OLDSMAR, FL—Led by Tampa Bay Derby winner The Puma, a strong contingent of three-year-olds who competed at Tampa Bay Downs during the current meet and earned qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks are slated to represent the Oldsmar oval in Louisville during the first weekend in May.
The Puma and Further Ado, who ran second in the ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby (G3); Sam F. Davis Stakes (Listed) winner Renegade; Emerging Market; and Albus, are viable contenders for the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1) at 1 ¼ miles at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 2 and Ocelli is also ranked on the leaderboard.
Suncoast Stakes (Listed) winner Zany plus Always a Runner are the fillies in good standing for a berth in the starting gate of the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) to be contested at 1 1/8 miles on Friday, May 1.
Additionally, Talkin, who ran fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby for trainer Danny Gargan on March 7, is headed to the Preakness Stakes (G1) and the second leg of the Triple Crown at Pimlico on Saturday, May 16.
Said Tampa Bay Downs Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Allison DeLuca, “It is very exciting. We’ve been fortunate to have such great horses run here. We always do, but this year it’s even more so. We’ve had horses that ran here go on to win big races and I’m thrilled.”
The hope is that this year’s crop of three-year-olds who prepped for the Kentucky Derby on this racing strip will follow in the hoof prints of Tampa Bay Derby winners Street Sense (2007) and Super Saver (2010) as well as Always Dreaming, who graduated from the maiden ranks in his only start here in January 2017. All three colts went on to wear the garland of roses on the first Saturday in May in their respective years.
Super Saver and Always Dreaming were trained by Hall of Famer, eight-time Eclipse Award champion, and five-time Tampa Bay Derby winner Todd Pletcher, who conditions Renegade and Zany. He is just one of the high-profile horsemen who favor readying their charges at Tampa Bay Downs for the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and other major graded stakes on the national calendar.
Pletcher said prior to the 1 mile 40 yards Listed Suncoast Stakes on February 7 that the distance and the two turns factored into his decision to run Zany here. The daughter of 2015 Triple Crown champion and Horse of the Year American Pharoah turned in a dazzling 2 ¾ lengths score on February 7 to remain undefeated in three starts for Repole Stable. Later that day Renegade made his statement in winning the Sam F. Davis by almost four lengths for Robert and Lawana Low and Repole Stable.
The conditions of the races, strength of schedule, and quality of the Tampa Bay Downs facility are all positive factors.
“Our program has seemed to work for the horsemen for a while now. It seems to fit in with their plans for getting ready for some of these big races. I think they like our surfaces, both turf and dirt,” said DeLuca.
This year in particular the Tampa Bay Derby was a springboard up the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
Renegade next time out won the Arkansas Derby (G1) and sits in third place with 125 points. Spendthrift Farm’s Further Ado, who is trained by two-time Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, went on to take the Blue Grass (G1) and is in second place with 135 points. The Puma was the runner-up by a nose in the Florida Derby (G1) in his next race and is in sixth with 106 points for 2023 Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Gustavo Delgado.
Klaravich Stables Emerging Market, conditioned by five-time champion trainer Chad Brown, graduated from the maiden ranks here at first asking February 7 and subsequently took the Louisiana Derby (G2) to stay undefeated. Albus got his winner’s circle photo taken here in his third start and in his next effort won the Wood Memorial (G2) for trainer Riley Mott. Emerging Market and Albus are in the eighth and ninth leaderboard spots, respectively.
Other horses who ran here this meet may be a force in upcoming graded stakes and they include the Whit Beckman-trained Ocelli, sixth in the Sam Davis and 30th on the Derby leaderboard, plus the Pletcher-trained, Repole-owned Powershift, sixth in the Tampa Bay Derby in his second start.
As for the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard, Zany is in ninth place. Always a Runner broke her maiden here at first asking by 6 ½ lengths on February 6, next out won the Gazelle (G3) at Aqueduct for Chad Brown, and she is listed in seventh.
“We’re lucky that there are a lot of good horses (stabled) in Florida at the time and that they choose to come here. We’re very fortunate because they do have a lot of options for where to run,” said DeLuca. “It is really amazing how many of the big-name trainers have used us for prep races. This year it seems even more than ever. We really appreciate the people who run their horses here. It means a lot to us, and we’re really excited about it.”
Live racing returns with a nine-race card on Wednesday, April 15 beginning at 12:20 P.M. Tampa Bay Downs races every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through May 3 and simulcasting, The Silks Poker Room, and The Downs golf practice facility are open daily.
