Gulfstream Today 3.7.25: Sovereignty ’95 Percent’ Headed to G1 Florida Derby

By David Joseph —-

GULFSTREAM TODAY

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Godolphin homebred 3-year-old Sovereignty, dramatic late-running winner of the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) March 1, is being pointed to a return to Gulfstream Park for the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 29.

Sovereignty earned 50 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points for his Fountain of Youth victory by a neck over River Thames, and is tied with 2024 2-year-old male champion Citizen Bull for second on the list with 60. The 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby offers points to the top five finishers on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis.

“I think we’re leaning very heavily toward the Florida Derby,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said Friday. “We’re 95 percent sure that’s where we’re going.”

Sovereignty, a bay son of Into Mischief, entered the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth having gone unraced since breaking his maiden in his third start, the Oct. 27 Street Sense (G3) at Churchill Downs. He trailed by as many as five lengths after six furlongs in the Fountain of Youth before closing with aplomb to nail previously undefeated River Thames.

Mott said Sovereignty exited his comeback race well and has resumed training at his winter base of Payson Park.

“He looks good,” Mott said. “He’s doing good and back on the track galloping.”

Mott will be bringing back another of his stable starts next week in George Krikorian homebred Just F Y I, the 2-year-old filly champion of 2023 that has not raced since finishing sixth in the Acorn (G1) last June at Saratoga.

Just F Y I, now 4, is entered to return in an optional claiming allowance for older fillies and mares going one mile on the main track Thursday, March 13 that drew a field of six including Grade 2 winner Gun Song, runner-up to Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna in last fall’s Cotillion (G1), and 2024 Alabama (G1) Power Squeeze. Trainer Jorge Delgado said Friday that Power Squeeze would scratch.

“We need to get started,” Mott said. “She’s been away a long time and we decided to try an allowance race, although it’s a very tough allowance race. It could be a stake, really.”

Just F Y I went undefeated in three starts during her championship season, topped by victories in the Frizette (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). She ran three times at 3, finishing second in the Ashland (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1), the latter to Thorpedo Anna, prior to the Acorn.

A daughter of 2018 Triple Crown champion Justify, Just F Y I shows nine timed works at Payson Park for her return, most recently going five furlongs in 1:02.60 March 2. Junior Alvarado will ride.

“She’s done well,” Mott said. “We’ve got some decent works in her but she’s been away a long time, so we just need to get her started.”

Lee Lewis’ Gun Song won an optional claiming allowance and was fourth in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) during last year’s Championship Meet. She went on to win the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) and Cathryn Sophia and run second in the Monmouth Oaks (G3), Cotillion and Mother Goose (G2), the latter Oct. 26 in her most recent start.

Gun Song has breezed regularly at Gulfstream with eight works since Jan. 8 including bullet moves of 48.23 seconds for four furlongs Feb. 12 and 1:00.05 for five furlongs Feb. 27. The daughter of Hall of Famer Gun Runner went a half in 48 seconds Thursday.

Right Karma Gives Joseph 1,000th Gulfstream Training Win

Mark Corrado’s 5-year-old Right Karma collared pacesetter Blast Radius nearing the eighth pole and edged clear Friday to notch his second straight win and give trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. his 1,000th career victory at Gulfstream Park.

Right Karma ($3.80), favored at 4-5 and ridden by the stable’s go-to jockey, Edgard Zayas, completed one mile over a fast main track in 1:37.23 in capturing the claiming event for 3-year-olds and up by 2 ¾ lengths. Joseph claimed the runner-up for $8,000.

A 38-year-old native of Barbados, Joseph is closing in on a fourth straight Championship Meet training title and 11th consecutive overall meet title at Gulfstream with 59 wins, 27 more than runner-up Jose D’Angelo. Joseph also leads the winter stand with more than $5 million in purse earnings, his biggest victory coming in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 25 with White Abarrio.

Joseph saddled his first domestic winner, Artefacto, June 19, 2011 at Calder Race Course and closed the year with his first Gulfstream win, Elusive Vacation, six months later. His first stakes winner came Oct. 3, 2015 with Saraguaro in the Florida Sire Foolish Pleasure, also at Gulfstream.

Based year-round at Gulfstream, Joseph has become a player on the national stage thanks to horses like White Abarrio; Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) winner Soul of an Angel, named the champion female sprinter of 2024; multimillionaire Skippylongstocking and Grade 1 winners Math Wizard and Drain the Clock.

Joseph earned his 1,000th overall victory Feb. 25, 2024 at Gulfstream with Palace Zip.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $225,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have an estimated jackpot pool of $225,000 when racing resumes Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Post time for the first of 11 races is 12:50 p.m.

Friday’s sequence spans Races 6-11, kicked off by a 1 1/16-mile claiming event for older horses on the all-weather Tapeta. The 7-year-old Lord of War goes for a second straight win and eighth overall in his first race since being claimed for $10,000 Jan. 26 by trainer Jose D’Angelo.

Big Pond, second by a nose in the 2023 La Brea (G1) and runner-up in the Vagrancy (G3) last spring, adds blinkers in her second start off an eight-month layoff in Race 7, an optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 4 and up going one mile. The 5-year-old mare was fourth as the favorite in a seven-furlong spot Feb. 16.

Origami, unraced since finishing third in last fall’s Cecil B. DeMille (G3) Dec. 1 at Del Mar, makes her return in Race 8, an optional claiming allowance for 3-year-old fillies scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the grass. Race 9 is an optional claiming allowance older Florida-bred fillies and mares sprinting seven furlongs, where Defended enters on a two-race win streak.

The feature comes in Race 10, the $165,000 Hurricane Bertie (G3) for older fillies and mares going 6 ½ furlongs led by 2024 Honorable Miss (G2) winner Spirit Wind; fellow multiple stakes winner Nic’s Style, seeking a fourth straight win; and Into Champagne, second in the Davona Dale (G2) and third in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) last winter, racing for the first time since running seventh to Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna in the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Also on the Friday program in Race 5 is the $115,000 Silks Run, a five-furlong turf dash for older horses. Defending champion Coppola returns chasing a fifth stakes win on the Gulfstream grass, against such rivals as Capture the Lion and Reef Runner, respectively second and third to Coppola in the Jan. 25 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint.

In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Who’s Hot: Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. added two wins to his Championship Meet leading total, visiting the winner’s circle with Neshume ($4.20) in Race 4 and Makeit to Cheyenne ($11) in Race 8. Aiming to become the first jockey to win six winter meet titles at Gulfstream, Ortiz has a sizeable lead over runner-up Tyler Gaffalione, 94-62.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks, training centers and premier events including: Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); Laurel Park, The Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and 1/ST TV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information email david.joseph@GulfstreamPark.com and visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.