First Look: Kentucky Derby trail turns at Tampa Bay Downs
Photo:
Carson Dennis / Eclipse Sportswire – edited
On the road to Kentucky Derby 2025, this week is like a
mid-season break. The Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay
Downs, a race that is expected to feature undefeated Poster, will be the last points prep before the virtual win-and-you’re-ins
begin next week.
About to be run for the 45th time, the race named for the late
shipping baron who ran the Gulf Coast track in the ’70s is the last U.S. points prep of
2024-25 that has not produced a Kentucky Derby winner. Tapwrit, who finished
second in the 2017 renewal in Florida, went on to win the Belmont Stakes.
Knicks Go was fifth in 2019 but went on to become the horse of the year in
2021.
The Suncoast, a Kentucky Oaks (G1) points prep at Tampa Bay
Downs, and graded stakes at Oaklawn and Santa Anita also will be run Saturday.
Saturday
Sam F. Davis, Tampa Bay Downs, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds,
Kentucky Derby 20-10-6-4-2 points race
Poster is expected to bring his 3-for-3 record to a fourth
different racetrack for Godolphin and trainer Eoin Harty. He posted maiden and
allowance scores on the Ellis Park and Keeneland turf before moving to dirt and winning
the Remsen (G2) by a nose Dec. 7 at Aqueduct. The Tampa Bay Downs racing office
listed Ellis Park Juvenile victor Owen Almighty as probable after he crossed
first in the Jan. 11 Pasco only to be demoted to fifth because of jockey Irad
Ortiz Jr.’s interference at the three-eighths pole. Maiden winner Treaty of
Rome is expected to come in off his neck loss for Coolmore and trainer Chad
Brown in last month’s Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park.
| Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer | Last start / Next start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Poster Munnings |
7.17 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Owen Almighty Speightstown |
6.18 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Naughty Rascal Rogueish |
6.12 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Dr Ruben M Vino Rosso |
6.11 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Treaty of Rome Uncle Mo |
6.05 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Very Bold Union Rags |
5.79 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Camp Hale Mo Town |
5.34 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
John Hancock Constitution |
5.12 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Gateskeeper Instagrand |
0.00 | Jade Cunningham | Probable | ||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Smoken Boy Catholic Boy |
0.00 |
1st, 2024 Clásico Agustín Mercado Reverón |
Probable | ||
|
Last race Next race |
1st, 2024 Clásico Agustín Mercado Reverón |
|||||
Suncoast, Tampa Bay Downs, 1 mile and 40 yards, 3-year-old
fillies, Kentucky Oaks 20-10-6-4-2 points race
La Cara already had 13 Oaks qualifying points from her
victory in the Sept. 14 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs and a distant fifth in
the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Trainer Mark Casse is
expected to bring Tracy Farmer’s homebred daughter of Street Sense back from a
three-month break to make her 3-year-old debut. Off for four months and looking
at a return to dirt, Adirondack (G2) runner-up Italian Soiree would drop in
class from two off-the-board finishes in graded stakes on turf for John Terranova.
Dancing Magic won last month’s Gasparilla, the seven-furlong local prep for the
Suncoast.
| Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer | Last start / Next start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
La Cara Street Sense |
6.55 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Deloraine Candy Ride |
5.79 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Dancing Magic Good Magic |
0.00 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Italian Soiree Uncle Mo |
0.00 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Queen in the Deck Cairo Prince |
0.00 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Her Laugh Practical Joke |
6.34 | Whit Beckman | Possible | ||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Cloe Tiz the Law |
0.00 | Possible | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Vuela Paloma Valiant Minister |
0.00 | Possible | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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Bayakoa (G3), Oaklawn, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares,
4-year-olds and up
Five-year-old Corningstone has won two stakes in a row for
trainer Kenny McPeek, most recently leading at every call only 15 days ago in
the listed Pippin Stakes with the same course, distance and conditions as the
Bayakoa. Homebred Godolphin 6-year-old Loved begins her 2025 for Brendan Walsh
after a muddy triumph Nov. 28 in the Falls City (G3) at Churchill Downs. Durable
6-year-old Free Like a Girl, who has earned $2,123,438, makes her 48th start
and her second in two weeks after finishing fourth in the Houston Ladies
Classic (G3). She was a six-time stakes winner last year.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last start / Next start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Corningstone Kantharos |
6.31 | Entered | ||
|
Last race Next race |
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| 2 |
|
Wild Bout Hilary Midnight Lute |
6.12 | Entered | ||
|
Last race Next race |
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| 3 |
|
Little Jamie Collected |
5.93 |
1st, Wayward Lass |
Entered | |
|
Last race Next race |
1st, Wayward Lass |
|||||
| 4 |
|
Bow Draw Oxbow |
0.00 |
4th, Pippin |
Entered | |
|
Last race Next race |
4th, Pippin |
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| 5 |
|
Free Like a Girl El Deal |
6.40 | Entered | ||
|
Last race Next race |
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| 6 |
|
Loved Medaglia d’Oro |
7.03 | Entered | ||
|
Last race Next race |
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San Marcos (G3), Santa Anita, 1 1/4 miles, downhill turf,
4-year-olds and up
A year ago Easter came into 2024 on a three-race winning
streak before he finished second in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1). Now the 7-year-old
gelding trained by Phil D’Amato tries to end a streak of five off-the-board
finishes. Also 7, There Goes Harvard is winless since 2022, but he was a close
second two starts back in the 1 1/4-mile John Henry Turf Classic (G2). Michael
McCarthy would be cutting him back from the 1 1/2-mile Breeders’ Cup Turf where
he faded to 10th. Four-year-old Atitlan finished first in the 1 1/8-mile Twilight Derby (G2)
in October and was a close third last out for trainer John Shirreffs in the
Mathis Mile (G2). The San Marcos would be his first try racing this far and his
first time facing older horses in a stakes.
| Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer | Last start / Next start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Atitlan The Factor |
6.70 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
There Goes Harvard Will Take Charge |
6.42 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Dicey Mo Chara Adaay |
6.40 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Easter Exosphere |
6.40 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Nineeleventurbo More Than Ready |
6.07 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Divin Propos George Vancouver |
4.79 | Probable | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Truly Quality Quality Road |
7.05 | Possible | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Lord Bullingdon Lord Nelson |
6.19 | Possible | |||
|
Last race Next race |
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|
|
Rimprotector Point of Entry |
4.79 |
10th, SA Alw OC (12/28/2024-R10) |
Possible | ||
|
Last race Next race |
10th, SA Alw OC (12/28/2024-R10) |
|||||
|
|
Old Pal Grazen |
0.00 |
1st, Unusual Heat Turf Classic |
Possible | ||
|
Last race Next race |
1st, Unusual Heat Turf Classic |
|||||
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