Gulfstream Park has made an adjustment to its 2010 stakes schedule that includes moving the Grade 1 Florida Derby up a week from March 27 to March 20. The change will now place the Florida Derby six weeks before the Kentucky Derby, as opposed to five weeks out, as it has been the past four years. Two of the last four Kentucky Derby winners - Barbaro in 2006 and Big Brown in 2008 - used a victory in the Florida Derby as a prep to capturing the Run for the Roses five weeks later.
Other significant changes in the stakes schedule include moving the Fountain of Youth up one week from Feb. 27 to Feb. 20 as well as realigning the first Saturday of the meet, Jan. 9, to include five sprint stakes topped by the Spectacular Bid for 3-year-olds and the Mr. Prospector for older horses. The March 20 program will include four other graded stakes in addition to the Florida Derby.
The news was met with mixed reactions.
http://drf.com/news/article/108965.html
11-16-2009, 04:23 PM
Florida Derby moved up a week
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