Top Horsemen Question Florida Derby Faceoff

Trainers walk fine lines in preparing still-maturing 3-year-olds for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Some prominent industry figures question whether the Mohaymen and Nyquist camps are in danger of crossing those lines by pitting their undefeated colts against each other in the Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (gr. I) April 2 at Gulfstream Park.

"If they are not quite fit and they really run to their maximum, that can be a drainer," said Billy Turner, trainer of 1977 Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew, adding, "If they make this a match race, it wouldn't be good for either of them."

Doug O'Neill, who trains 6-for-6 Nyquist, and Kiaran McLaughlin, who has overseen Mohaymen's 5-for-5 perfection, emphasize that the five-week interval between the Florida Derby and the first Saturday in May led to an unwavering commitment to running in South Florida, no matter who showed.

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John Servis, trainer of 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Smarty Jones  , questioned whether five weeks will be enough time for either colt to recover from confronting an undefeated top-level opponent.

"If they peak that race before, it will be hard for them, even with five weeks, to come back and give their best effort," Servis said.

Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey offers a contrasting viewpoint. He thinks one of the most anticipated prep races in recent history could ultimately be a boon for West Coast star Nyquist and Mohaymen, the leading Derby prospect in the East.

"Even with a good horse, I felt if they can get into a dogfight before the first Saturday in May, it helps them," Bailey said. "They are going to get socked in the face there."

Trainers often look for the path of least resistance for top contenders in prep races, especially the final prep. Affirmed, the 1978 Triple Crown champion, and Alydar, the grudging runner-up, opposed each other five times as 2-year-olds with Affirmed prevailing three times. Interestingly, they did not meet in any prep races leading to an epic Triple Crown series that stretched each of them to the limit.

When trainer Carl Nafzger was plotting eventual winner Street Sense  's path to the 2007 Kentucky Derby, he used only the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) and the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) to get there. And he targeted the Tampa Bay Derby as the race that would tighten the screws.

Nafzger identified Any Given Saturday as his primary competition in the Tampa Bay Derby. His pre-race instructions to recently retired jockey Calvin Borel could not have been firmer—or more threatening. Nafzger remembers telling Borel, "If you're not neck and neck and head and head with Any Given Saturday at the head of the lane, I'll kill you."

Nafzger got the hard-fought victory he yearned for. "I needed that race to get set," he said. He was not upset when Street Sense fell a nose short to Dominican in his final prep in the Blue Grass, knowing Street Sense was on course for a prime effort on the first Saturday in May.

Financially, there is much at stake for Nyquist and Mohaymen in the Florida Derby beyond the lion's share of the $1 million purse. Nyquist, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner and last year's 2-year-old champion, is in line for a $1 million bonus as a graduate of the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale last year. J. Paul Reddam purchased the Uncle Mo   colt for $400,000 as a 2-year-old in training.

Mohaymen, a son of white-hot sire Tapit  , was purchased for $2.2 million by Shadwell as a yearling at Keeneland's September sale. He can use the Florida Derby to take a major step in building his breeding value by earning a grade I victory in his first attempt at the highest level.

Bailey understands why McLaughlin stuck to his guns by keeping Mohaymen in the Florida Derby. The gray-roan colt thrived in the mornings at Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Fla., while showing an affinity for Gulfstream in the afternoon by sweeping a pair of grade II preps there. Still, he sees it as risky business to pit Mohaymen against Nyquist now, with the penultimate prize five weeks away.

"I see a great risk for him having such a hard race that it compromises his stamina for the Kentucky Derby," Bailey said. "He is the more slightly built of the horses. His constitution is not as sturdy as some of the other 3-year-olds."