Best Brisnet Speed Figure: 107 (Florida Derby).
COMMENTS: But for less than five lengths, Florida Derby (GI) winner Audible would be undefeated in five starts heading into the May 5 Kentucky Derby (GI). As it is, he sits on a four-race win streak after finishing third in his debut.
A twist of fate placed the New York-bred son of Into Mischief, who was a $500,000 Fasig-Tipton 2-year-old-in-training purchase, in the Feb. 3 Holy Bull Stakes (GII) at Gulfstream Park rather than his intended target — a stakes race for state-breds in The Big Apple (the race didn’t go due to weather). So, mostly thanks to Mother Nature, Audible heads to Kentucky as Florida’s best chance for a repeat Derby win for trainer Todd Pletcher and co-owners WinStar Farm.
All told, 18 winners of the Florida Derby have gone on to wear the blanket of roses in Louisville on the first Saturday in May, most recently Always Dreaming a year ago. Javier Castellano has ridden Audible in his last two starts and chose him over Grade 1 winner Bolt D’Oro, who he rode to a second-place in the Santa Anita Derby.
The colt, who also represents China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners and Starlight Racing in his ownership group, currently sits atop the Kentucky Derby points list with 110, thanks to his Holy Bull and Florida Derby wins and is assured a spot in the gate come the first Saturday in May.
