OLDSMAR, Fla. (January 13, 2007) Roman Candles today proved victorious and set a stakes record in The Pelican Stakes, a $60,000 test over six furlongs with a twelve horse field. Roman Candles, who is owned by C. Robert Valeri and trained by Lynne Scace, broke cleanly from the gate and settled behind leaders Above The Wind, Out for a Spin and Wonone as the field moved down the backstretch. Coming around the final turn, Roman Candles made his move, battling Wonone for the lead and winning by a head.
“I like the horse a lot and had a lot of confidence in him. I give all of the credit to (trainer) Lynne Scace,” said jockey Jose Martinez of his winning ride. “The connections and I made plans to stalk the pace; I was just the pilot.”
“We plan to run him in stakes races after this!” exclaimed trainer Lynne Scace’s representative Ray Stifano says of Roman Candles’ future plans. “We’ll probably go on and run him back here.”
Stifano went on to say that the Scace barn has always been confident about Roman Candles’ ability as a racehorse, even after the colt broke his tailbone in the paddock at Monmouth in 2005. Stifano says that this has not impeded the colt’s progress at the track; he says that Roman Candles has been training, “Unbelievable! That (race) just proved how he’s training.”
Roman Candles covered the six furlongs in 1:09.88, setting a new stakes record previously set by Ronald Allen-trained Above the Wind in 2005. Above the Wind, who had won the Pelican three years in a row prior to this year’s renewal of the race, set the blistering fractions and eventually finished sixth.
Racing resumes tomorrow, January 14th with a ten race card. Tampa Bay Downs gates will open at 11:00 AM and the first race will go off at approximately 12:25 PM. The Silks Poker Room will stay open from noon until midnight.
In the upcoming week, Tampa Bay Downs will offer six days of racing, beginning on Tuesday, January 16. On Wednesday, grandstand admission will be free. Saturday is the $60,000 Gasparilla Stakes as well as Hat Giveaway Day, in which a free commemorative Tampa Bay Downs baseball cap will be give away with the first 7,500 paid admissions.