A Case of Advanced Technology : Horse racing: Time For A Change colt wins the Florida Derby in only his fifth start. Dance Floor bleeds from the lungs.

In mid-stretch of Saturday’s $500,000 Florida Derby, Ross Morton, the track announcer at Gulfstream Park, shouted to the crowd of 29,433: “It’s Hammer time!”

Timing is everything, from trapeze acts to comedy, and this was not a good example. Dance Floor, the 3-year-old colt owned by rapper Hammer and his family, was backing up instead of accelerating. The whole Hammer entourage could see that. It was actually Technology time at the Florida Derby, and the longshot colt never shortened his stride en route to a 4 1/2-length victory, throwing a new name into the Kentucky Derby hopper.

Dance Floor, winner of the Fountain of Youth Stakes here three weeks ago, was sent off the 4-5 favorite Saturday. Post No. 11 in a 12-horse field proved no factor, but Dance Floor’s apparent inability to handle the 1 1/8-mile distance was. Running that far for the first time, he barely hung on to finish second, a head in front of Pistols And Roses, who made a mild bid through the stretch without ever threatening Technology.

An endoscopic examination of Dance Floor at the state detention barn after the race showed that the colt bled from the lungs, which frequently impairs performance. A possible next race for Dance Floor is the Blue Grass Stakes on April 11 at Keeneland, for which he could be treated with Lasix, an anti-bleeding medication.

Tank’s Number finished fourth, a neck behind Pistols And Roses and three-quarters of a length in front of Careful Gesture. After that, the order of finish was Catire Bello, My Luck Runs North, Waki Warrior, Black Question, Tiger Tiger, After The Beep and Scream Machine, who was pulled up by his jockey, Pat Day.

Other than After The Beep, Technology was the most inexperienced horse in the Florida Derby. The son of Time For A Change and Chief Nefertari had run only four times, and he was third in his only previous stake, the Dragoon Breeders’ Cup at Philadelphia Park in September.

That was Technology’s last start as a 2-year-old, sore shins keeping him away from the races until a second-place finish in a six-furlong allowance race at Gulfstream on Feb. 9. On the way to the paddock for a shorter race the week before, Technology had run off from his groom, was scratched by the stewards and forced his trainer, Sonny Hine, to run him three-quarters of a mile before he wanted to.

Jose Santos had spent a lot of time on Technology in the mornings during this period, although he never rode him in a race, and told Hine that the colt had potential. When it came time to run Technology again, at 1 1/16 miles here on Feb. 22, Santos was sidelined because of a broken collarbone and Hine gave the mount to Jerry Bailey.

That was the day Dance Floor won the Fountain of Youth, and two races earlier on the card, Bailey rode Technology to a four-length victory. Dance Floor’s time was four-fifths of a second faster.

After Technology’s race, Bailey said to Hine: “This horse should go to the Derby.”

“Which Derby?” Hine asked.

“The Kentucky Derby,” Bailey said.

The recommendations from Santos and Bailey pushed Hine to Saturday’s race, against his better judgment. Late last week, Hine sat in his barn office with Scott Savin, the owner of the horse, and said: “I can’t get over the shock that I’m running this horse in this race. But these are two pretty good jockeys who have been on a lot of good horses. Maybe they’ve seen something that I don’t see.”

Timed in 1:50 3/5, a fifth of a second slower than Fly So Free’s winning time in the race a year ago, Technology paid $26.20 to win and earned $300,000. Breaking from the No. 4 post Saturday, Technology raced behind Waki Warrior, a 35-1 shot who ran the first half-mile in :46 and six furlongs in 1:10 4/5.

On the far turn, Waki Warrior started getting weary and approaching the quarter pole both Technology and Dance Floor moved past him, within a length of one another. At the top of the stretch, Dance Floor was on the outside and in perfect position before he flattened out.

“When Dance Floor came up to me at the quarter pole, I figured it would be a pretty tough fight from there on,” Bailey said. “My horse proved to be a little more seasoned and farther along than I thought.”

From the outside, Dance Floor was able to get good position early under Chris Antley. They were sixth going into the first turn, but only three horses off the fence.

“We had a perfect trip,” Antley said. “He showed a lot of early speed and we got into the position where we wanted to be. When I picked it up at the half-mile pole, I had the feeling that I would be able to control the race. At the quarter pole, though, I had a feeling, just something that told me he might not be finishing as well as he was going to have to.”

Savin didn’t pay $600 to nominate Technology for the Triple Crown races--the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes--in January. Technology can be made eligible with a $4,500 payment by April 1.

Hine doesn’t know where he will run Technology next. “I haven’t the faintest,” he said. “But I plan to run him just once before the Derby (on May 2).”

Maybe the trainer will consult with Bailey before he picks the next spot. “I’ve been conned and hoodwinked before,” Hine said. “But Jerry was sure right about this horse this time.”

Horse Racing Notes

Jerry Bailey rode another standout 3-year-old Saturday, winning the $118,750 Swale Stakes earlier on the card with D.J. Cat, who is undefeated in four one-turn races. D.J. Cat was timed in 1:23 1/5 for seven furlongs, defeating Binalong by a neck.