Commandment captures Florida Derby in photo finish
So close was the finish of the Florida Derby, with three horses clustered at the wire, that it took a photo-finish camera to determine the outcome.
And after a suspenseful wait while the judges examined the image, frozen at the precise moment the winning horse’s nose touched the wire first, the number “4” flashed in the win spot on the infield tote board.
Commandment’s number.
The 75th running of the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on Saturday was a razor’s-edge outcome, a thrilling battle involving several of the top Kentucky Derby hopefuls in the country.
It was Commandment who prevailed, but only by a nose over The Puma, with Chief Wallabee a half length further back in third.
Commandment, winner of four straight races, is certain to head on to Louisville and May 2 Kentucky Derby as one of the favorites. The 3-year-old colt, who is owned by Wathnan Racing, established himself as the top Derby hopeful on the East Coast, but not by much.
Saturday’s nose win followed a neck victory over Chief Wallabee in last month’s Fountain of Youth Stakes.
“My mind-set [going into the Florida Derby] was this is a good race and it’s going to set him up for the [Kentucky] Derby, win or lose,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “”I’m glad we came out on the right end.”
Ridden Saturday for the first time by jockey Flavien Prat, Commandment dropped back to last in the field of six midway through the 1 1/8-mile stakes, content to allow the others to contest the pace.
“I was a bit worried because I wasn’t traveling very well the first part,” Prat said. “The pace wasn’t very fast, and I was just in the back. I thought he would be a bit closer.”
Said Cox: “I wasn’t loving it [trailing the field early]. Even on the far turn, it looked like the top flight was traveling well.”
Long shot Wayne’s Law led early, only to be overtaken in the final turn by 6-5 favorite Nearly, who was passed in mid-stretch by The Puma, who narrowly succumbed to Commandment at the wire.
“A little too close for comfort,” Cox said of the close finish. “But he pulled through.”
The trainer and jockey for The Puma – Gustavo Delgado Jr. and Javier Castellano – both felt they had won the race, at least initially.
“We thought we had him,” said Delgado, indicating that, despite Saturday’s loss, The Puma would head to Kentucky for the Derby.
Said Castellano: “He gave me a very good run. I thought I had it.”
The original nine-horse field for the Derby was reduced to six due to the scratches of Albus, Redland Rebels and Gregarious. But though it lacked in quantity (smallest field since Honest Pleasure came out on top in a field of six in 1976), it didn’t lack for quality.
The 75th Derby featured three of the top four horses in The Daily Racing Form’s weekly top 20 ranking of Kentucky Derby prospects — Chief Wallabee, Commandment and Nearly — as well as 13th-ranked The Puma.
And those four claimed the first four spots in Saturday’s race. Nearly finished 2 ¾ lengths behind Chief Wallabee to end up fourth.
This story was originally published March 28, 2026 at 9:01 PM.