Daria Gronkowska
🏋🏽♀️ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟ ᴛʀᴀɪɴᴇʀ ᴍᴄꜰɪᴛ
🤸🏼♀️ ᴘᴏʟᴇ ᴅᴀɴᴄᴇ ɪɴꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴏʀ
📍 Wrocław 🇵🇱
Held up by Irad Ortiz Jr
Wathnan Racing's Commandment enhanced his Kentucky Derby claims after diving late to land a thrilling Grade 1 Florida Derby on Saturday night.
Often considered the most essential trial for the 'Run for the Roses', this year's Florida Derby was hotly objected to and Commandment triumphed in a thrilling surface at Gulfstream Park when overhauling The Puma on the line to win by a nose.
The Brad Cox-trained colt won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at the track last month and tuned up for Churchill Downs with a strong staying performance under Flavien Prat.
Cox said: "I thought he had a shot. At the sixteenth pole, with the ground he was comprising, I thought he reacted well. My frame of mind was ready, this is a great race and it's going to set him up for the Derby, win or lose. I'm thankful we came out on the ideal end."
The last horse to win the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby was Always Dreaming in 2017. The 2019 Florida Derby winner Maximum Security likewise finished the double, but was disqualified from the Kentucky Derby following disturbance.
Commandment is now the 6-1 2nd preferred for the Kentucky Derby on May 2 behind 9-2 market leader Renegade, who impressed in his trial when sweltering away with the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn.
Held up by Irad Ortiz jr, Renegade started to circle the field on the home turn and showed a powerful turn of foot to run down Silent Tactic and secure a four-length victory.
Like Commandment, the colt is by leading American sire Into Mischief. He is trained by Todd Pletcher - who is now the race's most effective fitness instructor on 6 wins - for owners Robert and Lawana Low and Mike Repole.
Pletcher said: "I'm super delighted. I enjoyed the method he ended up. I'm really happy for the Lows and Repoles.