3/28 (GP): FL Derby (G1), GP Oaks, Orchid (G2's), 4 G3's, more..

[Kasept]

GRENING: Jose Ortiz wanted to claim foul

Jose Ortiz the rider of Florida Derby runner-up UPSTART wanted to claim foul against John Velazquez and MATERIALITY for the latter coming over into his path in mid-stretch. But the stewards made the race official before Ortiz could talk to the stewards.

Ortiz said he told the head outrider he wanted to put a hold on the race. But when Ortiz went to pick up the phone to talk to the stewards, Larry Collmus announced the race was official.

"By the eighth pole, when Johnny [Velazquez] hit him left-handed, he came in a little bit," Ortiz said. "We were so close when he hit him his horse drifted out a little bit so I got to call foul. I did it, I told the outrider, but when I got to the phone the race was official."

According to Gulfstream management - president Tim Ritvo and vice president/general manager P J Campo _ ,Ortiz did not notify the outrider until he was on the way back to be unsaddled. The outrider had already told the stewards "all clear."

The stewards told management that they reviewed the break and the stretch and declared the race official.

Rick Violette, the trainer of Upstart, didn't act as though his horse had been interfered with to the point there should have been a disqualification, but he felt that any objection should at least be heard.

Violette felt post 9 compromised his horse more than anything though he admitted "we got beat by a good horse."

Ironically, Upstart had finished first in the Fountain of Youth only to be disqualified for interference and he was placed second behind the Todd Pletcher-trained Itsaknockout.

Materiality, the winner of the Florida Derby, is trained by Pletcher.