Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Big Brown Wins 2008 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park
Posted on Saturday, March 29th, 2008
Big Brown stamped himself as the nation’s top 3-year-old Saturday as he muscled his way to a 5-length victory in the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park Saturday, March 29.
Starting from the far outside post number 12 was not a problem for Big Brown, who clearly established himself as the favorite for the 2008 Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs. And entering Saturday, no horse from the 11th or 12th post had won a 1 1/8-mile horse race since Gulfstream Park was reconfigured four years ago.
Big Brown already had solid credentials entering this Kentucky Derby prep race after he won his first two career starts by a combined 24 lengths.
“He’s a major talent; possibly the best horse I’ve ridden,” winning jockey Kent Desormeaux said. “I thought that after the first time I rode him. I’d have to say that he’s my (Kentucky) Derby horse.”
Big Brown cruised through the stretch, winning in 1:48.16 for horse trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. and returned $5, $3.80 and $3.20. Smooth Air, ridden by jockey Manoel Cruz, paid $12.60 and $7.60, and Tomcito, with jockey Jorge Chavez aboard, returned $6.20 to show.
Hey Byrn was fourth, followed by Cool Gator, Majestic Warrior, Nistle’s Crunch, Face the Cat, Da’ Tara, Fierce Wind, Elysium Fields and B B Frank.
Big Brown needed this win to earn graded stakes money needed to qualify to be one of the Kentucky Derby entries if more than 20 horses entered. He came into the race with no graded-stakes earnings, but collected $600,000 to easily qualify.
“We’ve got a Kentucky Derby contender,” Dutrow said. “It’s a long way off, and a lot of things have to happen right, but I expected him to run just like what we saw. This day ranks on top of my career.
Smooth Air, who won the Hutcheson Stakes and finished second in the Sam F. Davis, collected $200,000, more than enough to send 70-year-old trainer Bennie Stutts Jr. to his first Kentucky Derby.
Tomcito, a Kentucky bred who won four of five races in Peru, earned $100,000 and also may have enough earnings to make the 2008 Kentucky Derby.
“He ran a really nice race,” Chvez said of Tomcito. “He got a little tired at the end, but he hadn’t run in a while. I think he has a lot of promise, and I think he wants more distance to his races.”
Horse trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. enjoyed one of his richest days in racing. Earlier, he won two races at the Dubai World Cup: the $1 million Godolphin Mile with Diamond Stripes and the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen with Benny the Bull.
"Big Brown Wins 2008 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park" was posted on Saturday, March 29th, 2008 at 6:15 pm and is filed under Gulfstream Park, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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