Five weeks after Big Brown became the 21^st Florida Derby starter to win the Kentucky Derby, and three weeks after he became the 18^th starter in Gulfstream Park’s premier event to win the Preakness, Da’Tara’s shocking upset in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes made him the 15th Florida Derby starter to take the Belmont Stakes.

Da’Tara was ninth to Big Brown, beaten more than 23 lengths, in the March 29 Florida Derby, Gulfstream Park’s million-dollar marquee race.

Da’Tara’s upset punctuates a strong run by Gulfstream-raced classic contestants the last three years.

Five weeks ago, Big Brown became the second Florida Derby winner in three years to win the Kentucky Derby in his next start. Barbaro, in 2006, was the first to explode the myth that five weeks was too long between starts leading up to the first event in the Triple Crown series.

“Our faith in the five-week spacing between (Florida and Kentucky) Derby starts has been proven out by the success Michael Matz (Barbaro’s trainer) and Rick Dutrow (Big Brown’s conditioner) enjoyed two of the last three years,” according to Bill Murphy, President and General Manager of Gulfstream Park. “It gives all of us at Gulfstream more reason to be proud of the fact that we operate the nation’s premier staging point for championship campaigns.”

Along the way, Big Brown destroyed a second Florida Derby myth, which claimed no horse breaking from Post 12 could win going nine furlongs at Gulfstream Park. Big Brown won it by five lengths.

And, as Barbaro did two years before, Big Brown won the Run for the Roses without a 1 1/16-mile prep.

In addition to the Florida Derby starters listed below, Bernardini and Curlin broke their maidens at Gulfstream Park in 2006 and 2007, then went on to take editions of the Preakness Stakes in campaigns that culminated in year-end championships. Jazil completed a sweep of the 2006 classics for Gulfstream-raced horses when he took that year’s Belmont Stakes.

Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility in Boynton Beach, was the winter home to Big Brown and Da’Tara just as it was for recent Kentucky Derby winners Funny Cide (2003), Barbaro (2006) and Street Sense (2007); Preakness winner Funny Cide; Belmont winners Birdstone (2004) and Jazil (2006), and Horses of the Year Ghostzapper (2004), Saint Liam (2005) and Invasor (2006).

As mentioned above, Curlin won his first career race at Gulfstream Park en route to Horse of the Year honors in 2007. Curlin was stabled at Gulfstream last year while under the care of Helen Pitts.

Da’Tara won his maiden race at Gulfstream Jan. 5, tallying over a sloppy track by more than two lengths. Da’Tara, like Birdstone before him, was trained for the classics at Palm Meadows by Nick Zito.

“This is further proof that Gulfstream Park and Palm Meadows create an ideal atmosphere and perfect conditions for horsemen in their preparation for the classics,” said Mr. Murphy.

Florida Derby Starters Who Won the …

… Kentucky Derby                                       … Preakness Stakes                            … Belmont Stakes

(position in parenthesis indicates Florida Derby finish)

1.      Big Brown  (1^st) 2008                              Big Brown (1^st) 2008                               Da’Tara (9^th) 2008

2.      Barbaro (1^st) 2006                                  Louis Quatorze (4^th) 1996                       Empire Maker (1^st) 2003

3.      Monarchos (1^st) 2001                              Hansel (3^rd) 1991                                    Editor’s Note (2^nd) 1996

4.      Thunder Gulch (1^st) 1995                         Snow Chief (1^st) 1986                             Thunder Gulch (1^st) 1995

5.      Go for Gin (4^th) 1994                              Pleasant Colony (5^th) 1981                      Hansel (3^rd) 1991

6.      Strike the Gold (2^nd) 1991                       Spectacular Bid (1^st) 1979                       Bet Twice (5^th) 1987

7.      Unbridled (1^st) 1990                                Little Current (5^th) 1974                           Swale (1^st) 1984

8.      Swale (1^st) 1984                                      Bee Bee Bee (6^th) 1972                           Caveat (10^th) 1983

9.      Pleasant Colony (5^th) 1981                      Forward Pass (1^st) 1968                          Little Current (5^th) 1974

10.  Spectacular Bid (1^st) 1979                       Kauai King (5^th) 1966                             Arts and Letters (2^nd) 1969

11.  Foolish Pleasure (3^rd) 1975                      Northern Dancer (1^st) 1964                     Amberoid (6^th) 1966

12.  Cannonade (2^nd) 1974                             Candy Spots (1^st) 1963                           Hail to All (2^nd) 1965

13.  Forward Pass (1^st) 1968                          Carry Back (1^st) 1961                             Sword Dancer (2^nd) 1959

14.  Kauai King (5^th) 1966                             Bally Ache (1^st) 1960                              Needles (1^st) 1956

15.  Northern Dancer (1^st) 1964                     Tim Tam (1^st) 1958                                 Nashua (1^st) 1955

16.  Carry Back (1^st) 1961                             Bold Ruler (2^nd) 1957

17.  Venetian Way (2^nd) 1960                         Fabius (8^th) 1956

18.  Tim Tam (1^st) 1958                                 Nashua (1^st) 1955

19.  Iron Liege (3^rd) 1957                              

20.  Needles (1^st) 1956                                 

21.  Dark Star (13^th) 1953