The combination of an action-packed 10-race card and the simulcast of the most exciting 2 minutes in sports Saturday attracted a crowd of 11,530 to Tampa Bay Downs, third-largest in track history and the second-largest on the first Saturday in May.
The biggest Oldsmar oval crowd ever was 12,746 in 2008 to watch Big Truck win the Tampa Bay Derby. The largest Kentucky Derby Day crowd was 11,924 in 2019 for Country House’s victory via the disqualification of Maximum Security.
That was the final race in the career of Country House, who was officially retired the following winter after a bout with laminitis. After Saturday’s exciting stretch battle between Sovereignty – trained by Bill Mott, Country House’s conditioner – and Journalism on a sloppy Churchill Downs racetrack, racing fans are salivating in anticipation of their next appearances, which hopefully will take place on May 17 in the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, at Pimlico in Baltimore.
Bill Mott, Sovereignty’s trainer, said the connections would take a few days to decide on the Preakness after a scrape was detected on his right foreleg after the race. Michael McCarthy, the trainer of Journalism, said the Preakness is under consideration, while the connections of third-place finisher Baeza and seventh-place finisher Sandman will pinpoint the Belmont Stakes on June 7 at Saratoga.
Trainer Bob Baffert said he may have a Preakness starter in Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez, who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby with a foot bruise. Baffert’s 15th-place Derby finisher Citizen Bull, the 2-Year-Old Champion, will return to California.
Before Grade III Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Owen Almighty finished a credible fifth in the Kentucky Derby, earning owner Travis Boersma’s Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing enterprise $150,000, numerous horses that competed here this season reaffirmed the Oldsmar oval’s reputation as a winter haven for future stars on both the Friday and Saturday Churchill cards.
The successful invasion by Tampa Bay Downs “graduates” began in the fifth race on Friday, the Grade II Edgewood Stakes presented by Accenture for 3-year-old fillies on the turf, as Nitrogen and Lush Lips duplicated their 1-2 finish here on March 8 in the Grade III Florida Oaks.
The homebred Nitrogen, owned by D. J. Stable, is trained by Mark Casse and was ridden by Jose Ortiz.
While 4-year-old filly She Feels Pretty justified her odds-on favoritism Friday in the Grade III Modesty Stakes presented by Veritas Prime on the turf with a sterling victory for trainer Cherie DeVaux and jockey John Velazquez, the 1-2 finishers in the Grade II Hillsborough Stakes here, Saffron Moon and Gimme a Nother, both hit the board.
The Chad Brown-trained 6-year-old mare Saffron Moon, who also won the Grade III Endeavour Stakes on Feb. 1 at Tampa Bay Downs, finished third Friday, a half-length behind trainer H. Graham Motion’s Gimme a Nother.
On Saturday, Tampa Bay Downs and the Florida breeding industry received major boosts when 3-year-old colt Macho Music rolled to a 3 ¼-length victory from favorite Madaket Road in the Grade II, $600,000 Pat Day Mile Stakes presented by SAP at odds of almost 14-1.
Macho Music, a son of Maclean’s Music out of Southern Girl, by Tapit bred by Bridlewood Farm, had turned in a scintillating performance here on March 30, winning the Florida Cup Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore by 11 ¼ lengths in a speedy 1:21.30 for 7 furlongs.
That race was on a fast track, but Macho Music had no problem transferring his form to the sloppy Churchill surface, once again with Javier Castellano in the saddle. The Pat Day Mile was the first career graded-stakes victory for Tampa Bay Downs trainer Rohan Crichton, who purchased Macho Music as a 2-year-old for $60,000 and owns him in partnership with Mark Fletcher Taylor and Daniel L. Walters. Saturday’s haul: $297,600.
Chad Brown doesn’t get shut out on many big racing days, and Friday and Saturday at Churchill were no exception. He notched three Grade I victories, including Saturday’s $1-million American Turf Stakes presented by Ford with 3-year-old Zulu Kingdom.
Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss and Michael J. Caruso and ridden by Flavien Prat, Zulu Kingdom had last been seen winning the Columbia Stakes here on the turf on March 8. He is 5-for-6 and in the right hands to have a highly productive campaign.
At least a couple of decades have passed since many handicappers routinely dismissed horses coming from Tampa Bay Downs in their major-race deliberations. That change is a credit to track management, which has worked diligently to upgrade the stakes schedule throughout that period, as well as the track maintenance department for its consistent excellent presentation of both the main dirt track and the turf course.
Around the oval. Tampa Bay Downs presented trophies to the Leading Owner, Leading Trainer, Leading Jockey and Leading Apprentice Jockey throughout today’s closing-day card. A recap of the awards presentations can be found on the track’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Israel Rodriguez rode back-to-back winners today. He captured the third race aboard Mr. Squeaky Wheels, a 3-year-old gelding owned by Bella Mia Stables and trained by Kevin Rice. Rodriguez added the fourth on the turf with Dynamic Actress, a 3-year-old filly owned by Ken Kachel and trained by Richard J. Hendriks.
The Oldsmar oval will celebrate its 100th anniversary season throughout the 2025-26 meet, which is expected to begin Nov. 26. Tampa Bay Downs remains 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.
