Racing fans could have an opportunity to see a Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner compete at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday, March 8 in the Grade III, $400,000-guaranteed Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, one of five scheduled stakes – four of which are graded – on the Festival Day 45 card.
An expected 12-race program will begin at noon, with the gates opening at 10 a.m. General admission is $15, with each patron receiving a “Mystery Mutuel Voucher” worth anywhere from $5-$1,000.
Tickets may be purchased online; click https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tampa-bay-downs-festival-day-45-tickets-1084288348639?aff=oddtdtcreator to get started.
Early information on the makeup of the fields for each of the five stakes will become available Sunday.
On today’s card, leading jockey Samuel Marin continued to excel, riding four winners with two seconds and a third. One of his winners was 3-year-old Triple Crown nominee Valentinian, a first-time starter from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher who won the sixth race in his career debut. Another Pletcher first-timer, Last Man Standing, finished second.
Valentinian, a son of Into Mischief owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, defeated his stablemate by a widening 3 ¼ lengths in a time of 1:44.16 for the mile-and-a-sixteenth distance.
Marin’s big day started in the first race on Ran the Red, a 3-year-old Florida-bred filly owned by Sabal Racing Stable and BS Racing and trained by Darien Rodriguez. Ran the Red was claimed from the race by trainer Anthony Granitz for $16,000 for new owners Team Grande Racing and Team Snapp Racing.
Marin captured the eighth race with Jabran, a 4-year-old colt owned and trained by Juan Arriagada. Jabran was claimed from the victory by trainer Kelly Spanabel for $10,000 for new owner Delorme Racing. Marin added the ninth on the turf on Country Slew, who got up in the final jump to defeat New York Fog. Country Slew is a 3-year-old Florida-bred gelding owned and trained by Roger Laurin.
Back to Festival Day 45 and the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, a mile-and-a-sixteenth “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points race for 3-year-olds, with the top five finishers receiving 50, 25, 15, 10 and 5 points toward qualifying for the May 3 Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The field for the Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 horses; based on recent history, the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner will be assured of a spot and the runner-up will be virtually certain of qualifying.
The only year in which a Tampa Bay Derby winner went on to win the Kentucky Derby was 2007, when Street Sense won both races for breeder-owner James Tafel, trainer Carl Nafzger and jockey Calvin Borel. Three years later, Super Saver – bred and owned by WinStar Farm and trained by Todd Pletcher – finished third in the Tampa Bay Derby before capturing the Kentucky Derby under Borel.
Only one other horse has won the Kentucky Derby after competing at Tampa Bay Downs: Always Dreaming, who broke his maiden here on Jan. 25, 2017 in his third career start, then won the classic on May 6.
Last year’s Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby was one of the most exciting in history, with the top three finishers, winner Domestic Product, runner-up No More Time and Grand Mo the First separated by less than a half-length. Domestic Product and Grand Mo the First ran in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, and though neither hit the board, Domestic Product went on to win the Grade III Dwyer Stakes and the Grade I H. Allen Jerkens Memorial and finish third in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for breeder-owner Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown.
Also on tap on the Festival Day 45 card are the Grade II, $225,000-guaranteed Hillsborough Stakes, for fillies and mares 4-years-old-and-upward at a distance of a mile-and-an-eighth on the turf course; the Grade III, $200,000-guaranteed Florida Oaks, for 3-year-old fillies at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf; the Grade III, $125,000-guaranteed Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes, for horses 4-and-upward at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the main track; and the $125,000-guaranteed Columbia Stakes, for 3-year-olds at a mile on the turf.
March 8 promises to be a day for making memories, with the possibility that even bigger things await one of the 3-year-olds in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. Fans are encouraged to make plans now, as an overflow crowd is expected.
Around the oval. Marcos Meneses rode two winners today. He captured the third race aboard Deliziosa, a 5-year-old mare owned by GOP Racing Stable and trained by Gerard Ochoa. Deliziosa was claimed from the race by trainer Lynn Rarick for $6,250 for new owner ABE Racing.
Meneses added the seventh race on the turf, the Lambholm South Race of the Week, with Lets Go Koko, a 4-year-old Florida-bred filly owned by Flying Finish Farm and trained by Rory C. Miller.
Juan Arriagada sent out two winners. In addition to Jabran, he won the second race with 4-year-old filly Bold Baby, owned by him in partnership with Stephen J. Derany. Samy Camacho was the jockey. Bold Baby was claimed from the race by trainer Reynaldo Yanez for $8,000 for new owner Yanez Stable.
Today’s first five races were all won by the No. 3 horse. Although the probability of such an occurrence was 1 in 44,800, the first three winners were betting favorites, and that was reflected in the early Pick 5 payout of $140.70 (on a 50-cent wager).
Thoroughbred racing continues Sunday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:35 p.m. Sunday is also “Mouse’s Kids and Family Day,” with such fun events as pony rides, bounce houses, games and special activities in the Backyard Picnic Area. Fans will also have a chance to meet the track mascot, Mouse the Miniature Horse.
Tampa Bay Downs races each Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and 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.
