Musket Man wins the $75,000 Super Stakes for owner Eric Fein, trainer Derek Ryan with Daniel Ceteno in the irons. Photo courtesy of Tom Cooley Photography
Oldsmar, Fla. (February 6, 2010) Musket Man, winner of the 2009 edition of the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby and third place finisher in both the Grade I Kentucky Derby and Grade I Preakness Stakes, returned to the Winner’s Circle in the $75,000 Super Stakes today after a nine month layoff.
The four-year-old Yonaguska colt stalked the pace throughout the early panels, moving to the lead in the turn for home to win by half a length for owner Eric Fein, trainer Derek Ryan and reinsman Daniel Centeno. Guam Typhoon was second, and Chief Talkeetna rounded out the trifecta, which paid $59.20 for a $2 wager.
Owner Eric Fein was on hand to witness his colt’s 2010 debut. “He was only about 70 percent cranked. I knew how good he was. I was nervous as usual, but I had tremendous confidence. We came back to Tampa Bay Downs for a few reasons: number one, I’ve had good luck here; and number two, he loves the track.” Fein said that for his next start, Musket man was, “looking at a mile race at Gulfstream, or possibly something in New Orleans or Arkansas.”
Winning rider Daniel Centeno was just shaking his head leaving the Winners' Circle: "That is some horse; some horse! I worked him the other day and he really went well so I knew he was ready. We were five wide almost every step but he was relaxed, and when I asked him entering the stretch he just surged past them. It was good for him to be challenged like that in the stretch; he is some horse!”
The win in the Super Stakes was one of three for Centeno today; the jockey also booted home Florida Jack Pot, a seven-year-old Cimarron Secret gelding owned by Midwest Thoroughbreds and trained by Jamie Ness. Centeno rounded out his hat trick in the evening’s nightcap aboard Center Divider for conditioner Christophe Clement and owner Amerman Racing Stables.
Finish Lines… The Lambholm South Race of the Week was won today by Silver Eagle, a six-year-old The Silver Move gelding bred in Florida by T. Melcher and R. Thomas, owned by Vickie Smith, trained by John Smith and ridden to victory by Ernesto Oro.
Tampa Bay Downs is now offering reserved finish-line seats for both Festival Preview Day on February 13, 2010 and Festival Day on March 13, 2010. Tickets are $15 each and include a reserved finish-line seat, admission, a program and a premium giveaway. For more information or to make reservations, please contact the Tampa Bay Downs Admissions Department at 813.866.4401 ext.1350.
Tomorrow is Family Fiesta Day in the Tampa Bay Downs Backyard for family fun hosted by Univision Television. The themed afternoon will feature free Latin entertainment and personalities, pony rides, games and more; Mouse, the Tampa Bay Downs mascot, will also be making an appearance.
Don’t forget to follow Tampa Bay Downs on Facebook and Twitter for handicapping picks, track condition updates, late scratches and changes, promotions and much, much more.
Racing resumes tomorrow, February 7 with a ten race card. The Silks Poker Room is open daily from 12:30 PM through 12:30 AM; the Downs Golf Practice Facility is open on Mondays from 10:00 AM through 10:00 PM and on Tuesdays through Sundays from 8:30 AM through 10:00 PM.