1) Strike Power 8-1
2) Millionaire Runner 99-1
3) Tip Sheet 99-1
4) Promises Fulfilled 8-1
5) Storm Runner 13-1
6) Catholic Boy 3-1
7) Hofburg 6-1
8) Audible 3-1
9) Mississippi 13-1

I'm taking a bit of a stance against the Gulfstream stakes form in 2018 and looking at a couple of fresh faces. CATHOLIC BOY (6) makes a ton of sense in the Florida Derby; he's already proven at the nine-furlong distance and his trainer Jonathan Thomas has had this race circled for quite some time. A mid-pack trip is likely coming for the son of More Than Ready, and a forward move today makes him very tough.

My pick for the Florida Derby is HOFBURG (7) for trainer Bill Mott. An impressive maiden winner at Gulfstream on March 3, this son of Tapit is a half-brother to multiple grade one winner Emollient, and this is a very ambitious placement for a Mott trainee; Mott generally takes his time with his runners and doesn't test them unless he believes they're ready for a test...the fact that Hofburg is even entered here today speaks volumes. I'll play Hofburg to win at odds of 6-1 or greater; he's 9-1 with about seven minutes to post.