Event: Florida Derby
Venue: Gulfstream Park
Distance: 1 1/18 miles
First Race: 1952
Surface: Dirt
For many horses, the Florida Derby is their final tuneup before they head on to the
Kentucky Derby
. One of the rites of early spring in Miami is when 3-year olds race a mile and an eighth over the dirt at Gulfstream Park. There is a large purse on the line as the horses are racing for $1 million. Those that place well can earn enough points to move on to the Triple Crown at Churchill Downs and then the Preakness in Baltimore. This event has been run almost as long as Gulfstream Park has been open and is the second most prestigious event on the schedule after the
Pegasus World Cup
. The Florida Derby is still the place to be in Miami as celebrities in the area come out for the race, including chef Bobby Flay. Fans come early and stay for the entire card as the Florida Derby is one race on an entire card full of exciting racing. You can see these prospective champions run when you pick up your Florida Derby tickets at StubHub today.
Empire Maker is best known for being the grandsire of American Pharoah, but as a 3-year old, he was the Derby favorite and won the Belmont Stakes. At Gulfstream, he blew away the entire field and won going away by almost 10 lengths. Empire Maker pulled away from the field in the middle of the stretch and cruised home past the rest of the tiring field, widening his lead dramatically in the last 150 yards.
In 1966, Williamstown Kid went off from the gate at odds of over 90–1. Not dissuaded by the fans' lack of faith in him, Williamstown Kid shocked the field by winning the race, which made a few lucky fans wealthy for an afternoon. In a classic example of a one-hit wonder, the Florida Derby was Williamstown Kid's only career highlight, and he was never heard from again.
The Florida Derby has seen its share of legends over the years. Alydar and Spectacular Bid are arguably two of the most legendary horses to ever race at the Florida Derby. Alydar triumphed at the derby in 1978 as an overwhelming favorite before his Triple Crown battles for the ages with his arch rival, Affirmed. Alydar ran one of the fastest races ever in the history of the event, just off the event record. The great Barbaro also ran at the Florida Derby in 2006 before his Kentucky Derby victory.
The Florida Derby record was set in 1957 and still stands today even after all of the legendary champions that have run there since. General Duke ran the mile and an eighth in 1:46:80, and even champions like Barbaro and Spectacular Bid have left the record unchanged. Alydar is the only horse to come close to threatening the record, which seems unbreakable.
In 2010, Ice Box was seemingly well-beaten as the horses raced down the backstretch. He was in last place by five lengths before he rallied as the horses reached the far turn. Making a huge run on the far outside, he hit the wire together with two other horses, winning a photo finish by a nose. His last-to-first run was an impressive show of closing speed as he ran down the entire field.