Trainer Manny Tortora (on tape): "I think this (Supah Blitz) is a nice horse. His dad (Mecke) won three grade I races and his mama (Boots'n Jackie) should have won the Breeders' Cup (1992 Juvenile Fillies, gr. I). His daddy could run all day long, so I think he (Supah Blitz) can get a distance. He's a one-run horse, but I think he can run 'em down as long as somebody runs with Trust N Luck. Jockey Rosemary Homeister Jr. (on tape): "He's a push-button horse with a great disposition and a great attitude, but once that gate snaps open--he's all business." EMPIRE MAKER
Jockey Jerry Bailey (on tape): "Trust N Luck is the horse we (Empire Maker) have got to beat. He (Trust N Luck) will control the pace. Empire Maker has only made three starts, so he's inexperienced, but Bobby (trainer Frankel) is putting blinkers on him now, so I'll probably be a little closer to the pace. That's essential going into this race.
"Empire Maker has got the pedigree, and he's got a start this year, so I don't see any excuses in this race." SENOR SWINGER Trainer Mickey Goldfine (on tape): "I've thought Senor Swinger was going to be a good horse since last November, and really think he's just starting to mature right now. I think he's going to go a long way. We originally planned to run him in a race January 18, but he came down with a respiratory infection and that messed up our schedule, so the Florida Derby is going to be the next step, and if he passes that test we'll go on to the Illinois Derby from here." TRUST N LUCK Trainer Ralph Ziadie (on tape): "I have said all along I thought Trust N Luck was going to be a nice horse. We went into the Fountain of Youth feeling this horse was ready for his best effort and in that race he proved he was at his best. That race showed me he didn't need anything else before the Florida Derby. Also, I'll say once again although I've said this before, too--if he runs the way he should in the Florida Derby, we'll go straight into the Kentucky Derby off this race."FORMAL ATTIRE Trainer Phil Serpe (live at the Florida Derby Brunch): "As a 2-year-old he (Formal Attire) had some problems with an undescended testicle, but his races down here in Florida (as a 3-year-old) have been very encouraging.
"Also, we have a rider change to Eibar Coa and that should be helpful, and his (Formal Attire's) style is just beginning to develop."
INDY DANCER Trainer Todd Pletcher (live at the Florida Derby Brunch): "We decided to run Indy Dancer in this race mainly because he ran well here in an allowance race over the track. I feel like he's a nice colt. In that race in New Orleans (Risen Star) he had to break from an outside post and then tried to save ground down the backside and that was probably a big mistake.
"I'm very glad I was at the Fair Grounds that day, because he put in a real charge right at the end but it was 100 yards from the wire and the race was already over. However, it was the only encouraging thing out of that race.
"He has an explosive run. In his race here at Gulfstream I had the owner on the phone overseas and was trying to call the race to him. He (Indy Dancer) was 10 lengths out of it, and then 12 lengths back, and then 10 again, and then six, and suddenly he was on the lead. "Hopefully, there will be somebody to run with Trust N Luck early on."