Saturday, March 28, 2009

FULL FIELD LINED UP FOR TAMPA TURF TEST

OLDSMAR, Fla. (March 27, 2009) Saturday’s twelve race card at Tampa Bay Downs is highlighted by the final leg of the Tampa Turf Test, a $27,000 1 3/8 miles race on the lawn for four-year-olds and upward. A full field of ten, with four alternate entries, has subscribed to the Turf Test, which is scheduled as the 9th race at 4:09 PM.

Highlighting the Turf Test field is Otis Ridge, a seven-year-old Florida-bred son of Quaker Ridge who captured February 14’s Tampa Turf Test for owner Richard Averill and trainer Kirk Ziadie. Otis Ridge has yet to finish out of the money on the Tampa lawn and will have the services of Tampa Bay Downs’s second leading rider Rosemary Homeister, Jr.


Cryptogram, a five-year-old Expelled horse, won in his last start at 1 1/18 miles over the Tampa turf on March 7; the Earl Begley, Jr. trainee has yet to finish worse than second in his four starts here, all on the lawn, and will retain the services of regular rider Huber Villa-Gomez in tomorrow’s featured race. Stumbling Block enters tomorrow’s Test coming off of a victory in a $32,000 Allowance/Optional Claiming event here on the main track on March 7. Although the Jamie Ness trainee has yet to score on the Oldsmar oval turf, he did run fourth by only 1 ¾ lengths in his only attempt on the lawn here.

Finish Lines… Conditioner Duane Knipe saddled to winners today; his first victory came with Dual Diagnosis, a six-year-old daughter of Precocity bred in Florida by John Franks, owned by Full Throttle Stables and ridden to victory by Mike Allen. Knipe scored again with Divine Wonder, this time for owners Nancy Leewe and Nadean E. Knipe with Tampa’s third-leading jockey Ronnie Allen, Jr. in the irons. Divine Wonder is by Cryptoclearance out of the Kingmambo mare Sweet City Gal and was bred in Florida by Kinsman Farm.

Jockey David Amiss booted home three winners today, beginning with a victory in the second race aboard It’s Dom’s Turn. The five-year-old Snow Ridge gelding was bred in Florida by Stacy Leppala and Linda Adams, is owned by David C. George and is conditioned by Brenda McCarthy. Amiss got back-to-back wins with The Key to Time, this time for trainer Lloyd W. Lockhart and owner Laurine Barreira. Amiss rounded out his hat trick aboard Flashy Wonder. The Florida-bred Three Wonders gelding is under the care of William “Radio” Downing and is owned by Kaliope Sideris.

Racing resumes tomorrow, March 28 with a twelve race card. The Silks Poker Room is open daily from 12:30 PM through 12:30 AM, and The Downs Golf Practice Facility is open on Mondays from 10:00 AM through 10:00 PM and on Tuesdays through Sundays from 8:30 AM through 10:00 PM.

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