Sunday, March 14 2010
ODYSSEUS SETS SAIL IN THE TAMPA BAY DERBY
OLDSMAR, Fla. (March 13, 2010) A crowd of 11,025 gathered at the Oldsmar oval today to witness Odysseus capture the 30th running of the Grade III $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby, defeating the remaining field of six to record his first graded stakes win. Odysseus is a Kentucky-bred son of Malibu Moon who is conditioned by Tom Albertrani for owner Padua Stables; jockey Rajiv Maragh piloted the colt to victory.
Odysseus stalked the pace set by eventual third-place finisher Super Saver throughout the opening quarters, then battled with second-place finisher Schoolyard Dreams Super Saver throughout the stretch drive to win by a nose. This was not the first time that Satish Sanan, owner of Padua Stables, has waited out a photo finish in the Tampa Bay Derby; in 2007, his horse Any Given Saturday lost to Street Sense by a head bob in the Oldsmar oval’s signature race.
Saturday, March 13 2010
SUPER SAVER HEADLINES TAMPA BAY DERBY
OLDSMAR, Fla. (March 12, 2010) Saturday, March 13 is Festival Day at Tampa Bay Downs, featuring the Grade III $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby, the Grade III $175,000 Florida Oaks, the Grade III $150,000 Hillsborough Stakes and the $75,000 Turf Dash.
Headlining the field for the Tampa Bay Derby is Super Saver, a three-year-old Maria’s Mon colt bred by owner WinStar Farm and conditioned by Todd Pletcher. Super Saver won the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Gold Cup by five lengths in his last start at the 1 1/16 miles Tampa Bay Derby distance. He will have the services of jockey Ramon Dominguez, who is approaching his 4,000th win.
Friday, March 12 2010
FESTIVAL DAY HIGHLIGHTS WEEKEND ACTIVITIES AT TAMPA BAY DOWNS
OLDSMAR, Fla. (March 11, 2010) Tampa Bay Downs will host its flagship day of racing, Festival Day, on March 13, 2010; the day includes the Grade III $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby for three-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the main track, the Grade III $175,000 Florida Oaks for fillies three years old going 8 ½ furlongs on the dirt, the Grade III $150,000 Hillsborough Stakes for fillies and mares four years old and up travelling 1 1/18 miles on the lawn, and the $75,000 Turf Dash for four-year-olds and up going five panels on the turf. Tampa Bay Downs will give away a commemorative Festival Day T-shirt with each paid admission while supplies last.
Saturday’s Morning Glory guest is Steven Crist, publisher and Chairman of the Daily Racing Form. Morning Glory will begin at 9:30 AM in the Winner’s Circle, and Tampa Bay Downs will provide complimentary coffee and donuts as well as free admission to the afternoon’s races.
Thursday, March 11 2010
WILLIE MARTINEZ NAMED HILTON GARDEN INN JOCKEY OF THE MONTH
OLDSMAR, Fla. (March 10, 2010) Hilton Garden Inn Jockey of the Month Willie Martinez has had an outstanding week at the Oldsmar oval, booting home five winners from nine starters at average odds of 13-1. One of those wins was in March 13’s Challenger Stakes, when Martinez guided Bold Start to victory in track record-setting fashion, besting the previous fastest time set by Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense for the 1 1/16 miles distance.
Monday, March 08 2010
TAMPA BAY DERBY HOPEFULS WORK; ANTONUCCI GETS FIRST CAREER VICTORY
OLDSMAR, Fla. (March 7, 2010) Grade III $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby hopefuls Schoolyard Dreams and Uptowncharlybrown both worked this morning in preparation for March 13’s 1 1/16 miles test. Schoolyard Dreams is a three-year-old Steven Got Even colt who was second in February’s Grade III Sam F. Davis Stakes here for trainer Derek Ryan and owner Eric Fein (the same connections who captured the 2009 edition of the Tampa Bay Derby with Musket Man.) Schoolyard Dreams breezed a half mile in :47.3, the fastest of 64 works today at that distance.
Sunday, March 07 2010
BOLD START WINS CHALLENGER IN TRACK RECORD TIME
OLDSMAR, Fla. (March 6, 2010) Bold Start, a six-year-old son of Jump Start trained by Kenneth McPeek, owned by Lawrence Carroll and ridden by Willie Martinez, captured the 19th running of the Challenger Stakes today in record-setting fashion, besting the previous track record set by Kentucky and Tampa Bay Derby winner Street Sense for the 1 1/16 miles on the dirt in 2007 by 28/100 of a second.
Bold Start went wire-to-wire in the Challenger Stakes, drawing away from the field mid-stretch to emerge the victor by 4 ¼ lengths. Arson Squad was second, and Timber Reserve rounded out the trifecta, which yielded $77.60 for a $2 wager.
Saturday, March 06 2010
ARSON SQUAD HEADLINES CHALLENGER STAKES FIELD
OLDSMAR, Fla. (March 5, 2010) Saturday’s eleven race card at Tampa Bay Downs features the 19th edition of the $65,000 Challenger Stakes, a 1 1/16 miles main track test for four-year-olds and upward. Headlining the field is Arson Squad, a seven-year-old gelded son of Brahms owned by Jay Em Ess Stable and trained by Richard Dutrow. Arson Squad has earned over $922,000 in his 24 race career, and comes into the Challenger after posting a bullet work over the Gulfstream surface at five furlongs on March 1. He’ll have the services of leading Tampa Bay Downs rider Daniel Centeno, and will make his second race off of a layoff after a third-place finish by only 1 ½ lengths in an allowance optional claiming event at Gulfstream on February 3.
Joining Arson Squad in the Challenger Stakes lineup is Timber Reserve. The Graded stakes winning six-year-old son of Forest Camp most recently eon an allowance optional claiming event at Gulfstream Park on January 14, and in his sixteen lifetime starts has finished in the money nine times. Timber Reserve has bankrolled over $750,000 in his career for owners Circle E Racing and Caesar Kimmel and trainer John C. Kimmel.
Friday, March 05 2010
WILLIE MARTINEZ BOOTS HOME THREE WINNERS
OLDSMAR, Fla. (March 4, 2010) Veteran Tampa Bay Downs jockey Willie Martinez took three trips to the Winner’s Circle on the afternoon’s card. Martinez got his first win of the day with Noroamin, a four-year-old Phone Saga gelding bred in Florida by Milian Kosanovich and trained by Mark Miller, who co-owns the horse with Norris Scott.
Martinez scored again with Francis X. The Omega Code colt was bred in Florida by owners Linda and Robert Pastor and was conditioned to victory by Mark E. Casse. Martinez rounded out his hat trick in the evening’s nightcap aboard Maneuver, a three-year-old Concorde’s Tune filly bred in Florida by W. K. France and D. S. France, owned by Move Horse, Inc. and trained by Mark Passley.
Familiar faces return in Wintergreen Stakes
FLORENCE, KY . . . March 4, 2010 . . . Ten older fillies and mares will line up for the $50,000 Wintergreen Stakes at Turfway Park Saturday, most familiar faces that have confronted one another all winter and a couple of new faces in to challenge.
The class of the field for the one-mile race is graded stakes winner Danzon, third in Turfway’s Likely Exchange Stakes last out and third in the My Charmer Stakes three starts back. Between those two she beat males in an allowance race at Turfway, including Forest Attack, who came back to win the Dust Commander Stakes. A dedicated closer breaking from post nine, Danzon will benefit from front-runners breaking from the middle of the gate. She gets the services of the meet’s third-leading rider, Rex Stokes III, for trainer Kellyn Gorder.
Thursday, March 04 2010
LORI SMOCK NAMED FLAMESTONE GRILL TRAINER OF THE MONTH
OLDSMAR, Fla. (March 3, 2010) Lori Smock, who in the week of February 24 – March 3 has escorted two of her seven starters to the Winner’s Circle at average odds of 24-1; additionally, 16% of her starters in the 2009-2010 Tampa Bay Downs season have found their way to the to the finish line first.
From never having a horse growing up to running an efficient stable of 25 horses, Smock owes her success to a willing attitude to learn. She depends on strong, honest relationships with owners. With no one in her family involved in racing, Smock was introduced to Thoroughbred racing through a jockey. She owned her first horses at Thistledown in Ohio; she won with the first horse she ever sent to the paddock, Kehoe’s Ribot. Smock spent time at the Institute of Computer Management in Cleveland, Ohio and also studied Pharmacy before leaving school for the track; although it was difficult for her parents to adjust to her change of career, they are now her biggest supporters. She splits her year between four different tracks: Tampa Bay Downs, Indiana Downs, Hoosier Park, and Ellis Park.
Monday, March 01 2010
MARCH 13’S FESTIVAL DAY DRAWS 117 STAKES NOMINATIONS
OLDSMAR, Fla. (Feb 28, 2010) Nominations for March 13’s Festival Day have drawn 117 horses for the four stake card that includes The Grade III $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby for three-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the main track, the Grade III $175,000 Florida Oaks for fillies three years old competing 1 1/16 miles, the Grade III $175,000 Hillsborough Stakes for older females running about 1 1/8 miles on the lawn, and the $75,000 Turf Dash for three-year-olds and up traveling about 5 furlongs on the turf.
Nationally recognized horses such as Street Sense, Sun King, Dreaming of Anna, Any Given Saturday, Bluegrass Cat, Cotton Blossom, Limehouse, Bushfire and Musket Man are among previous years’ Festival Day alumni. Among the nominees this year are 23 stakes winners and 21 Graded or Group stakes winners.
Saturday, February 27 2010
DON’T FORGET GIL MEMORABLE IN WAYWARD LASS STAKES
OLDSMAR, Fla. (February 27, 2010) Don’t Forget Gil, a four-year-old Kafwain filly bred in New York by Jonathan Thorne, captured the 26th running of the Wayward Lass Stakes today for owner Alan Brodsky and trainer Mark Hennig with Daniel Centeno in the irons.
Don’t Forget Gil stalked the pace through the opening panels of the 1 1/16 miles main track test, moving to the lead at mid-stretch to emerge the victor by 2 ½ lengths. Choragus was second, and Miss Match was third, yielding a trifecta payout of $150.20 for a $2 wager.
