Tappan Street Wins the 2024 Florida Derby, Courtesy Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park Press
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – WinStar Farm LLC, CHC Inc. and Cold Press Racing’s Tappan Street is ‘ready to run’ Friday at Gulfstream Park, where he is scheduled to make his first start since defeating Sovereignty in the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 29.
“He’s ready. He’s ready to run,” Trainer Brad Cox said. “He had a good work [Saturday] at Payson. He’s had several works since returning to training this fall. I’m looking forward to getting his year started. He’s got a world of talent. He showed that last year.”
The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief is slated to meet six rivals in Friday’s Race 7, a one-turn mile optional claiming allowance that just might lead to a start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Jan. 24.
“Things would have to go well, but absolutely,” said Cox, whose Curlin Florida Derby hero has been installed as Friday’s 4-5 morning-line favorite. “It would need to be a very positive race. It’s a step at a time.”
Sidelined with a condylar fracture in his right front leg sustained while training at Churchill Downs days before he was scheduled to run in the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1), Tappan Street was nominated to the $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3), a 1 1/16-mile Pegasus prep, next Saturday at Gulfstream Park, but his connections opted for Friday’s optional claiming allowance whose conditions include 3-year-olds and up that have never won three races.
“It’s always nice when you have the conditions to take advantage of it. Hopefully, if he shows up and runs his race, we’ll be in good shape,” Cox said. “It’s just a building block. Once again, he’s light on seasoning. We just need to get some more experience underneath of him. I’m excited about Friday.”
Tappan Street has run only three times, all at Gulfstream Park during the 2024-2025 Championship Meet. He won his Dec. 28 debut while rallying from just off the pace in a seven-furlong maiden special weight race. The $1 million purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Yearling Sale went on to make his stakes debut in his next outing, finishing second in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull (G3), in which he made a three-wide sweep to take the lead in the stretch before being overtaken by Burnham Square by 1 ¾ lengths. Tappan Street bounced back to win the Curlin Florida Derby while upsetting favored Sovereignty by 1 ¼ lengths in the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Derby prep.
“I think the conditions of the race was probably a little more important to me as opposed to the distance,” Cox said. “When you have the condition on the table, I think it’s a smart move, especially off a layoff, to take advantage. This is just a building block. It’s not like we feel like we have the horse as good as he’s ever going to be. It’s just a building block in building foundation, seasoning, and everything it takes to be a top-notch horse. Once again, he’s only run three times, so he needs some runs underneath his belt.”
Cox is confident Tappan Street will have the chance to realize his full potential despite being sidelined for nearly eight months.
“We have a lot of horses. It’s not the first time we’ve had a horse have an injury the week before a big race. Yeah, it stings, but I always say you’ve got to get back in the huddle and call the next play. We knew he was in good hands pretty much after the X-rays were done after the injury. We felt it was something, he’d come back from,” Cox said. “I’ve had several horses compete at Grade 1 levels come back from injury that competed or maybe even gotten better at the Grade 1 level after an injury. I’m very confident we’re going to see the very best of him.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. has been named to ride Tappan Street, the only horse to beat Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes (G1) and Travers (G1) winner Sovereignty, for the first time in Friday’s highly anticipated return.
OXO Equine LLC’s Solo Venturi, a $1.3 million son of Constitution coming off a third-place finish a mile optional claiming allowance at Churchill Downs, and Wolf Pack Racing’s Steppe, beaten a half-length by Harlan’s Holiday entrant Classic of Course in the mile Awesome Banner Handicap at Gulfstream last time out, are rated second and third, respectively, on Friday’s morning line.
