Tropical Park Derby draws overflow field at Gulfstream on Monday

ax helmwho debuted at Gulfstream before making his next three starts in Kentucky has returned to the South Florida circuit for the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby on the opening day of the 2022-2023 winter-spring meeting on Monday.

The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief, owned by Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson, is expected to compete against 11 other 3-year-olds in the 1 1/16 mile turf events who will help shape a 10-race program with the $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks, a 1 1/16 mile turf run for 3 year old mares.

Axthelm’s debut on July 17 in a first five-stadium Tapeta specialweight race didn’t go as coach Saffie Joseph Jr. expected.

“He showed his skills from the start. Obviously he has good pedigree – an Into Mischief bred for Ed himself,” Joseph said. “The first time we thought he was going to win. We were a little surprised he didn’t. It was probably a little shorter than he wants to go, but it was a good starting point for him.”

Running five furlongs at Tapeta certainly set him up perfectly for his return to action at the Kentucky Downs six weeks later. The Kentucky-bred colt finished a head above Chad Brown-trained favorite Growth Capital while running a mile on turf in a $157,000 maiden race.

“We’ve been waiting for this spot,” Joseph said.

Axthelm made two more starts at Keeneland and finished third in both races at a mile on grass. On his last start at Bryan Station (G3) he put up a serious fight for the lead at the top of the course before settling for third place, beaten by less than a length by the victorious Balnikhov. Trained by Todd Pletcher, runner-up Wit finished a close third in the Hollywood Derby (G1) in Del Mar.

“I thought he ran well in his first race, but I thought he performed a lot better in this outing when he had a couple of weeks to acclimatize there,” said Joseph. “He was locked up for most of the race. He never really came out, but for a horse that was only making his fourth start against these quality horses I thought he showed a lot of courage.”

Axthelm has generated a series of four strong breezes since returning from Keeneland at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“We debated and put our heads together and decided to go straight to the Tropical Park Derby – give it a little refresher and run it again for this race,” said Joseph. “Everything seems to have gone according to plan. He’s always been a good workhorse. I think he will start the race very well.”

Edgard Zayas, who was aboard Axthelm for its first three launches, has the return flight on Monday.

Fort Washington, who was beaten by just 2 1/2 lengths by Balnikhov to finish seventh after an extremely slow start, will also return in the Tropical Park Derby. War Front’s son, owned by Peter Brant and Joseph Allen LLC, who captured the story of the cat in Monmouth in June, will be wearing blinkers for the first time.

“The last two times it hasn’t broken down and it’s been racing really well. He was just way too busy,” McGaughey said. “I put blinders on him and schooled him at the gate of Payson Park. He now appears to pop up from there immediately. I think if he breaks well then he will be in the race and finish well.”

Fort Washington will be ridden by Jose Ortiz for the first time.

Hall of Fame coach Todd Pletcher will saddle Grand Sonata and Steady On for the starts in the Tropical Park Derby, for which Pletcher-trained Native Thunder is second on the also eligible list.

Grand Sonata, who captured the Dania Beach and the Kitten’s Joy (G3) at Gulfstream for owner Whisper Hill Farm LLC last season, most recently finished third in the Gio Ponti at Aqueduct, beaten by three-quarters of a length from Churchtown and a neck away from Steady On, who he will face again in the Tropical Park Derby.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, a five-time Championship Meet titlist, has the reputation.

Steady On, a late developing Pioneerof the Nile son owned by St. Elias Stable and Repole Stable, overcame a hard bump at the start of the 1 1/16 mile Gio Ponti before finishing second. He had won his two previous starts at a mile on grass.

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the return mount.

Churchtown set a controlled early pace with slight outward pressure before winning the half-length Gio Ponti under Junior Alvarado, who will be back on board on Monday. Trained by Hall of Famer Roger Attfield, the Air Force Blue son was first or second in six of nine career starts for owners WB Harrigan and Mike Pietrangelo.

Red Danger, who took the pulpit at Gulfstream last season; Golden Glider, a gelding who has never walked on turf and walked respectably in several Triple Crown prelims earlier this year; Dakota Gold, a multiple stakes winner from New York who finished fourth at the Gio Ponti; and Stolen Base, who won American Turf (G2) at Churchill Downs in May; are among the top contenders in the Tropical Park Derby.

Grand David, Night Jumper and Venezuelan Triumph round out the field. Marwad adds Native Thunder to the equally eligible list.

fin	horse / father	valuation	trainer/jockey	Last Start / Next Start	status
	Venezuelan triumph social inclusion	4.12	Victor Barboza Jr. Leonel Reyes	2nd, 2022 Emerge LS	Entered
last race	2nd, 2022 Emerge LS
	Stolen base Bodemeister	4.34	Michael J Maker Edgar Perez	2nd, 2022 Commonwealth Turf Stakes LS	Entered
last race	2nd, 2022 Commonwealth Turf Stakes LS
	steady light Pioneer of the Nile	0.00	Todd A Pletcher Irad Ortiz, Jr.	2nd, 2022 Gio Ponti LS	Entered
last race	2nd, 2022 Gio Ponti LS
	Red Peril Bullet	5.27	Brian A Lynch Julien R Leparoux	3rd, 2022 Commonwealth Turf Stakes LS	Entered
last race	3rd, 2022 Commonwealth Turf Stakes LS
	night jumper Amira’s prince	4.12	J. Kent Sweezey Edwin Gonzalez	1st, 2022 Emerge LS	Entered
last race	1st, 2022 Emerge LS
	Native Thunder American pharaoh	4.45	Todd A Pletcher Irad Ortiz, Jr.	1st, month MSW (6/12/22-R7) 2022 Tropical Park Derby LS	Entered
last race next race	1st, month MSW (6/12/22-R7) 2022 Tropical Park Derby LS
	Marwad intellect	4.45	Mohammed Moubarak sonny leon	5th, 2022 Virginia Derby G3	Entered
last race	5th, 2022 Virginia Derby G3
	Great Sonata Medaglia d’Oro	4.55	Todd A Pletcher Javier J Castellano	3rd, 2022 Gio Ponti LS	Entered
last race	3rd, 2022 Gio Ponti LS
	Big David tapeture	4.59	Victor Barboza Jr. Emil Jaramillo	3rd, 2022 Emerge LS	Entered
last race	3rd, 2022 Emerge LS
	Golden Glider ghost zapper	5.05	Mark E Casse Jose Morelos	6th, 2022 Curlin RS	Entered
last race	6th, 2022 Curlin RS
	Fort Washington warfront	4.59	Claude R McGaughey III Jose L Ortiz	7th, 2022 Bryan Station Stakes G3	Entered
last race	7th, 2022 Bryan Station Stakes G3
	Dakota Gold Freud	4.67	Danny Gargan Isaac Castillo	4th, 2022 Gio Ponti LS	Entered
last race	4th, 2022 Gio Ponti LS
	church town Air Force Blue	4.59	Roger L Attfield Junior Alvarado	1st, 2022 Gio Ponti LS	Entered
last race	1st, 2022 Gio Ponti LS
	ax helm To disaster	0.00	Saffie A Joseph Jr. Edgard J Zayas	3rd, 2022 Bryan Station Stakes G3	Entered
last race	3rd, 2022 Bryan Station Stakes G3