Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
State of Honor likely to run in Florida Derby
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – State of Honor, flying a bit under the radar on the Kentucky Derby trail despite finishing behind only McCraken and Tapwrit in his last two starts at Tampa Bay Downs, is likely headed back to Gulfstream Park for the $1 million Florida Derby next Saturday.
State of Honor was scheduled to have his final prep for the Grade 1 Florida Derby on Friday, but a sloppy track at Palm Meadows forced assistant trainer Norm Casse to postpone the breeze until Saturday.
“He’ll work, and if he works well, we’d like to run him in the Florida Derby,” said Casse. “We know he likes the racetrack, and we also feel like it suits him better, it’s more conducive to his style, than some of the racetracks where the other Derby preps are held.”
State of Honor, who is 11th in the points standings that determine the field for the Kentucky Derby, finished second, beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Tapwrit, after setting the early pace in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby. He also was third behind McCraken and Tapwrit after showing the way early in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis. State of Honor wore blinkers for both races but will compete without them in his next start.
“We think he ran really well in both those races and might not be getting as much credit as he deserves,” said Casse, who oversees the Palm Meadows-based string for his father, trainer Mark Casse. “We’re also going to take the blinkers off because he seems to have been a bit rank in each of his last two starts. He’s been a little tough to handle, and we’d like to see him slow down a little bit early on in his races.”
Norm Casse said State of Honor would have regular rider Julien Leparoux aboard in the Florida Derby.
Casse was also forced to postpone several other important works from Friday to Saturday due to track conditions, including turf breezes for Catch a Glimpse, Dream Dancing (the winner of the Grade 3 Here comes the bride at this meet), Mississippi Delta, and Siding Spring. Mississippi Delta is being pointed to the Grade 3 Honey Fox, and Siding Spring will run in the Grade 3 Appleton on the Florida Derby undercard.
Brandy’s Girl vs. males
After being narrowly defeated twice this winter by the red-hot Pretty Perfection, including a frustrating half-length setback in the Captiva Island Stakes earlier this month, Brandy’s Girl may find taking on males an easier proposition when she runs as one of the top choices in Sunday’s second-level optional $62,500 claiming feature at five furlongs on turf.
Brandy’s Girl, trained by Eddie Broome, ran a careerbest Beyer Speed Figure of 91 but was still second to Pretty Perfection, who registered her third straight victory in the Captiva Island. Brandy’s Girl rallied from several lengths off the lead that day after setting the pace and dropping a neck decision to her rival while coming off a layoff of nearly five months Jan. 4.
“I really wanted to run her in the same conditioned race as this one written for fillies earlier in the week, but it didn’t fill,” said Broome. “She needed her first start back, and then she couldn’t quite run down [Pretty Perfection] the last time, although we lost ground on the turn, and she cut the corner.
“She’s doing so well right now, I really need to run her even though I’d prefer not to go against the boys. But there’s not a whole lot of speed in this field, and if we can make the lead and Edgar [Prado] can get her to settle like he did last time, she should be tough.”
Broome also entered Posse Dreaming, but he came down with a respiratory infection after entries were drawn for the race and will be scratched.
Trainer Christophe Clement also entered a pair of talented turf-sprint specialists, the Grade 2-placed Summation Time and Big Rock. Summation Time was winless a year ago while splitting his time between allowance and stakes company. Big Rock won three times in 2016, including a pair of turf dashes last summer at Saratoga.
◗ Entries for the Florida Derby card will be drawn Wednesday, with post positions for the main event to be drawn at 11 a.m. Eastern in the Ten Palms restaurant. The draw costs $30 per person to attend, including a lunch buffet.
The Florida Derby golf tournament is Tuesday at noon at the Diplomat Resort and Spa. The cost is $175 per player, with a scramble format. For info or to sign up as a sponsor, call (954) 457-6186.