Trainer Todd Pletcher is mulling over his Kentucky Derby plans for Constitution after the undefeated colt's courageous victory in $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
Constitution returned to Palm Meadows, Pletcher’s satellite training base in Florida, on Sunday where he will continue to train in advance of the Kentucky Derby on May 3 but for how long is yet to be determined before he ships to Churchill Downs.
"I'm not a 100% sure yet. I'm thinking about 12 days before. I'd like to have one work at Churchill," Pletcher said.
"I'll just have to see how the weather is here and how the weather is there. I'll have to see how things go about flight arrangements and things like that."
Constitution, making his stakes debut for owners WinStar Farm and Twin Creeks Racing Stables, emerged from his victory in good order Pletcher reported.
"He came out of it really well. He returned home to Palm Meadows and seemed to be in good shape," said Pletcher, who was honored as the leading trainer at Gulfstream's current meet for the 11th consecutive year.
"He's a horse that has progressed a lot over the winter. He broke his maiden in January, won an allowance in February, and he won the Florida Derby in just his third start - that's pretty impressive.”
Undefeated in three career starts, all coming during the Gulfstream meet, Constitution saved ground behind pacesetter Wildcat Red before slipping through an opening along the rail turning for home.
He won a terrific stretch battle with the Fountain of Youth winner by a neck.
His rider Javier Castellano was also honored at Gulfstream for winning his third consecutive jockey title.
Wildcat Red also is headed to Louisville after finishing his Florida Derby second.
"It was kind of bittersweet, but good. We're happy with the horse," trainer Jose Garoffalo said.
"The horse showed that he can go longer, and proved to a lot of people that they were wrong. There are a lot of positive points.
"We'll give him two or three days to check how the horse is doing, but according to the way he came back, everything seems that we're going to Louisville.
"We're going to be there maybe a week before and let the horse adapt to the track.
Wildcat Red has four wins and three seconds in seven starts, all at Gulfstream, banking $690,850.
Florida Derby third General a Rod left Gulfstream Park early Sunday morning on a flight back to trainer Mike Maker's base in Kentucky where he will continue on the Triple Crown trail.
Maker was not at Gulfstream as saddled another of his Kentucky Derby hopes Vicar's in Trouble to a win in the G2 Louisiana Derby on the weekend.
Beaten Florida Derby favourite Cairo Prince may also be moving on to Kentucky although trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said he was extremely disappointed by his fourth-place performance that leaves him without the necessary points to be assured of of place in the Kentucky Derby.
Cairo Prince , part–owned by Godolphin, had not been out since a dominating victory in the Holy Bull in January.
He sat off the early pace and was never able to get into the race while losing by nearly four lengths.
"I haven't been able to say what went wrong. It's very disappointing," McLaughlin said.
"We're almost shocked at the result. But it is horse racing and he's fine out of the race.
“We'd like to go on if we can, but the points situation isn't favorable."
The Florida Derby had 170 points up for grabs in the system used in qualifying for the first leg of the Triple Crown.
With four major preps to be run over the next two weekends Cairo Prince's has only 24 points and ranks 16th and that may not be enough to earn a spot in the 20-horse field.
