US expert Tom Collins sides with a talking horse at the prices in Florida Derby

Bodexpress
6.00 Gulfstream Park
1pt win

Zofelle
7.34 Gulfstream Park
1pt win

Gouverneur Morris
10.36 Gulfstream Park
1pt each-way

The Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby (10.36), which was first run in 1952 and is usually a key stepping stone for Kentucky Derby candidates, is the pinnacle of Gulfstream's four-month-long meeting.

Although the first leg of the Triple Crown has now been postponed until September, we are still set to see some of the best three-year-olds fight out the coveted prize.

Longtime ante-post market leader for this and the Kentucky Derby is Tiz The Law, who is my favourite horse in training in the US.

Hailing from the Barclay Tagg barn, Tiz The Law made a huge impression when bolting up on debut at Saratoga last August before overcoming a critical stumble at the start and trouble in running to win the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes two months later.

He came of age that day and has been my fancy for the Kentucky Derby ever since. Tiz The Law then suffered his sole defeat after more trouble in running in the Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs, before being cut into favouritism for this race with an emphatic success in the Holy Bull.

Tiz The Law didn't look like winning for much of that race, though, and appeared to be losing his position around the far bend, but he found plenty once he was pulled out and eventually came home in front.

It has to be a slight concern that he didn't pick up straight away and he may not be the best suited to this course, so I have to take him on at the prices (11-10) despite the fact I think he is the most likely winner.

Instead, I will side with Gouverneur Morris, who represents Todd Pletcher and Johnny Velazquez, the duo who have won the Florida Derby on three occasions in the last five years.

A $600,000 purchase as a two-year-old, Gouverneur Morris hit the racetrack with a huge reputation and did nothing to quell that when bolting up by nine lengths on debut in September last year.

He was turned over in the Grade 1 Futurity Stakes on his second outing when strongly fancied, but clearly bumped into a good one that day in Maxfield, who is two-from-two in his career.

It was his latest effort at Tampa, when winning an allowance optional claimer despite stumbling at the start, that's a key pointer to his chance here as he was just .02 seconds off the track record and won with plenty in hand. Hopefully he can get a good early position and finish strongly.

There are five other Graded contests earlier on the card and the first of two other bets is Bodexpress, who runs in the Grade 3 Hal's Hope Stakes (6.00), a 1m1f contest on the main dirt track.

Gustavo Delgado's four-year-old colt was the highest-rated maiden in the country this time last year when he followed a good second to Shancelot in maiden special weight company with a brilliant effort to fill the same berth in the Florida Derby at odds of 70-1.

His excellent early pace allowed him to sit just behind Maximum Security and he kept on well to take second place.

Bodexpress followed that with below-par efforts in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, before returning to Gulfstream Park West at the start of this season when he notched the first two victories of his career, the second of which came in allowance company.

Two further cracking efforts in the Grade 3 Runhappy Stakes (third) and Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup (fifth) make him a huge player here from a good draw in stall two, and although he only finished 11th when last seen in the Gulfstream Mile he was forced to go ridiculous fractions in a duel up front and can be excused that effort.

One of the most interesting runners on the Gulfstream card is Newspaperofrecord, one of the most impressive Breeders' Cup winners in recent years when she landed the juvenile fillies in 2018.

However, she disappointed in three starts last year at short odds and looks one to take on in the Listed Sand Spring Stakes (7.34) after a long layoff.

She will likely be on the front end and there are plenty of other pacey sorts in the race, so it could be wise to play Zofelle at a price for trainer Brendan Walsh and rider Joel Rosario.

Rosario is at his best on hold-up performers on the turf and hopefully he can showcase his talents on this ex-Hugo Palmer filly, who worked the house down when in Britain.

She has made an instant impact since being sent stateside with three victories from four starts and her late burst is tough to hold granted a clear run. Hopefully she can pick up the pieces should the jolly bomb out.

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