Owner-trainer Mike Dini believes his 4-year-old gelding, Ejtimaa, can take him places.
Under a patient ride by Jesus Castanon, Ejtimaa won the second leg of the Males Division of the Tampa Turf Test by a length-and-three-quarters from Royal Luck. Sonic Speed closed well to be third. The race was contested as the fifth on the Tampa Bay Downs card.
Ejtimaa completed the mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass in 1:41.60. He paid $23 to win. The 2-1 favorite Late Call, who won the first leg of the series at a mile on Dec. 28, got untracked late, finishing fifth in the 10-horse field.
Leading jockey Samy Camacho rode three winners today, giving him 39 for the meet, one more than Samuel Marin, who rode two winners. One-third of the way into the meet, Camacho is well-positioned to win his fifth consecutive Oldsmar title and sixth overall, which would tie Daniel Centeno and Mike Manganello for the most in track history.
In the Males Division of the Tampa Turf Test, Puttheblameonme reared at the start, unseating jockey Pablo Morales, who walked away from the incident under his own power. Puttheblameonme completed the course and appeared to be no worse off for his exertions. Morales took off his last two mounts.
Ejtimaa has won four of nine starts since being purchased by Dini from breeder Shadwell Farm for $10,000 after his first start as a 2-year-old in September of 2023 at Horseshow Indianapolis. “I had him gelded right after I bought him,” Dini said. “He’s been a 6-furlong horse, but he’s bred to run all day” (by Candy Ride out of a stakes-placed Distorted Humor mare).
“He’s turned out to be what I thought he could be. He got squeezed between horses last time (in the race won by Late Call) and still came running (finishing fifth, beaten 2 ¼ lengths by Late Call). He’s got a long stride and as soon as Jesus swung him outside, I knew he was going to win.
“I think the farther he goes, the better he’s going to get. I might take him to Keeneland because he can run there for the Kentucky-bred money,” Dini added.
Keeneland’s spring meet begins on April 4, so it’s possible Ejtimaa will compete in the two remaining legs of the Tampa Turf Test first as the series continues to stretch out in distance, to a mile-and-an-eighth and a mile-and-three-eighths.
Ejtimaa has earned $66,525 since being purchased by Dini.
In the Fillies and Mares Division of the Tampa Turf Test, contested as the third race, Adaay In Asia delivered her best when Camacho asked her to accelerate through an opening inside the tiring Red Wind in mid-stretch. Adaay In Asia finished with good energy, holding off a strong charge from She Fled the Scene, to win by a length.
Mrs. Katz finished third, as she had in the Dec. 28 race, which was won by Red Wind. That one held on for fourth today in the nine-horse field.
The betting favorite, Adaay In Asia paid $6.20 to win after completing the mile-and-a-sixteenth in 1:42.95. Owned by Amaty Racing Stables and trained by Victor Carrasco, Jr., the Great Britain-bred improved to 9-for-32 and raised her career earnings to $250,417.
Adaay In Asia, who raced on the West Coast last year, was transferred to Carrasco’s barn by owner Dennis Amaty for the current Oldsmar meet after a three-and-a-half month freshening. She has won two of three starts here, with a second and a first in the Tampa Turf Test.
The series is for horses 4-years-old-and-upward which have started for a claiming price of $16,000 or less in 2024-25, and Adaay In Asia has found a new lease on her career at a level in which she is highly competitive.
“Samy gave her a good ride, perfect,” Carrasco said. ‘He stayed inside and saved ground and when a space opened, he went through. She was able to get better position from the gate than last time and I think that made a difference.
“She came to my barn in good form. She’s an easy horse to train and she has a big heart,” Carrasco added.
Camacho began his three-victory day in the first race on Awesome Express, a 5-year-old Florida-bred mare owned and trained by Kathleen Guciardo. He also won the seventh race on the turf on Deuteronomy, a 4-year-old colt owned by Stuart S. Janney, III and trained by Claude “Shug” McGaughey, III.
For his part, Marin won the sixth race on Shivaree, an 8-year-old Florida-bred gelding owned and trained by Juan Arriagada. Marin added the eighth with Twizzle, a 4-year-old filly owned by Laura Pagan and trained by Monica McGoey.
Castanon also rode two winners. In addition to Ejtimaa, he scored in the second race on Skyloft, a 3-year-old gelding owned by Ballybrit Stable and trained by Dini.
Cap Giveaway Day is Saturday, Jan. 25. The first 5,000 fans will receive the brand-new edition of the Tampa Bay Downs-logoed lid, with paid admission. Patrons will also have a chance to get their caps autographed during the afternoon by many of the track’s leading jockeys on the first floor of the Grandstand.
On Sunday, Jan. 26, Tampa Bay Downs will hold its first “Mouse’s Kids and Family Day” of the meet in the Backyard Picnic Area. It’s a great opportunity to share the excitement of Thoroughbred racing with the younger generation. Numerous family-friendly activities will be available and the track’s mascot, Mouse the Miniature Horse, is expected to make an appearance.
Thoroughbred racing continues Sunday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:32 p.m. Tampa Bay Downs is open every day for simulcast wagering, no-limits action and tournament play in The Silks Poker Room and golf fun and instruction at The Downs Golf Practice Facility.
