2022 Florida Derby Race: Picks, Predictions and Preview

2022 Florida Derby Race – The road to the Kentucky Derby heats up with the 2022 edition of the Florida Derby that will take place at the Gulfstream Park in Florida’s Hallandale Beach. This race lists six horses that will hand over vital Kentucky Derby points. The winner will receive a full 100 points. The next three players are to receive 40, 20 and 10 points. The Grade 1 event will be raced on dirt at 1 1/8 miles (1.810 kilometers) and some of the possible contenders for this race are in contention for the Kentucky Derby. Early horseracing odds suggest Simplification as the favorite to win the race while others forecast 2022 Holy Bull Stakes first placer White Abarrio and 2022 Tampa Bay Derby winner Classic Causeway as top contenders in the race.

2022 Florida Derby Race Viewing Information

When: Saturday, April 2, 2022
Where: Gulfstream Park Hallandale Beach, Florida, USA
TV: Gulfstream Park Live Racing

Tweets by GulfstreamPark

The Race

The Florida Derby is an annual thoroughbred race for three-year-old horses normally held five weeks before the Kentucky Derby. The US$750,000 race began in 1952 and was held in early to mid-March and Kentucky Derby competitors would then run in another prep race in April. In 2005, Gulfstream Park rescheduled the race to five weeks before the Kentucky Derby. Known Agenda won last year’s Florida Derby by 2 1/2 lengths over Soup and Sandwich. Third place went to Greatest Honour. Twenty winners of the Florida Derby have gone on to win one or more Triple Crown Classics and these include Needles (1956 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes), Tim Tam (1958 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes), Forward Pass (1968 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes) and Thunder Gulch (1995 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes). 

Betting on Horseracing at 2022 Florida Derby Race

Six horses are listed to compete in the 2022 edition of the Florida Derby although there is a possibility that organizers will allow more horses to take part in the event days before race day. These are Simplification, White Abarrio, Pappacap, Charge It, Classic Causeway, and Shipsational. Among the current entries, Fountain of Youth Stakes and Mucho Macho Man winner Simplification could be a serious favorite. He won two of three races this year including the two stakes races.

He could have made it 3-for-3 in the Holy Bull if not for White Abarrio edging him. Meanwhile, the Saffie Joseph-trained White Abarrio has started four times and won thrice. Tampa Bay Derby winner Classic Causeway has won two straight derbies this year after placing first, third and second in three 2021 races. Pappacap looks to bounce back from his dismal eighth-place finish at the Risen Star Stakes while Charge It is set to start in his first stakes race. Shipsational seeks to keep his consistent run intact as he has not placed lower than fourth in six starts.

2022 Florida Derby Race Field

Simplification – *
White Abarrio
Pappacap
Charge It
Classic Causeway
Shipsational

* – Favorite

2022 Florida Derby Race Pick

Simplification is the top choice for the 2022 Florida Derby, according to US horseracing picks and parlays. However, White Abarrio has proven in a previous race that Simplification can be beaten. Pappacap, Charge It, Classic Causeway, and Shipsational can make a run for the money in this race as they were also winners. It will be a close race between Simplification and White Abarrio in the Florida Derby with the earlier winning by two lengths.