• A field of nine was entered for Saturday's $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, including Promises Fulfilled, Audible, Strike Power and Catholic Boy. The 1 1/8-mile race offers 170 Kentucky Derby qualifying points — 100 for first, 40 for second, 20 for third and 10 for fourth. Strike Power's trainer, Mark Hennig, needs to see a strong effort by his colt to go on to Churchill Downs on May 5. "I think we would have to win or run a very competitive second to consider going forward," he said. Four of the past 10 Florida Derby winners — Big Brown, Orb, Nyquist and Always Dreaming — won the Kentucky Derby.
• Del Mar will have an identical stakes schedule to last year, the track announced Thursday. The seaside track will offer 41 stakes races worth $7.3 million, the same two figures as last summer, when Del Mar begins its 36-day meeting July 18. Del Mar will again run Wednesday through Sunday throughout the meet that will end Sept. 3, with the exception of closing day on Labor Day Monday. The stakes schedule includes the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 18, one of six Grade I events. The others are the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes (July 28), the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (July 29), Del Mar Oaks (Aug. 18), Del Mar Debutante (Sept. 1) and Del Mar Futurity (Sept. 3).