TONIGHT’S Florida Derby is the latest race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and the Gulfstream Park Grade 1 is a key heat in its traditional spot, five weeks out from the first leg of the Triple Crown.

The nine-furlong contest has produced the subsequent Kentucky Derby winner 15 times in all and you only have to go back to 2017 to find the last one - Always Dreaming. Indeed only two years ago Maximum Security won in Florida and went on to be controversially disqualified in the Derby.

A field of 11 go to post for the $1 million purse and the warm favourite is Shug McGaughey’s Greatest Honour who comes here off a win in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth over this course and distance. The son of Tapit is an exciting horse to watch as a feature of his two previous wins has been late-swooping moves having been out the back of the field for much of the race.

He is a general 10/1 shot for the Kentucky Derby next month but could challenge for favouritism with another impressive show today.

His chief opposition will likely come from Spielberg, Known Agenda and Collaborate. Spielberg is a rare runner in the race for Bob Baffert. He was last seen finishing second to Essential Quality, now second favourite for the Kentucky Derby, in the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Park. Todd Pletcher is more connected to this race, having won it four times since 2014 and his Known Agenda, an easy 11-length winner over this course and distance last month.

The unexposed Collaborate is trained by Barbados native, south Florida-based Saffie Joseph Jr and is in the could-be-anything category after his 12-length win over a mile at this course last month.

The race is due off at 10.40pm Irish-time and can be seen live on Sky Sports Racing. Don’t forget the clocks go forward on Sunday.