Grande has the look of a horse with something to prove. That proof could come Saturday in the $175,000 Ghostzapper Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
The main event on the card is the track’s showcase stake for 3-year-olds: the $1 million Florida Derby (G1). The winner of that race moves on to Louisville for a shot at glory in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
That’s a shot Grande was denied. Followers of the Triple Crown will recall that Grande was entered in last year’s Kentucky Derby only to be scratched the morning before the race with a foot injury that sent him to the sideline for a prolonged recovery and snapped trainer Todd Pletcher’s record streak of 21 straight Derby appearances.
“Twenty-one years in a row down the drain just like that,” Pletcher said. “It was frustrating. It was disappointing and disappointing for the connections (owner Mike Repole). Those things happen in this game. You move on. That’s all you can do.”
Heading into the Derby, Grande won two of three races with both victories at Gulfstream. His Derby prep was a second-place finish in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct, his stakes debut.
He didn’t return until last month with a game win in a Gulfstream allowance race over Praetor. Grande surrendered the lead on the far turn in the comeback before surging in the shadow of the wire to post a three-quarters-of-a-length win.
“What a gutsy comeback,” Pletcher said after the race. “He was under pressure the whole way. I thought at the top of the stretch he was going to finish a good second. It’s good to have him back. He was super game in the last part.”
Jockey John Velazquez will be aboard when Grande faces eight rivals in the 1 1-16-mile race. He looks tough in this spot. The 4-year-old son of Curlin is 3-for-3 at Gulfstream, and his speed figures have improved each and every start.
He gives every indication there is a lot more to him than what we’ve glimpsed so far.
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that it is a horse race, and nothing is guaranteed.
The biggest challenge could come from Cadet Corps who drew the outside post. The former claimer was a close third most recently in the Louisiana Stakes (G3) at the Fair Grounds. The 7-year-old was also stakes-placed last summer in the Monmouth Cup (G3), making the $35,000 claim by trainer and co-owner Kelly Breen a year ago look like a shrewd investment.
Let’s round out our trifecta tickets with the always game Lightning Tones, who were fourth in this race last year. He was hopelessly overmatched last time out in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1).
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | M/L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forged Steel | E Gonzalez | S A Joseph, Jr. | 10/1 | |
| 2 | Grande | J R Velazquez | T A Pletcher | 1/1 | |
| 3 | Timeout | T Gaffalione | W I Mott | 10/1 | |
| 4 | Capital Idea | J Alvarado | W I Mott | 6/1 | |
| 5 | Racing Driver | M J Husbands | G Delgado | 10/1 | |
| 6 | Lightning Tones | J E Morelos | J M Castro | 12/1 | |
| 7 | Freedom Principle | M A Vasquez | G Ochoa | 30/1 | |
| 8 | Steal Sunshine | J Rosario | B S Dibona | 9/2 | |
| 9 | Cadet Corps | J Castellano | K J Breen | 12/1 |
Last Updated on 03/25/2026
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
