HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - This has been the driest winter in south Florida in more than 100 years. There hasn't been a significant rainfall in the area in the longest time. At least not until Wednesday morning, when heavy showers put a damper on training throughout the region, and forced trainer to cancel his plan to work his Kentucky Derby prospect at the Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach.
Jerkens is pointing Quality Road for the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28, and had tentatively penciled in two more works for his star 3-year-old before the 1 1/8-mile race. Now Jerkens is hopeful the weather will clear out in time for him to get one strong breeze into Quality Road in preparation for his final Kentucky Derby prep.
"We'll be fine if I can get one good work into him before the Florida Derby," Jerkens said. "He's not a big, heavy horse, and he's fit enough coming out of his last race, which was almost like running a mile and one-eighth anyway."
Quality Road, coming off his easy victory in the one-mile Fountain of Youth on Feb. 28, will likely vie for favoritism with the undefeated Dunkirk in the Florida Derby.
"It will only be four weeks since his last start, and he's a pretty good work horse," said Jerkens. "I'd like to be able to work him Friday if the weather clears up, but I'll wait as long as it takes. I won't work him over a wet track. As long as I can get it in some time over the weekend, we should be fine. I just might have to adjust the distance and speed of the work the closer we get to the race. If it keeps raining and I have to wait too long to work him, then we might have to think about going somewhere else, although I'd really prefer to run him right here."
The Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 4 would be the most likely backup option for Quality Road.
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