Gulfstream Park Picks for Florida Derby Day, 3/28/26

Key Takeaways:

• Florida Derby Day delivers one of the deepest programs of the meet, with competitive stakes across multiple divisions creating opportunities for prices throughout the card.
• In turf races like the Appleton, tactical speed and proven comfort over Gulfstream’s unique grass course often separate contenders in tightly matched fields.
• Progressive form remains a key angle in the Gulfstream Park Oaks, where lightly raced fillies stretching out or building experience at two turns can take meaningful steps forward.
• Sprint stakes such as the Army Mule frequently reward horses with established local success, especially those returning to preferred distances where past performance has been consistent.
• Across the card, versatility in running style stands out as a reliable asset, giving riders flexibility to adapt to pace scenarios that can shift quickly on big race days.

The flagship race of the Gulfstream Park horse racing season happens Saturday, March 28: the $1 million Florida Derby (G1), the last of three points races at the Hallandale Beach track. The prep, worth 100-50-25-15-10 points to the top five finishers, drew the deepest field of a Kentucky Derby prep race yet, and is sure to send some horses straight to the top of the Kentucky Derby markets.

Of course, the Florida Derby isn’t all there is Saturday at Gulfstream. It is one of 10 stakes on the card. The graded races include the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), a 100-point Kentucky Oaks prep, the Ghostzapper (G3) for older dirt routers, the Pan American (G3) for older long-distance turf horses, and the Orchid (G3) for older long-distance turf fillies and mares. Other stakes on the card include the Appleton for older turf milers, the Cutler Bay for turf sophomores, the Sand Springs for older turf fillies, the Sanibel Island for sophomore turf fillies, and the Army Mule for older dirt sprinters.

You can watch every race and stay on top of the latest news about horses from Gulfstream and all over the world with FanDuel TV. And, you can get past performances and bet every race online through FanDuel. Make sure to check the weather and the scratches before betting – the weather is supposed to be nice and warm on Saturday at Gulfstream, but scratches can happen for any reason, and weather can change. An informed bettor is a successful bettor!

Gulfstream Park Picks

These are Gulfstream Park race picks for Saturday’s Florida Derby card:

Race 4: Appleton Stakes, one mile on the turf - Tomasello, Quatrocento

FanDuel odds: 12-1 and 3-1

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Tomasello (12-1) gets a class test, as he steps up from a victory in handicap company on all-weather last out. But, that was impressive, especially since he backed off of a hot pace and then rallied back in. He has stakes form on the grass last year, winning a stakes at Ellis last summer at 1 ⅛ miles. The win at a mile and 70 yards last out showed he can shorten up, and he also ran a good effort at 7 ½ furlongs on the Gulfstream grass last year, showing he can handle the love-it-or-hate-it footing that is the lawn in Hallandale Beach. With tactical speed and good form with Javier Castellano in the irons, any improvement second off the lay makes him a threat at a big price.

Quatrocento (3-1) should be the favorite here, but he probably won’t be given that Spirit of St Louis will inevitably take money for trainer Chad Brown. Quatrocento comes into this race off a brief freshening, but his last start was a nice one – a wire-to-wire win in the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3) about two months ago. He won’t have such an easy trip on the pace as he did that time – but he doesn’t need it. He won twice at Kentucky Downs last year, leading at every call but having to fight for it early. And, he has also won from a couple of lengths off the pace, meaning he doesn’t need the top to get the job done. It’s the right distance, it’s the right level, and he figures strongly in this spot.

Race 9: Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), 1 1/16 miles on the dirt - Prom Queen, Just Singing

FanDuel odds: 9-5 and 9-2

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Prom Queen (9-5) steps up from a maiden win. She has to turn the tables on morning-line favorite She Be Smooth from two back, but there are good reasons she can. Not only did she move forward second-out, but she did so on the stretch out to two turns, the same course and distance as the Gulfstream Park Oaks. That win came with Javier Castellano aboard, and he returns to the irons for this. She has the perfect kind of versatility for this – a solid debut on the front end and a maiden win from just off the pace – and should be able to work out the right trip for trainer Brad Cox, who hits hard with last-out maiden winners.

Just Singing (9-2) has a lot of two-turn seasoning – three of her four races have come at 1 1/16 miles. She has been third in her last two starts, both in stakes company, including an attempt behind Bella Ballerina in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) last month at Fair Grounds. She didn't race nearly as far back as she was early in the Golden Rod (G2) last year, a positive, and now trainer Kent Sweezey straps on the blinkers for the first time. With a seven-horse field at speed-loving Gulfstream, that potential to be a little closer up is a positive, and the fact that high-percentage jockey John Velazquez sticks with her is another point in her favor.

Race 11: Army Mule Stakes, seven furlongs on the dirt - Concrete Glory, Jack’s Promise

FanDuel odds: 8-1 and 6-1

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In a wide-open edition of the Army Mule, Concrete Glory (8-1) is perfectly in his element. The Saffie Joseph, Jr. trainee wired a six-furlong sprint at Tampa Bay downs last out, a testament to his good form – but now he returns to his best game, seven furlongs at Gulfstream. 10 of his 18 career wins have come over the local course (from just 17 of his 41 starts), and he is a perfect 5-for-5 in seven-furlong dirt races. The win at six furlongs should sharpen him up, and he is likely to set the pace. He won’t have a free pass, with Macho Music returning to the fray for his first start since July, but Macho Music probably needs one off the lay. Concrete Glory should be sharp enough to be the pacesetter, and on a big day at Gulfstream, his speed stands to be a dangerous weapon.

Jack’s Promise (6-1) is coming into his own this winter. He has bobbed around between allowance and starter company for much of his career, but after a hard-fought win in a conditioned allowance two starts back at Gulfstream, trainer Dale Romans tried him in the Gulfstream Park Sprint – his first ever stakes try – and he got his picture taken. He battled on the pace in both of those races, but he has also been able to win races from stalking and even midpack spots, meaning he and jockey Rajiv Maragh have plenty of options. When Romans’ horses get good, they tend to stay good for a while, and with two wins at seven furlongs and another at 6 ½, Jack’s Promise should be able to hold his form over the extra distance.

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