Tampa Bay Downs form held up exceptionally well at Keeneland the last two days (until it didn’t), reminding many Thoroughbred fans why top horsemen bring their best runners here in the first place.
Following the postponement of the first two days of the spring meet in Lexington on Friday and Saturday due to torrential rain, spectators were treated to three outstanding performances by horses that had already made a name for themselves at the Oldsmar oval.
In Monday’s Grade I Central Bank Ashland Stakes, 3-year-old filly La Cara showed her Suncoast Stakes victory here on Feb. 8 was not a fluke, winning gate-to-wire under jockey Dylan Davis from Take Charge Milady and 9-10 favorite Muhimma.
La Cara, a daughter of 2007 Tampa Bay Derby and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, is owned by her breeder Tracy Farmer and trained by Mark Casse. She is a leading candidate for the Longines Kentucky Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
La Cara paid $20.16 to win in the Ashland as the fifth choice in the eight-horse field, as a majority of bettors were more influenced by her second to The Queens M G in the Grade II Fasig-Tipton Davona Dale at Gulfstream on March 1 than her stakes-record effort in the Suncoast.
Casse returned to the Keeneland winner’s circle Tuesday with another 3-year-old filly that opened eyes at Tampa Bay Downs, Grade III Florida Oaks winner Nitrogen. The D. J. Stable bred-and-owned turf star again displayed her explosive stretch kick to win the Grade II Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association at a mile on the turf under jockey Jose Ortiz.
Casse also saddled the runner-up, D. J. Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Vixen. Like La Cara, Nitrogen also set a stakes record in her Oldsmar appearance.
Another trainer familiar to Tampa Bay Downs followers, Ian Wilkes, enjoyed a banner day on Tuesday at Keeneland with two Grade I victories. The first came in the 7-furlong Resolute Racing Madison Stakes for older fillies and mares with 5-year-old Positano Sunset, who scored at odds of 14-1 under Julien Leparoux. The daughter of Goldencents is owned by Six Column Stables, Randall L. Bloch, John Seiler and David Hall.
Positano Sunset had prepped for the Madison here on March 9 with a 7-furlong handicap triumph under Pablo Morales in 1:21.81, but apparently bettors wanted to see more before taking the plunge. Now they have.
Two races after the Madison, Wilkes and jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., sprang a mild upset in the Toyota Blue Grass with Burnham Square, stamping the gelding as a legitimate threat for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 3.
Burnham Square, wouldn’t you know, has never competed at Tampa Bay Downs; the two Toyota Blue Grass runners who had, 1-2 Grade III Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby finishers Owen Almighty and Chancer McPatrick, finished in a dead-heat for sixth, sending their connections back to the drawing board.
Around the oval. Ademar Santos rode back-to-back winners today. He captured the fourth race on the turf on Girly the Butcher, a 6-year-old mare who entered the race with six consecutive second-place finishes, including four at Tampa Bay Downs. Girly the Butcher is owned by David Gruskos and trained by Jose H. Delgado.
Santos added the fifth race with Riding a Dream, a 3-year-old Florida-bred gelding owned by Kathleen A. Estevez, Nicholas Primpas and Frank Catapano and trained by Juan Arriagada. That was one of two training victories on the card for Arriagada, who also sent out second-race winner Ocean of Storms, a 5-year-old gelding with Sonny Leon aboard.
Leon rode two winners today. In addition to his triumph on Ocean of Storms, he won the eighth and final race on the turf on Sam Stormy, a 5-year-old gelding owned by Robert Taylor, III and trained by Mario Roberto Lopez.
Thoroughbred racing at Tampa Bay Downs continues Friday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:35 p.m. The track races Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and is open every day except April 20, Easter, 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.
