Samy Camacho could see he was dealing with a lot of horse when he arrived in the paddock to ride 2-year-old colt Donut God in the $125,000 Inaugural Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

“He was on his toes,” Camacho said after the 9-10 favorite posted a ¾-length victory from Naughty Rascal in stakes-record time of 1:09.13, .46 seconds off the 6-furlong track record, on a sun-blessed Cotillion Festival Day card.

Camacho let out a whinny to describe Donut God’s pre-race demeanor. “He was like when you see a pretty girl,” Camacho said, laughing.

Donut God’s time bettered the former stakes mark of 1:09.32 set in 2014 by Catalina Red.

Once the race started, Donut God was all business. He led every step of the way in his second career start, although the Gerald Bennett-trained Naughty Rascal and jockey Miguel Vasquez made things exciting late.

Today, though, as he was in his debut at Churchill Downs last month, Donut God was too fast and too focused for Naughty Rascal or any of the five others.

“It was another great step forward for him,” said trainer Brian Lynch, who conditions both Donut God and Mrs Worldwide, who won the $125,000 Sandpiper Stakes two races later, for owner Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing, LLC. “It’s very exciting to see these young horses develop, particularly when they’re precocious like him.

“He always looked like he was traveling comfortably throughout, and you could see when he was quickened (by Camacho) he kept giving. Samy obviously knows his way around this track – he’s a cool sitter and a go-getter – and they looked great out there today.

“The fact he beat a two-time stakes winner (Naughty Rascal) adds some more depth to the win,” Lynch said.

Candycrumbs rallied for third, a neck ahead of Mr. Squeaky Wheels.

In the Sandpiper Stakes, Samuel Marin rode Mrs Worldwide with tremendous confidence and was rewarded when she moved smoothly to the lead from a stalking position at his urging rounding the turn for home. Hollygrove and jockey Daniel Centeno closed determinedly, coming up a half-length short.

Dancing Magic finished third and the pace-setter, 25-1 shot Carroll’s Honor, held on for fourth. Mrs Worldwide’s time for the 6-furlong distance was 1:10.07. She paid $13.40 as the fourth wagering choice.

Lynch had departed Tampa Bay Downs before the Sandpiper to attend the wedding of Riley Ward, trainer Wesley Ward’s son, in Ocala, leaving things in the capable hands of his son and assistant, Nic Lynch, and Marin. They did not disappoint.

“When I saw the first quarter (a swift 22.32 seconds), I thought Samuel had her in a great spot. She was traveling well and I started to think she had a pretty good shot,” said Nic Lynch. “Then she came down the lane and held on, so it was a very successful trip for us up to Tampa. She’s just a lovely filly to have in the barn.”

Mrs Worldwide improved to 3-for-6, with two thirds. She won the Juvenile Fillies Sprint Stakes in her previous start on Nov. 16 at Gulfstream Park.

“Everything came out perfect,” said Marin, who rode three winners on the nine-race card consisting of all 2-year-old races. “I tried to keep her out of trouble like (Brian Lynch) told me and she did it perfect. She let me set her down and when I did, I was so confident and happy where I was at.

“When I asked her, she just took off and did the rest. She’s a lovely girl who can do whatever you want – if you want to go with her she’ll do it, and if not she can sit right behind it. She’s awesome and I’m thankful for the opportunity to ride her,” Marin said.

Camacho, meanwhile, was also thankful to Lisa Allen, who ponied Donut God to the starting gate, for helping to keep him under control. “I was a little afraid because you don’t want them to turn loose from the pony (and use too much energy),” Camacho said.

“Lisa took good care of me, and when he broke out of the gate he was like a bullet.”

Camacho has won the Inaugural four times in the last five years. “I have a lot of respect for Gerald Bennett’s horse, too,” Camacho said. “He was coming.”

Lynch said Donut God – a $400,000 purchase by Oregon resident Travis Boersma’s Flying Dutchmen operation at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale – could return to Tampa Bay Downs for the $150,000, 7-furlong Pasco Stakes for newly-turned 3-year-olds on Jan. 11. “We want to keep him and Owen Almighty (another Flying Dutchmen stakes winner) separated for now,” Lynch said.

Jan. 11 is also the date of the $150,000 Gasparilla Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, so that race could fit into Mrs Worldwide’s plans.

In today’s fourth race, a $53,000, 6-furlong maiden special weight affair, 2-year-old filly Flight of Fancy – a half-sister to unbeaten 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline – staged an impressive rally to snatch second place by a nose from Costa Amalfitana. Both Flight of Fancy and Costa Amalfitana were 3 ½ lengths behind the winner, Vuela Paloma.

The race was the career debut for Flight of Fancy, who was bred by her owner, Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Equine, and is trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott.

“She’s a very nice filly,” said jockey Miguel Vasquez. “There was a lot of traffic at the half-mile pole and I had to check a little bit. She was trying in the lane, but I needed more distance.”

Meanwhile, Vuela Paloma got loose on the lead under jockey Daniel Centeno and stayed strong throughout to post her first victory in four starts. She has two seconds.

Vuela Paloma is owned by Winning Stables and Larry R. Fritts, Sr., and trained by Gerald Bennett.

Around the oval. Marin also won the second and third races. He captured the second on Cockeyed, a colt owned by Terri Pompay and Barry Berkelhammer and trained by Pompay. Marin added the third on Stella E Veloce, a filly owned by Joan Dilibero and Stephen J. Derany and trained by Maxine Correa.

Centeno rode two winners. In addition to his victory on Vuela Paloma, Centeno won the ninth on the turf with Evershed, a filly owned by Mark B. Grier and trained by Arnaud Delacour.

Thoroughbred racing resumes Wednesday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:25 p.m. Tampa Bay Downs will race on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday the next two weeks, followed by the first Sunday card of the meet on Dec. 22.

The track will conduct a special Christmas Eve card on Dec. 24, then close the following day for Christmas. From that point, the track will race each Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday – with the exception of Easter Sunday, April 20 – through May 3.

Other than Christmas and Easter, Tampa Bay Downs 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.