Aside from half the field having received their early training at Ocala farms, here are the Kentucky Derby entrants who have current Marion County ties.

1. Citizen Bull (Into Mischief). Has 10 owners, one of them Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stable, which owns a branch in Summerfield.

2. Neoequos (Florida-bred by Neolithic). Bred at Pleasant Acres Stallions by the farm's owners, Joe and Helen Barbazon, in partnership with Matalona Thoroughbreds.

4. (Scratched). Rodriguez (Not This Time). Same 10 owners as Citizen Bull, including Stonestreet Stables.

8. Journalism (3-1, by Curlin). Has 5 owners, including Ocala's Bridlewood Farm (John & Leslie Malone).

15. Render Judgment (Blame). Trained by Ken McPeek, owner of the Summerfield Training Center. 

17. Sandman (Tapit). Trained by Ocalan Mark Casse, owner of the Casse Training Center. 

    HALLANDALE BEACH - C2 Racing Stable, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables and Stefania Farms’ Neoequos breezed a half-mile this morning at Gulfstream Park in preparation for a desired start in the May 3 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

    The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Florida-bred colt, who finished third in both the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby and $400,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth 1 at Gulfstream, sits 21st in the qualifying points standings for the first leg of the Triple Crown. The 3-year-old son of Neolithic will need a defection from the current Top 20 to run in the 1 ¼-mile Run for the Roses.

    Neoequos worked in company with Mr. Narcissistic and finished on even terms with his veteran stablemate in 48.43 seconds, the fastest four-furlong clocking of the morning.

    “It went good. He worked in company. He was inside his workmate. It was his last breeze and we were just looking for maintenance,” Joseph said. “It went well. He’s in good form.” Joseph reported that Neoequos will ship to Churchill Downs Friday morning.

    “We feel like we can get into the Derby, but if he doesn’t get in, he’ll run in one of the other races Derby Day,” he said.

    If unsuccessful drawing into the Derby field, Neoequos would run in either the Gr. I American Turf or the Gr. II Pat Day Mile on the undercard.

    “Right now, we’re leaning to the American Turf, but the Pat Day Mile, I’d say, is also in contention,” said Joseph. Flavien Prat will be named on Neoequos and would ride him in the Derby unless Baeza, who sits 23rd in the points standings, also drew into the field.

    Neoequos’ career got off to a rocky start last July when he stumbled and lost his rider early in his debut at five furlongs. The Florida-bred colt bounced back to graduate in his next start before finishing second in the first two legs of the Florida Sire Stakes series behind undefeated Rated by Merit, who produced the fastest Beyer Speed Figure (99) of all 2025 juveniles in the seven-furlong FSS Affirmed.

    Neoequos was sharp off a layoff to win a Jan. 23 allowance by 3 ½ lengths before finishing third behind Sovereignty and River Thames in the 1 1/16-mile Coolmore Fountain of Youth and again in the 1 1/8-mile Curlin Florida Derby behind Tappan Street and Sovereignty, both of whom are Kentucky Derby-bound.

    Joseph-trained Early On has secured a start in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill on the strength of a second-place finish in the March 15 Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs and a runner-up finish in the April 5 Gazelle (G3) at Aqueduct. The New York-bred daughter of Union Rags graduated at Gulfstream in her 2025 debut on Feb. 5.