Gulfstream Park's Curlin Florida Derby Draws 28 Nominees for 75th Running

Two horses riding three-race winning streaks headline the 28 nominations to the 75th running of the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (Grade 1), set for March 28 at Gulfstream Park as part of a Diamond Anniversary card carrying a $2.45 million program. The entry box closed March 15 with 28 nominations pending late mail, per racing secretary Michael Costanzo and stakes coordinator James Easley.

Centennial Farms' Nearly and Wathnan Racing's Commandment are the headliners, and the case for either horse is hard to dismiss. Nearly, a Florida-bred son of Not This Time trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, has won three races in a row at Gulfstream by a combined 20 lengths. His most recent performance set the tone for what's to come: a dominating 5 3/4-length score in the Jan. 31 Holy Bull (G3) at 1 1/16 miles, a race in which he dueled on a fast pace before drawing clear. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez was aboard. Pletcher, who has saddled a record eight Curlin Florida Derby winners including 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, also nominated Repole Stable and Robert and Lawana Low's Renegade, Whisper Hill Farm LLC and Stonestreet Stables LLC and Windancer Farm's Courting, and Winstar Farm LLC, CHC Inc. and First Go Racing LLC's Jackson Hole.

Commandment, a son of Into Mischief trained by Brad Cox and owned by Wathnan Racing, brings an equally sharp profile. His three-race winning streak began with a maiden special weight victory at Churchill Downs, then escalated with a commanding 6 3/4-length romp in the one-turn mile Mucho Macho Man on Jan. 3 at Gulfstream Park. Most recently, he captured the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) on Feb. 28, also at Gulfstream. Cox, who saddled Tappan Street to a thrilling victory over future Horse of the Year Sovereignty in last year's Florida Derby, brings seven 3-year-olds to this year's nominations list. Beyond Commandment, that group includes Steve Landers Racing LLC's Confessional, Shadwell Stable's Ezum, Spendthrift Farm LLC's Further Ado, and the Winstar Farm LLC, CHC Inc. and First Go Racing LLC trio of Autobahn, Easterly, and Gethsemane.

Nearly also leads a contingent of four Florida-breds among the 28 nominees, a point of emphasis in Gulfstream Park press materials published March 19.

The full 28-name field draws from a wide range of trainers and ownership groups. William I. Mott saddles Chief Wallabee for Michael and Katherine G. Ball. Kenneth G. McPeek has Liberty National, owned by Brookdale Racing Inc., Fern Circle Stables, and Magdalena Racing. Saffie A. Joseph Jr. trains No Bees for a three-way partnership of C2 Racing Stable LLC, St. Elias Stables LLC, and Bag Racing Stables LLC. Jena M. Antonucci conditions Moonstrocity for Blue Rose Farm LLC. Carlos A. David trains Hawk for Arindel, while Amador Sanchez saddles Wayne's Law for Baalbek Corp. Other nominees include Philip A. Bauer's Lincoln's Law, Chad Summers' Napoleon Solo, Bernardo G. Lopez's Khon Han, and Jose M. Castro's Gregarious.

With entries closing March 15 and the race eight days away, the next critical step is final declarations and post-position draw. The depth of Cox's seven-horse presence and the dueling win streaks of Nearly and Commandment make this 75th running one of the more compelling Florida Derby fields in recent memory.