4 stakes showcase shipping stars on Tampa Bay undercard
Photo:
Gonzalo Anteliz Jr. / Eclipse Sportswire
The stars will shine Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, and not
just in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby. The card includes four other stakes that
have attracted some of the most recognizable names in racing.
The 27th edition of the $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes (G2) going 1 1/8 miles on the turf at 4:31 p.m. EST has attracted a salty field of 10 older fillies and
mares. Chad Brown, who has trained a record six winners of the race, has three
entrants. Six-year-old mare Saffron Moon won the Endeavour Stakes over the same
track on Feb. 1. Four-year-old filly Spaliday is a Grade 2 winner. Five-year-old
Venencia was a late-charging third in the Endeavour.
Click here for Tampa Bay Downs entries and results.
Trainer Graham Motion, a finalist on this year’s Hall of
Fame ballot, guns for his third Hillsborough victory 6-year-old Sparkle Blue, who
won last year, and 5-year-old Gimme a Nother, a 7-for-7 South Africa import who
makes her first U.S. start.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last start | Morn. line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Sparkle Blue Hard Spun |
6.44 | Graham Motion | 8-1 | |
|
Last race |
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| 2 |
|
Avenue Niel Helmet |
5.84 | 20-1 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 3 |
|
She’s Fire Flameaway |
0.00 | 6th, TAM, alw OC, 2/14/2025 R5 | 30-1 | |
|
Last race |
6th, TAM, alw OC, 2/14/2025 R5 |
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| 4 |
|
Venencia Recoletos |
6.47 | 6-1 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 5 |
|
Victoria’s Dancer Munnings |
0.00 | 6th, TAM, alw OC, 2/8/2025 R8 | 30-1 | |
|
Last race |
6th, TAM, alw OC, 2/8/2025 R8 |
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| 6 |
|
Spaliday More Than Ready |
6.77 | 4-1 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 7 |
|
Gimme A Nother Gimmethegreenlight |
0.00 | Graham Motion | 1st, 2024 Empress Club G1 | 5-2 |
|
Last race |
1st, 2024 Empress Club G1 | |||||
| 8 |
|
Saffron Moon Malibu Moon |
6.56 | 9-5 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 9 |
|
Eternal Silence War Front |
0.00 | 1st, AQU, alw, 7/7/2024 R8 | 20-1 | |
|
Last race |
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| 10 |
|
Damaso Outwork |
4.45 | 1st, TAM, alw OC, 2/14/2025 R5 | 15-1 | |
|
Last race |
1st, TAM, alw OC, 2/14/2025 R5 |
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Motion also will shoot for his third triumph in the Florida
Oaks (G3) on the turf with Smart Union and Pretty Lavish.
While maintaining his winter base in South Florida at Palm
Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Motion keeps about 12 horses stabled
at Tampa Bay Downs in the hands of his assistant Anne Sinchak. She, like Motion,
came up through the ranks under the late Hall of Fame conditioner Jonathan
Sheppard.
Motion, a two-time winner of the Tampa Bay Derby, said he
points many of his horses to this card every year for a variety of reasons.
“The timing works well for us. These races fit in real well
with some of our horses’ schedules, and the turf course is very appealing,”
Motion said. “The grass holds up so well there. They take good care of it, and
it’s a fairer course than a lot of others we run on, especially this time of
year.”
Trainer Christophe Clément also is on the Hall of Fame
ballot, and he hopes to capture his second Hillsborough with 5-year-old Eternal
Silence. She makes her first start since an allowance victory in July.
Clément also has Revolutionnaire in the 19th edition of the
$125,000 Columbia Stakes on the turf at 3:28 p.m. EST, a race he has won three times.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last start | Morn. line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Early Adopter Lope de Vega |
5.87 | 6-1 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 2 |
|
Tapirs Valor Tapwrit |
0.00 | 1st, TAM, alw OC, 2/12/2025 R2 | 30-1 | |
|
Last race |
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| 3 |
|
Sky Masterson The Factor |
0.00 | 4th, TAM, alw OC, 2/12/2025 R8 | 30-1 | |
|
Last race |
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| 4 |
|
Reagan’s Wit Authentic |
0.00 | 1st, FG, MSW, 1/20/2025 R6 | 3-1 | |
|
Last race |
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| 5 |
|
Peace Cloud War of Will |
0.00 | 1st, TAM, MSW, 2/21/2025 R7 | 30-1 | |
|
Last race |
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| 6 |
|
Zulu Kingdom Ten Sovereigns |
6.21 | 2-1 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 7 |
|
Versus Tiz the Law |
0.00 | 12-1 | ||
|
Last race |
2nd, GP. alw OC, 2/9/2025 R4 | |||||
| 8 |
|
Revolutionnaire Penny’s Picnic |
0.00 | 3rd, 2024 Prix la Rochette G3 | 4-1 | |
|
Last race |
3rd, 2024 Prix la Rochette G3 | |||||
| 9 |
|
Dream On Not This Time |
6.14 | 1st, GP, alw OC, 1/11/2025 R9 | 4-1 | |
|
Last race |
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Mark Casse, a member of both the U.S. and Canada halls of
fame, has 3-year-old fillies Nitrogen and Smudge in the 42nd running of the $200,000
Florida Oaks (G3) on the turf at 5:03 p.m. EST. He also has Dream On in the Columbia and Brodeur
in the Tampa Bay Derby.
Bill Mott, another Hall of Famer, entered 6-year-old entire
Bendoog in the 34th running of the $125,000 Challenger (G3) for older horses at
1 1/16 miles on the main track at 2:21 p.m. EST.
In career accomplishments, Challenger favorite Skippylongstocking
has set a high bar. Few Thoroughbreds in training are as popular as 6-year-old
Skippy, who has won 9 of 29 starts while amassing $3,365,985 in earnings.
Purchased for $37,000 as a 2-year-old by owner Daniel
Alonso, Skippylongstocking has raced at 15 different tracks in the care of
trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. His graded-stakes victories include the Charles Town
Classic (G2) twice, the Oaklawn Handicap (G2), the Harlan’s Holiday (G3), the West
Virginia Derby (G3) and the last two runnings of the Challenger.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last start | Morn. line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Life Is Precious World of Trouble |
0.00 | 20-1 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 2 |
|
O Captain Carpe Diem |
5.27 | 1st, GP, clm, 1/29/2025 R9 | 30-1 | |
|
Last race |
1st, GP, clm, 1/29/2025 R9 |
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| 3 |
|
Instant Coffee Bolt d’Oro |
6.15 | 15-1 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 4 |
|
El Principito Accelerate |
0.00 | 3rd, TAM, clm, 2/16/2025 R4 | 30-1 | |
|
Last race |
3rd, TAM, clm, 2/16/2025 R4 |
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| 5 |
|
Patriot Spirit Constitution |
6.18 | 6-1 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 6 |
|
Most Wanted Candy Ride |
6.74 | 3-2 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 7 |
|
Bendoog Gun Runner |
6.53 | Bill Mott | 2nd, AQU, alw OC, 10/25/2024 R2 | 5-1 |
|
Last race |
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| 8 |
|
Skippylongstocking Exaggerator |
7.48 | 7-5 | ||
|
Last race |
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Skippy’s jockey Tyler Gaffalione is part of the South
Florida jockey colony traveling to Tampa Bay Downs for Saturday’s card. So are
Hall of Famer Joel Rosario, reigning Eclipse Award champion Flavien Prat, Irad
and José Ortiz, Florent Géroux and Dylan Davis.
Frankie Dettori also will be at Tampa Bay Downs for the
first time. He will ride Avenue Niel in the Hillsborough, Celtic Motif in the
Florida Oaks, Versus in the Columbia and Gold Stamp in the 12th race.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last start | Morn. line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Smart Union Union Rags |
5.79 | Graham Motion | 1st, GP, alw OC, 2/9/2025 R9 | 15-1 |
|
Last race |
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| 2 |
|
Brillante Persian King |
0.00 | 1st, TAM, MSW, 1/17/2025 R9 | 10-1 | |
|
Last race |
1st, TAM, MSW, 1/17/2025 R9 |
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| 3 |
|
Deloraine Candy Ride |
5.87 | 15-1 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 4 |
|
Miss Rummikub Toronado |
0.00 | 8th, TAM, alw OC, 2/8/2025 R4 | 50-1 | |
|
Last race |
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| 5 |
|
Love You Anyway Tapit |
0.00 | Rusty Arnold Rajiv Maragh |
3rd, GP, MSW, 2/9/2025 R6 | 30-1 |
|
Last race |
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| 6 |
|
Lush Lips Ten Sovereigns |
5.79 | 1st, GP, alw OC, 1/10/2025 R9 | 4-1 | |
|
Last race |
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| 7 |
|
Opulent Restraint Dubawi |
6.09 | 3-1 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 8 |
|
Smudge Quality Road |
0.00 | 1st, GP, MSW, 1/19/2025 R1 | 30-1 | |
|
Last race |
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| 9 |
|
Nitrogen Medaglia d’Oro |
6.59 | 5-2 | ||
|
Last race |
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| 10 |
|
Pretty Lavish Ribchester |
0.00 | Graham Motion | 1st, TAM, alw OC, 2/8/2025 R4 | 6-1 |
|
Last race |
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| 11 |
|
Celtic Motif Saxon Warrior |
0.00 | 2nd, GP, MSW, 2/9/2025 R6 | 12-1 | |
|
Last race |
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| 12 |
|
Miavana Jimmy Creed |
0.00 | 1st, GP, MSW, 2/13/2025 R9 | 12-1 | |
|
Last race |
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Dettori has ridden 20 graded-stakes winners since moving his
tack to the United States in 2024.
“Everyone knows who he is, and he’s well-received wherever
he goes,” said his agent, Ron Anderson. “He’s a bit of a rock-and-roll star. He
is positive about the game, and he gets just as excited about a $20,000
claiming race as a Grade 1 stakes.”
“I’ve seen (Tampa Bay Downs) on TV many a time, and I enjoy
new challenges. It’s another tick in the box in my career,” said Dettori, now
based at Gulfstream Park. “I like traveling, and I always welcome these kind of
things with open arms. … I’ve ridden all around the world to become as good
as I can be, and I’m looking forward to coming to Tampa.”
Dettori’s enthusiasm is well-known, and his performances
have strengthened his bonds with his American fans. Anderson, who also
represents Rosario and has worked for Fernando Toro, Jerry Bailey, Gary
Stevens, John Velazquez, Garrett Gómez and other top jockeys, said Dettori
possesses an aura all his own.
“Frankie is a different spirit, and that is something that
is always needed,” Anderson said. “He’s a special guy and a special rider.”
Dettori is 54, but you don’t have to squint hard to envision
him as he appeared at the start of his career in the late 1980s, especially
during a race.
“Whatever little physical (edge) might not be the same, the
guys who ride at that level into their 50s outthink the other riders,” Anderson
said. “Mike Smith, Johnny V., Frankie. Their thought process is brilliant from
doing it so many years.”
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