Florida Derby time comparison with GP Oaks/Bonnie Miss when held same day & distance

[Calzone Lord]

I went back and looked up all of the times throughout history when the Fla Derby and Bonnie Miss/GP Oaks were run at the same distance on the same card. Here is what I have:

Year: Florida Derby winner: Oaks/Bonnie Miss winner:

2013: Orb (1:50.87) Dreaming of Julia (1:48.97) Fillies went 1.90 seconds faster

2012: Take Charge Indy (1:48.79) Grace Hall (1:49.36) Males went 0.57 seconds faster.

2011: No 9f dirt stake for 3yo fillies on same card

2010: Ice Box (1:49.19) - Devil May Care (1:49.06) Fillies went 0.13 seconds faster

2009: No 9f dirt stake for 3yo fillies on same card

2008: Big Brown (1:48.16) - She's All Eltish (1:51.80) Males went 3.64 seconds faster

2004 through 2007: No 9f dirt stake for 3yo fillies on same card

2003: Empire Maker (1:49.05) - Ivanavinalot (1:50.72) Males went 1.67 seconds faster

2002 and back: Bonnie Miss was run at just 8.5 furlongs


Not a lot to work with here ... as there have only been five such examples.

The two editions where the males went way faster:

* Big Brown ran 20+ lengths faster than She's All Eltish. Obviously, he swept the Derby and Preakness in dominant fashion - where as She's All Eltish never won another race, although she was 2nd in a weak edition of the Black Eyed Susan.

* Empire Maker ran about 9 lengths faster than Ivanavinalot. The former returned to win the Wood, 2nd in Derby, won Belmont. The latter never won again, although 2nd place finisher My Boston Gal took the Grade 2 Beaumont over Bird Town next out, and was 5th in the KY Oaks behind Bird Town. The 3rd place finisher to Ivanavinalot in the Bonnie Miss was 3rd in the Ashland at 28/1 next out.

The only prior example of a filly running faster was when Ice Box ran slightly slower than Pletcher's Devil May Care.

Ice Box was 2nd in a Kentucky Derby that collapsed so badly, that the hopeless longshot Make Music For Me closed 24 lengths to get up for 4th place. Ice Box never won another race after the Fla Derby. He was 0-for-9 and burned up a lot of money. The Fla Derby 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finishers behind Ice Box were Pleasant Prince, Rule, and Lentanor... they were hardly world beaters either.

Devil May Care beat Amen Hallelujah and Switch in that fast Bonnie Miss win. She was 10th in the Kentucky Derby after making a menacing move on the turn. She won the Grade 1 Mother Goose and Grade 1 Coaching Club in her next two starts. Amen Hallelujah was 2nd in the Grade 1 Acorn two races later. Switch is three times Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Sprint placed. She's a Grade 1 winner. Was only beaten a half length to Zenyatta at 8.5 furlongs while only allowed a 3lbs weight break to Zenyatta.