On This Day...

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Photo: Equi-Photo Inc.

Monarchos in the Florida Derby

"It will go down in Florida Derby (gr. I) history as "The Move," wrote Evan Hammonds in The Blood-Horse about the March 10 Gulfstream Park race. "As a dozen tightly bunched 3-year-olds jostled for position nearing the far turn in the golden anniversary edition of the Florida Derby, one horse was running by the rest of the field with electrifying ease. THE horse, making THE move, was Monarchos  ."

Monachos didn't let up down the stretch, winning by 4 1/2 lengths in his first stakes start for his third win of the young season. Steve Haskin, in his Derby Dozen, moved Monarchos right to the top.

"Florida Derby was as impressive a 3-year-old prep as we're even seen," Haskin wrote. "It wasn't so much the awesome acceleration as much as sustaining it for five furlongs while racing eight-wide."

Monarchos disappointed by running second in the Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. II) at Aqueduct in his next start, then got everything right in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) in the second-fastest time ever, winning by 4 3/4 lengths.

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