BY BROCK SHERIDAN

A quintuple of Florida-breds led by the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained General Ledger are among a field of eight 3-year-olds set for the $75,000 Carry Back at Gulfstream Park Friday. Named for the Florida-bred winner of the 1961 Kentucky Derby and Preakness, the seven-furlong Carry Back has been won by a Florida-breds 28 times including Lightning Tones last year. This year, Florida-breds will be running for a $20,000 Top 3 bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.

General Ledger returns to his south Florida base after finishing a disappointing eighth in the $300,000 Texas Derby won by E J Won the Cup at Lone Star Park on May 27.

“He went two turns for the first time. That was obviously a question mark. Now, he’s back at seven-eighths. He won here two back with a good number,” Joseph said. “If he were to duplicate that number, he would make himself very competitive.”

General Ledger has won two of five starts this year including a first level allowance race sprinting five-and-a-half furlongs on the synthetic at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 12 in which he had to fight the length of the stretch before edging out Carry Back rival Intendre at the win by a neck. The bay colt also won a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming two races back going seven furlongs at Gulfstream.

General Ledger has won three of nine career starts with one second while earning $136,540. He is by Summer Front out of Twice by Sunday, by Sky Mesa and was bred in Florida by All In Line Stables LLC, who campaigned him alone before selling a share to current partner C2 Racing Stable LLC prior to the Texas Derby.

General Ledger is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line and Edgard Zayas will ride from post eight.

Joseph will also saddle Catalytic, who makes his first start since finishing 19^th in this year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve won by Mystik Dan at Churchill Downs on May 4.

“I think we can expect something good,” Joseph said. “That’s what we’ve seen in the morning. Hopefully, he shows that in the afternoon.”

Owned by Tami Bobo, George Isaacs and Julie Davies, Catalytic stepped onto the Derby trail on March 30 when the bay son of Catalina Cruiser finished second to Fierceness in the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa. In two other career starts, Catalytic won a six-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park in October and was second to Classic Joke in a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming going six furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs on March 8. Catalytic has earned $216,825 in his four career starts.

“He trained promising before his first race, but obviously they have to got out and do it. He won well, and then he had a couple of issues we had to deal with. He got sick and he had an issue we had to stop on,” Joseph said. “We came back and got a race into him and then he ran well in the Florida Derby.”

Catalytic is the 5-2 morning line favorite and will be ridden from post five by Drayden Van Dyke.

Saybrook is 4-1 in the program based on his last out victory in a first condition allowance race for Florida-breds going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park on May 19.

Trained by John Vinson for owner and breeder Robert C. Roffey Jr., Saybrook was fourth in the OBS Sophomore Stakes won by Pure Class on Florida Cup Day, March 24, at Tampa Bay Downs in his only other start against stakes company. In his only start prior the win in his last race, Saybrook was third in a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming won by Banded Rocket going six furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs on April 14.

Saybrook is by Jess’s Dream out of Sherrie Belle, by Outflanker and has won two of five career starts with a third while earning $56,470.

He will be ridden by Miquel Vasquez from post seven.

Rounding out the field are Florida-bred Itendre, who will be ridden by Sonny Leon, Florida-bred Roar Ready with jockey Jose Morelos, Florida-bred El Principito will have Anthony Thomas riding, Florida-bred Celtic Pride with Jesus Rios up and Emisael Jaramillo rides Real Macho.

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