Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Contemporary Art prepares for possible stakes appearance
Christophe Clement has nothing in mind for a potential turf standout named Contemporary Art except to get a good race in her Sunday at Gulfstream Park.
“At the moment, the idea is to get her started back and go from there,” Clement said.
Contemporary Art, a Bobby Flay homebred, will make her first start in nearly eight months in a $72,000 first-level allowance carded as the eighth of 10 races. The 1 1/16-mile turf race marks the 4-year-old filly’s first start for Clement following three promising outings last year for Chad Brown.
“I got a phone call from Bobby Flay to take over her training last fall,” Clement said. “She’s been at Payson Park all winter and she’s trained rather well.”
Contemporary Art, with Joel Rosario riding, will break from post 9 in a field of 10 fillies and mares. Following a flashy second-start maiden triumph at Belmont Park in June, the daughter of Dubawi finished fourth as the pacesetter in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks in her most recent start in early August. A return to stakes competition would not be unexpected, assuming a solid effort Sunday.
Fuente Ovejuna, a English-bred filly trained by Brendan Walsh, figures among the main challengers to Contemporary Art. She’ll have Leonel Reyes aboard from post 2. Customer Driven, Improvise, and Wish You Well also look somewhere in the mix.
A second $72,000 first-level allowance directly follows as race 9. The top contenders in a field of seven fillies and mares will be making a surface switch going 5 1/2 furlongs over Tapeta, including French Kissing, Firenspice, and Miss Domina, all of them exiting five-furlong turf dashes.
Purses listed here do not include bonuses for eligible Florida-breds.
Both allowances are part of a 20-cent Rainbow 6 (races 5-10) that had a $489,184 jackpot carryover into Friday action.
First post Sunday is 12:40 p.m. Eastern. Sunshine and a high of 87 are in the South Florida forecast.
– Marty McGee
Florida Derby field grows
The complexion of the starting lineup for next Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby took a turn for the better Friday with confirmation that Fort Bragg and Mage are now both being pointed to the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby prep.
Fort Bragg was one of seven 3-year-olds entered in Sunday’s Sunland Park Derby before his connections called an audible and decided to re-route him to Gulfstream Park six days later. Fort Bragg is coming off a fifth-place finish behind stablemate Practical Move in the Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita in his only start this season.
“The race at Sunland came up with a little more speed than we had planned on running against; that was the main reason for the change,” trainer Tim Yakteen explained. “Also the potential for being able to accumulate Kentucky Derby qualifying points was a factor. The minor awards in Florida would likely get you into the Derby. You would most likely have to win the race at Sunland to get in.”
The Sunland Derby offers 100 points distributed among the top five finishers. The Florida Derby offers 200 qualifying points meted out on a 100-40-30-20-10 basis.
Fort Bragg will enter the Florida Derby with only five points. Yakteen said Joel Rosario will have the mount.
Mage, who finished fourth following a slow start and wide trip in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in just his second start, breezed an easy six furlongs in 1:16.71 here Friday before galloping out a mile in 1:43.34.
“It was just what my dad wanted, basically maintenance with the intention to work on his stamina,” said Gustavo Delgado Jr., assistant to his father, trainer Gustavo Delgado. “We already know he’s fast. He went just like we planned. We liked what we saw. If everything goes well between now and tomorrow morning, he will be entered in the Florida Derby. We all agree Forte is on another level, but he’s just one horse.”
The younger Delgado also confirmed that Luis Saez will pick up the mount on Mage in the Florida Derby.
At Palm Beach Downs on Friday, Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapit Trice breezed four furlongs in 49.82 seconds while in company with Dreamlike before galloping out fiveeighths in 1:02.97, per clocker David Norton. Tapit Trice is scheduled to have his final Kentucky Derby prep on April 8 at Keeneland in the Blue Grass Stakes.
– Mike Welsch