LAMBHOLM SOUTH TAMPA BAY DERBY 1-2 FINISHERS WORK AT CHURCHILL

The 1-2 finishers in the Grade II, $350,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on March 12, trainer Todd Pletcher’s duo of Destin and Outwork, breezed this morning at Churchill Downs in Louisville, their final scheduled workouts in preparation for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on May 7.

As reported by BloodHorse.com , Destin, which also won the Grade III, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, went five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 in company with fellow Pletcher 3-year-old colt Stradivari. Destin galloped out six furlongs in 1:14 1/5 and seven furlongs in 1:27 with Javier Castellano in the irons.

Destin established a stakes and track record in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, completing the mile-and-a-sixteenth distance in 1:42.82.

Outwork breezed five furlongs in 1:01 under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez while working in company with another Pletcher 3-year-old, Grade II turf winner Azar. Outwork, which followed his Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby performance with a victory in the Grade I Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.

The third Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby participant expected to compete in the Run for the Roses, seventh-place finisher Brody’s Cause from the barn of trainer Dale Romans, last worked Saturday at Churchill Downs, breezing five furlongs in 1:01 4/5.

Tampa Bay Downs is the place to be if you can’t make it to Louisville for the 142^nd edition of the world’s most famous race, with the grandeur and majesty of the biggest day on the racing calendar on full display throughout the weekend.

Patrons are encouraged to don their finest hats and partake of the traditional Kentucky Derby libation, the mint julep, which will be on sale for $9 in an official Kentucky Derby souvenir glass. The glasses will also be on sale in the Gift Shop (minus beverage) for $6.

In addition to presenting full cards of local action next Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Tampa Bay Downs will simulcast the full cards from Churchill Downs on both May 7 and the previous day, May 6, a program which includes the Grade I Longines Kentucky Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.

Weep No More, which won the Suncoast Stakes here on Feb. 13, then scored in the Grade I Central Bank Ashland at Keeneland on April 9, is expected to run in the Oaks for trainer Rusty Arnold. She galloped slightly less than a mile-and-a-half this morning and is expected to breeze Saturday.

The unbeaten sophomore filly Songbird, which was likely to be the prohibitive favorite, has been withdrawn due to a fever.

The gates at Tampa Bay Downs will open May 6 and May 7 at 10 a.m., with the first race from Churchill at 10:30 a.m. both days. Post time for the Longines Kentucky Oaks on May 6 is 5:49 p.m. and post time for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on May 7 is 6:34 p.m.

Two horses that competed in the Tampa Bay Derby have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby. In 2007, Street Sense, from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Carl Nafzger, used his nose victory here against Any Given Saturday as a springboard to a date with immortality. Three years later, the Pletcher-trained Super Saver finished third in the Tampa Bay Derby before going on to win in Louisville.

Down the stretch. Leading jockey Antonio Gallardo swept both halves of the early daily double today and won three races, giving him 502 victories over the last three Tampa Bay Downs seasons.

No. 500 came in the first race aboard 4-year-old Florida-bred filly Saint Lipsi Chick, which had finished second in her six previous races before breaking her maiden. She is owned by Henry Leininger and Bill Law and trained by Gary Jackson.

Gallardo also won the second race on Staff Sgt Reckless, a 3-year-old Manitoba-bred filly owned by Harriette Waldron, Steve Ballou and Frank Coniglio. He added the eighth race on the turf on More On Tap, a 4-year-old gelding owned by Lael Stables and trained by Arnaud Delacour.

More On Tap was claimed from the race for $16,000 by owner-trainer Tim Padilla.

Pedro Cotto, Jr., rode two winners to improve to 19-for-77 at the meeting; his 24.7 win percentage is the best of all Oldsmar reinsmen with at least five victories.

Cotto won the sixth race on the turf on Step Two, a 5-year-old Florida-bred gelding bred and owned by Penelope Pugh and trained by Joseph Minieri. The rider added the sixth race aboard 7-year-old Florida-bred gelding Gray Tailored Suit for owners Elsie Medeiros and Lynne Scace and trainer Ray Stifano.

Thoroughbred racing at Tampa Bay Downs resumes Saturday with a 10-race card beginning at 12:35 p.m. The feature is the eighth race, a conditional allowance/$32,000 optional claiming event at a mile on the turf for fillies and mares 3-years-old-and-upward. The morning-line favorite at 3-1 is Jagger, Inc.’s 4-year-old Distorted Type, trained by Jamie Ness and to be ridden by Antonio Gallardo.

There are five days remaining in the 2015-2016 meeting. Sunday, May 8 is Fan Appreciation Day at Tampa Bay Downs, with free Grandstand admission and parking and $1 hot dogs and sodas from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. During that time, 16-ounce beers will be on sale for $2.

The meeting officially concludes June 30, which is the first day of the two-day Summer Festival of Racing that kicks off the Fourth of July weekend. The July 1 card is the first day of the 2016-2017 meeting.

Tampa Bay Downs is open every day for simulcast wagering, no-limits poker action in The Silks Poker Room and golf fun and instruction at The Downs Golf Practice Facility