Handicapping: Grade II Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby

By Rick Francis —-

An “interesting” group of twelve three-year-olds are slated to go in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, each with an eye on the winners share of the 400k purse and a starting berth in the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby; let’s take a look at the field.

TAMPA BAY DOWNS

Race 11) 1&1/16th Mile. Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby Grade II. Purse $400,000 FOR THREE YEAR OLDS Post Time: ( 5:32)/ 4:32/ 3:32/ 2:32

1) Texas Swing (Pletcher/Castellano); Curlin colt worked a solid bullet leading to his gate-to-wire maiden score here last month and has since posted a couple of similar practices leading to this contest; Pletcher with a last out maiden winer, 25 percent.

2) Spa City (McLaughlin/Centeno); Street Sense colt turned back a determined foe in breaking his maiden last out at Gulfstream and in doing so posted a triple-digit speed figure; the slight distance cutback helps.

3) Relentless Dancer (Maker.Gallardo); after back-to-back fall wins, Midshipman colt showed the effects of a three month layoff with a dismal effort last month in the Holy Bull; Maker with his seconds following a layoff, 21 percent.

4) Chance It (Joseph/Lopez); colt out of Currency Swap is fast as lightning winning 4-of-6 along with a pair of seconds, all at Gulfstream and three facing stakes company. Bullets dot his worksheet and if he gets loose early they’ll have a tough time reeling him in; a legit first Saturday in May player.

5) Market Analysis (Pletcher/Velazquez); son of Honor Code drove past a deep Gulfstream maiden field in taking his racing debut back in January and has posted some very quick works including an eye-popping :47 and change last week. Trainer/jock tandem, 21 percent on the year.

6) Mo Mosa (Maker/Morales); Uncle Mo colt makes his dirt debut after one across the board finishes over the Turfway Park synthetic, which unfortunately for trainer Maker is not one of his stronger conditioning angles at just 11 percent.

7) Sole Volante (Biancone/Geroux); Karakontie gelding and morning line favorite, closed from well back to take the Grade 3 Davis here here last month. An “interesting” angle in play here is that connections continue to work him on the turf and given he’s won 3-of-4, who can argue.

8) Letmeno (Wilkes/Landeros); Twirling Candy colt is one across the board in four starts, however his current form is on the downturn; pass.

9) Unrighteous (Pletcher/Bravo); Violence colt, the last of the Pletcher trio entered, is also one of two maidens in the field; adds first blinkers following a closing second last out but it’s hard to endorse for anything but underneath.

10) Bye Bye Melvin (Motion/Leparoux); Uncle Mo colt is a winner of two straight, both here and both on the Tampa turf; another who’ll just have to beat me.

11) King Guillermo Avila/Camacho); the third out of Uncle Mo, is another who comes in off recent success and yet is another whose success is over the turf; can’t do it.

12) Tons of Gold (Delgado/Suarez); maiden out of Tonalist is clearly overmatched here and the addition of first blinkers does little to change that.

Selections: 4, 5, 2, 1; add 7 in Super High 5 plays