Florida-bred Indecisiveness Looks to Upset

BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has no qualms revealing his strategy with Florida-bred Neoequos in Satuday’s $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (Grade 1).

“If he breaks well, he can be on the lead,” Joseph said. “That may be our best shot—being on the lead.” 

Ten 3-year-olds are set for the mile-and-one-eighth Florida Derby, a major prep race on the road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). The Florida Derby offers 200 points on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard on a 100-50-25-15-10 schedule, likely assuring the top two finishers a spot in the starting gate for the Run for the Roses.

Last year Grand Mo the First was the final North American horse to make the Derby field with 40 points while Skinner needed 45 points in 2023 to make the Derby starting gate. In 2022, eventual Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike scratched into the race with 21 points.

Neoequos currently ranks 33rd on the Derby leaderboard with 15 points earned with his third-place finish in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream on March 1. Florida-bred Indecisiveness, who is also entered in the Florida Derby, has no Derby points.

Neoequos and Indecisiveness are running for an additional $100,000 in Florida-bred bonus money presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association. Neoequos is additionally eligible for $100,000 in added Florida Sire Stakes bonus money offered by the FTBOA. 

Neoequos and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. went to the front in the mile-and-a-sixteenth Fountain of Youth while setting honest fractions of :23.12, :47.07 and 1:10.68. They were on the lead at the top of the stretch before eventual winner Sovereignty and runner-up River Thames passed them in the lane. Neoequos finished two-and-half lengths behind the top two in third.

 

Joseph said Neoequos has the look of a classic distance horse but needs to prove he can win going nine furlongs at this level.

“Distance is the question mark,” Joseph said. “If you look at the horse, physically he looks like a horse that can go a route of ground. Training-wise, you don’t really get 100 percent. He’s a horse that only does what he has to.”

Owned by C2 Racing Stable LLC, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables LLC and Stefania Farms LLC, Neoequos is by Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic out of Bold Birdie, by Birdstone. He was bred in Florida by Helen and Joseph Barbazon and Matalona Thoroughbreds LLC.

Neolithic was Group 1-placed at 2,000 meters (about 10 furlongs), while Birdstone won the mile-and-a-half Belmont (G1) and mile-and-a-quarter Travers (G1). Bedrock Birdie has three other winners from four starters—all winners at sprint distances.

In one other start this year, Neoequos won a first level allowance race over a sloppy six furlongs at Gulfstream on Jan. 23. Last year, he was second to Florida-bred juggernaut Rated by Merit in the first two legs of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes, the six-furlong Dr. Fager and the Affirmed at seven furlongs.

 

A bay colt, Neoequos has earned $179,050 from two wins, two seconds and a third in six starts. Joseph purchased him for $22,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale in 2023 where he was consigned by Lisa McGreevy’s Abbie Road Farm.

Edgard Zayas has the call on Neoequos from post one and they are 10-1 on the morning line.

Indecisiveness, a homebred for trainer Ruben Sierra’s Just for Fun Stable Inc. makes his third start this year in search of his second career victory.

The son of Decisive Moment was third to winner Grande in a first level, $75,000 optional claiming going nine furlongs at Gulfstream in his last start, a race in which Florida Derby contender Jimmy’s Dailys was second. Indecisive was fifth under the same conditions going a mile on Feb. 1.

A winner of a maiden special weight on debut on Nov. 2, Indecisiveness was then fourth in the $81,000 Juvenile Sprint going six-and-a-half furlongs against Florida-breds at Gulfstream on Nov. 23.

 

Out of Café de Nuit, by Hat Trick (Jpn), Indecisiveness has earned $62,688 in his four starts.

Jorge Ruiz will ride Indecisiveness from post five and they are 30-1 in the program.

Godolphin LLC’s Sovereignty is the 8-5 morning line favorite for Hall of Fame trainer William Mott. The son of Into Mischief looks to add to his 60 points on the Derby leaderboard earned with his victories in the Fountain of Youth and the Grade 3 Street Sense at Churchill Downs in November.

Manny Franco picks up the mount on Sovereignty after regular rider Junior Alvarado suffered a broken shoulder blade in a mishap Sunday.

Sovereignty drew the outside post 10. 

“If you had given me my druthers, I probably would have picked something inside of that, but we can’t change it,” Mott said.

Sovereignty has earnings of $388,800 from his two wins in four career starts with one second in a maiden special weight at Aqueduct in September.

Jimmy’s Dailys represents owner and breeder Donald R. Dizney LLC and looks for his second victory in his five career starts. He broke his maiden going seven furlongs at Gulfstream on Jan. 25 before finishing second to Grande in the aforementioned optional claiming race on Feb. 27.

Joel Rosario will ride the Brian Lynch trainee from post six.

Rounding out the field are Cool Intentions with jockey Javier Castellano, Smoken Boy will have Edgar Perez in the saddle, Irad Ortiz Jr. takes the call on Disruptor, Enterdadragon has Dylan Davis named to ride, Madaket Road will be guided by Tyler Gaffalione and Tappen Street will have Luis Saez up.

The Florida Derby has gone to Florida-breds 13 times beginning with Needles in 1956. Other Florida-bred winners include Carry Back (1961), In Reality (1967), Top Knight (1969), My Dad George (1970), Royal and Regal (1973), Honest Pleasure (1976), Ruthie’s Native (1977), Timely Writer (1982), Unbridled (1990), Holy Bull (1994), Captain Bodgit (1997) and Hal’s Hope (2000).

Return to the March 27 issue of Wire to Wire