Florida Derby
Barbaro is the 8-5 morning line favorite for tomorrow’s Florida Derby, but his post-time odds will almost certainly be more like even money. The wagering public loves undefeated horses, and there are no obvious standouts among the rest of the field. There are three knocks against Barbaro though: He’s making his first start on a fast dirt track, off an eight-week layoff, and breaking from post 10. The first two aren’t that serious: The colt trains on dirt and is a half-brother to stakes winner Holy Ground, after all, and trainer Michael Matz knows a little something about keeping horses fit. As Alan points out on Left at the Gate, Matz has had “four winners and a second with ten [starters in the 55-60 day range] over the last 12 months. So he certainly is capable of keeping his horses sharp without racing.” But the post position will be hard to overcome, considering the short run to the first turn at Gulfstream.
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