With all the excitement surrounding Tampa Bay Downs’s 100th anniversary, from appearances by Hall of Fame jockeys, events to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, the construction of an awesome sand castle in front of the Grandstand and enough bonhomie to sustain everyone through the next decade, it was easy to lose sight of today’s Turf Sprint Showcase stakes races.
The 5-year-old gelding My Boy Prince and 5-year-old mare Creed’s Gold, a pair of grass-loving speedsters from the barn of trainer Mark Casse, did their best to make racing fans remember what the game is all about.
Under an exquisite ride from leading Tampa Bay Downs jockey Samuel Marin, My Boy Prince rallied through the stretch and held off a stirring rally by Rezasrolex by a neck to win the $100,000 Turf Dash Stakes in a time of 55.44 seconds for the 5-furlong distance.
Four races earlier, in the $100,000 Lightning City Stakes for older fillies and mares, 5-year-old Creed’s Gold returned in excellent form from a seven-month layoff, rallying in the stretch under jockey Sonny Leon for a 1 ¾-length victory from 9-10 favorite Love Appeals. The runner-up had a neck on Demar’s Legacy, with Etrurian a nose back in fourth in the eight-horse field.
The duel between My Boy Prince and Rezasrolex, who entered the Turf Dash with a nine-race winning streak but was making his stakes debut, left a crowd of 4,303 thirsting for more. And Uwish finished third, another head back, and pace-setter Speed was Figures fourth in the 12-horse field. The second, third and fourth-place finishers are all Florida-breds (My Boy Prince is an Ontario-bred).
The finish saw two geldings in peak condition giving their all under excellent rides (Edgard Zayas aboard the runner-up), but only one could win today.
Sometimes the rich indeed get richer, and it was My Boy Prince’s seventh stakes victory. The Gary Barber-owned gelding improved to 8-for-22 lifetime, and the $60,000 winner’s share raised his earnings to $1,284,925.
“I knew I had a lot of horse and I was just hoping to get the rail, and I did right before the turn,” said Marin. “I was happy where I was about in the middle of the pack, and I was following (Rezasrolex) because I knew he was one of the horses who was going to take me where I wanted to be.
“I was able to get through and when it happened, he was there for me. I was saving the ground and I got lucky at the end. A horse like this makes you feel something different. You can feel the power underneath you.”
Zayas knew Rezasrolex lost nothing in defeat. I’m proud of him. He ran a huge race,” Zayas said of Rezasrolex, now 13-for-18 with three seconds. “He showed that he can compete against this quality of horse. He ran his heart out, and that’s all you can ask.”
The victories by My Boy Prince and Creed’s Gold continued an amazing run of February stakes successes for trainer Mark Casse, who won the Grade III Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park with 3-year-old Silent Tactic, the Grade III Bayakoa Stakes at Oaklawn with 4-year-old filly Nitrogen (last year’s Eclipse Champion 3-Year-Old Filly and Grade III Florida Oaks victress) and the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn with 3-year-old filly Search Party.
Creed’s Gold’s time for the 5 furlongs on the grass was 56.02 seconds, less than a second off Jean Elizabeth’s 2020 stakes record. She improved to 5-for-12 with the victory and first-place money of $60,000 boosted her career earnings to $316,688.
Creed’s Gold is the only horse owned by Kristin Meldahl.
Elliot Sullivan, Casse’s assistant at Palm Meadows Training Center, was searching for the right words after My Boy Prince’s triumph.
“Sammy (Marin) worked out a nice trip for him and the rail opened up for us again like it did (for Creed’s Gold in the Lightning City),” Sullivan said. “He’s such a classy horse. He’s made over $1-million and won going five-eighths to two turns, and from Florida to Canada. I thought his class showed today. You have to respect any horse (such as Rezasrolex) who has won 80 percent of his races, but our horse always tries. We expected a big run out of him today.”
Casse, reached by telephone, was delighted with the performance.
“What more can I say about him? He was second in the (King’s) Plate (at a mile-and-a-quarter on Woodbine’s artificial surface in 2024) and now he’s winning turf sprints. He’s very versatile.”
Creed’s Gold also came in for her share of compliments. “We think she may be a little more of a ¾-mile horse, but she was really sharp today off the layoff,” said Sullivan. “She broke well and there was some speed outside her, but Sonny kept her in a good spot on the inside and had a dream trip. She was able to save ground and get through on the turn, and she fired from there.
“She is really nice to be around and she likes her job. Sonny gave her a flawless ride,” Sullivan added.
Casse said Creed’s Gold may make her next appearance this spring at Keeneland.
“Elliot has had her at Palm Meadows and he’s done a great job with her,” Casse said. “We ended up bringing her home to Florida (after winning the Grade III Hendrie at Woodbine in July) and gave her some time off and it paid off today. I’ve given her some time before, and she comes back bigger and better.”
Leon was impressed with the way Creed’s Gold performed, from her warmup to her race performance. She was in mid-pack early but only a few lengths back and looked the best through the stretch.
“I was a little concerned because she is used to running a little longer, but she looked so good today,” Leon said. “She broke sharp and saved ground, that was the main thing. I didn’t want her to go to the lead – I just wanted to keep her close and keep her confident, and when I asked her to respond turning for home she made a big run.
“I think she’ll be better next time.”
Around the oval. Thoroughbred racing continues Sunday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:45 p.m. Tampa Bay Downs is open every day for simulcast wagering, no-limits action and tournament play in The Silks Poker Room and professional instruction and pleasure at The Downs Golf Practice Facility.
