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Florida Derby Might Light the Way to Louisville© Greg Melikov
Mar 21, 2005
I've witnessed every Florida Derby from 2001 to the mid-'80s. If you count TV, add the last three years. The in-person number grows by another dozen when early years are included.
Florida Derby Might Light the Way to LouisvilleI remember the first Florida Derby I saw - nearly a half-century ago. A year out of the University of Miami, several classmates and I went to Gulfstream Park for the sixth running of the race when the purse was $123,600.
March 30, 1957 was a beautiful, memorable Saturday afternoon. Only five horses were entered, the smallest field along with '69, and two horses were coupled, Calumet Farm's Gen. Duke and Iron Liege.
Bill Hartack guided Gen. Duke to victory from off the pace, wearing down Bold Ruler to prevail by 1 ½ lengths. The runner-up, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, edged Iron Liege, with Dave Erb aboard, by a head.
Forty-eight years later, Gen. Duke's winning time of 1:46 4/5 for the 1 1/8 miles still stands as the stakes record.
On the eve of the '57 Kentucky Derby, the son of Bull Lea came up lame and was scratched. Hartack replaced Erb on Iron Liege and the colt nosed out Gallant Man when Bill Shoemaker stood up in deep stretch because he misjudged the finish line.
Bold Ruler took the Preakness. Gallant Man captured the Belmont. Gen. Duke developed the spinal affliction known as wobbles and died.
A year earlier, Erb rode Needles to victory in the Florida Derby and the son of Ponder became the first Florida-bred to take the Kentucky Derby as well as the last horse to score off a layoff exceeding four weeks.
Needles also trained up to the Run for the Roses, the last champion to win after skipping April preps. That won't be a problem this year for $1 million Florida Derby horses since the 54th running is scheduled for April 2.
The field will include the top four finishers in the Fountain of Youth Stakes: High Fly, Bandini, B. B. Best and Papi Chullo. High Fly finished third to Closing Argument in the Holy Bull, after capturing the Aventura, but his outside post position might have done him in.
Closing Argument, also aiming for the Florida Derby, broke from post 2 while High Fly came out of post 8. In Gulfstream's first 37 races at 1 1/8 miles, 23 winners came out of posts 1 or 2 - 62 percent. Only two horses finished on top from posts 8 through 12. Through March 22, posts 1 and 2 accounted for 28 of the 56 winners - 50 percent.
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