner Will=s Way and GI Whitney S. hero Tizway, looks well equipped to see out this trip and, if not one for Saturday, is certainly one for the future. Saturday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 6:48 p.m. EDT XPRESSBET.COM FLORIDA DERBY-GI, $1,000,000, 3yo, 1 1/8m PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML 1 Sawyers Mickey K Flatter Spieth Walder 30-1 2 Fellowship Awesome of Course Lezcano Gold 15-1 3 Majesto K Tiznow Castellano Delgado 20-1 4 Nyquist K Uncle Mo Gutierrez O'Neill 6-5 5 Copingaway K Brother Derek Vasquez Mejia 50-1 6 Chovanes K Colonel John Zayas Navarro 30-1 7 Takeittotheedge K Broken Vow Gaffalione Romans 20-1 8 Fashionable Freddy Tiznow Juarez Zito 30-1 9 Mohaymen K Tapit Alvarado McLaughlin 1-1 10 Isofass Rodman Leparoux Abbott, III 30-1 Owners: 1-Loooch Racing Stables, 2-Jacks or Better Farm, Inc., 3-Grupo 7C Racing Stable, 4-Reddam Racing LLC, 5-Thoroughbred Champions Training Center LLC, 6-Gelfenstein Farm, LLC, 7-Bakster Farm LLC, 8-My Meadowview Farm LLC, 9-Shadwell Stable, 10-DB DOJO LLC.