Tappan Street delivered a powerful kick in deep stretch to capture the $1 million Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa over favored Sovereignty March 29 at Gulfstream Park.

Tappan Street made his move under jockey Luis Saez heading into the far turn and took the lead entering the stretch before charging home to beat Sovereignty by 1 1/4 lengths in the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds.

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The Florida Derby awarded qualifying points to the 2025 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis to the top five finishers. With the victory, Tappan Street now sits third on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 110 points, with Sovereignty fourth, also with 110 points.

Tappan Street started for the first time since finishing second in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 1.

"He's a very smart horse, he's intelligent,” said Tappan Street's trainer Brad Cox. "I felt he would break very, very well today, just the way he has been training. And he did. I think that put him in the race and really put him in a great position."

Sovereignty, meanwhile, ran four weeks after capturing the Grade 2 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream in his last start. Winner of last year's two-turn Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs, the Godolphin homebred son of Into Mischief was carrying Manny Franco because regular rider Junior Alvarado had been sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered last weekend.

"Sovereignty's a very good horse. He's going to be a tough foe at a mile and a quarter," said ownership spokesperson Elliott Walden of WinStar Farm.

Madaket Road and Neoequos ran to the lead out of the gate and into the first turn with Madaket Road, ridden by Mike Smith and trained by Bob Baffert, setting fractions of :23.37, :47.22, and 1:11.61. Smith had replaced Tyler Gaffalione, who suffered a broken ankle March 26.

Tappan Street. (Coglianese Photos/Gulfstream Park)

Neoequos and rider Edgard Zayas edged ahead of Madaket Road entering the stretch before Tappan Street overtook the leaders and ran to victory in a winning time of 1:49.27.

Tappan Street paid $6.80 to win, followed by Sovereignty, Neoequos, Madaket Road, and Disruptor.

"Everything went to plan. He broke from there pretty well. He was in good position. The whole way I had a lot of horse," Saez said. "We knew the speed was inside and we followed the speed. Everything came out perfect."

Sovereignty broke from the outside post in the 10-horse field.

"The winner ran good. It was a good race," said Sovereignty's trainer Bill Mott. "This doesn't have to be his (Sovereignty's) best race. Sometimes you can look at it and say, 'Maybe that's a good thing.' You don't want their best race before the big event. I don't think the fact that he didn't win doesn't mean he didn't run a good race."

No Kentucky Derby prep race has produced more winners of the run for the roses than the Florida Derby, from which 25 horses have gone on to win the first leg of the Triple Crown. Florida Derby runner-up Mage was the last to triumph in the Kentucky Derby in 2023. -- Charlie McCarthy