Union Rags breezed half a mile one week prior to the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park
The 3-year-old Michael Matz trained colt, Union Rags, in an early favourite in the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby on 31 March, 2012, at Gulfstream Park’s dirt course, going over a distance of 1 1/8 miles. The Florida Derby is restricted for 3-year-olds, and Union Rags being the early favourite would like to keep his chances intact, and that’s why the rampant colt turned in another work before the big race.
The Kentucky bred son of Dixie Union, out of mare Tempo by Gone West, Union Rags at Palm Meadows Training Center turned in half a mile on 24 March, 2012.
With a week to go, Union Rags will be looking to be in top shape because the competition in the Florida Derby looks stiff, with the likes of El Padrino and Take Charge Indy thrown in the mix, it will not be a cake walk for the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes winning colt.
Union Rags was under assistant trainer/exercise rider Peter Brett. It was an easy breeze, and Union Rags covered the given four furlongs in a time of 49 seconds flat.
"He did it the right way. He went out with a set that worked, and Peter just sat behind them. I just wanted to have something for him to point at," trainer Michael Matz said. "The other two horses worked nicely and he worked nice and galloped out really well."
Trainer Michael Matz is of the view that Union Rags’ run in the Fountain of Youth Stakes wasn’t at it’s full tilt because he wasn’t pushed much, and since he will be stretched out in distance in the Florida Derby with challenging company, it is bound take a lot of Union Rags to go all out and show his full potential.
"I think he should take a step forward from that. It didn't look like he had to give everything he had," Matz said. "I would hope that having a race under his belt would help him for the Florida Derby."
However, the Florida Derby itself will prove to be a great prep race right before the Kentucky Derby for Union Rags.
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