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FESTIVAL PREVIEW DAY 41 CARD ON FEB. 6 ATTRACTS 120 NOMINATIONS
Posted On 28 Jan 2021
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By Mike Henry —-
Mike Henry
FESTIVAL PREVIEW DAY 41 CARD ON FEB. 6 ATTRACTS 120 NOMINATIONS
OLDSMAR, FL. – Triple Crown hopefuls from the barns of renowned trainers are among the 37 3-year-old males nominated to the 41st running of the Grade III, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes on Feb. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.
The mile-and-a-sixteenth Sam F. Davis, which is a “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points race, is the centerpiece of the track’s Festival Preview Day 41 Presented by Lambholm South card, featuring four stakes races worth a combined $750,000. The Sam F. Davis is the major prep race for the Grade II, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on March 6.
The Grade III, $175,000 Tampa Bay Stakes for horses 4-years-old-and-upward and the Grade III, $175,000 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes for fillies and mares 4-and-upward complete a trifecta of Festival Preview Day 41 graded events. The other stakes is the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, a “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” points race.
Six horses trained by Todd Pletcher, who has won six previous editions of the Sam F. Davis, are nominated to this year’s running, headed by Grade II turf winner and Grade I-placed Mutasaabeq and Grade III-placed Known Agenda. Mutasaabeq, owned by Shawell Stable, won the Mucho Macho Man Stakes on Jan. 2 at Gulfstream in his most recent start.
Known Agenda, a Curlin colt bred and owned by St. Elias Stables, finished third in the Grade II Remsen Stakes on Dec. 5 at Aqueduct.
Other Pletcher nominees for the Sam F. Davis are Donegal Bay and Millean, both owned by Donegal Racing; Amount, owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; and Prime Factor, owned by CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm.
The Sam F. Davis nominees include Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott’s Nova Rags, who won the Pasco Stakes here on Jan. 16. Nova Rags is owned by his breeder, Michael Shanley. Another Mott nominee is Candy Man Rocket, who broke his maiden on Jan. 9 at Gulfstream by 9 ¼ lengths under jockey John Velazquez.
Other prominent nominees include trainer Kelly Breen’s Pickin’ Time, who won the Grade III Nashua Stakes on Nov. 8 at Belmont; trainer Michael Stidham’s Proxy, who was second in the Grade III Lecomte on Jan. 16 at Fair Grounds; and Smiley Sobotka, who closed out his 2-year-old campaign on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs with a runner-up effort in the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes for trainer Dale Romans.
Patrick Biancone, who won last year’s Sam F. Davis with Sole Volante, has nominated Lucky Law, an Irish-bred colt owned by Sanford Bacon, Mrs. Paul Shanahan, Horse France America and Patrick L. Biancone Racing.
Chad Brown, who has won four consecutive Eclipse Awards as Outstanding Trainer in North America, has nominated Excellent Timing, owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Wonder Stable. Excellent Timing broke his maiden on Dec. 10 at Aqueduct in whirlwind fashion and has been working out at Brown’s Payson Park Training Center base in Indiantown, Fla., for his 3-year-old debut.
Florida-bred gelding Boca Boy, trained by Cheryl Winebaugh for owner Kenneth Fishbein, is an intriguing nominee, being a son of Prospective, who won the 2012 Tampa Bay Derby after finishing second in the Sam F. Davis. Boca Boy is 2-for-4, including a victory last September at Gulfstream in the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Florida Sire In Reality Stakes.
The Sam F. Davis Stakes awards qualifying points to the first four finishers on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” on a 10-4-2-1 scale. The Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve is scheduled to be run May 1 at Churchill Downs.
Here are the links to the Sam F. Davis Stakes nominees and their past performances:
https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SN-TAM-20210206-567508
https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-TAM-20210206-567508
Trainer Michael Maker has nine of the 33 nominees for the Tampa Bay Stakes in his barn, including 4-year-old colt Fancy Liquor, who won the Grade II American Turf Stakes presented by Smithfield in September at Churchill Downs. Fancy Liquor, who is owned by Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable, has finished out of the money only once in eight lifetime starts.
Biancone has nominated Sole Volante to the Tampa Bay Stakes. The 4-year-old gelding, owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Andie Biancone, the trainer’s daughter, won the Pulpit Stakes on the grass at Gulfstream as a 2-year-old.
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse has nominated three horses to the Tampa Bay Stakes, headed by John C. Oxley and My Meadowview Farm’s 6-year-old Ride a Comet. The Kentucky-bred has won four races in a row, including the Grade II Kennedy Road Stakes on Nov. 21 at Woodbine and the Grade III Tropical Turf Stakes on Jan. 9 at Gulfstream.
Tampa Bay Downs trainer Arnaud Delacour has three nominees to the Tampa Bay Stakes, including 5-year-old gelding Talk Or Listen and 5-year-old horse Eons, who finished 1-2 here in an allowance/optional claiming race on Jan. 10 in near-course record time.
Barbara Minshall, who saddled Admiralty Pier to win last year’s Tampa Bay Stakes, has nominated 5-year-old gelding Armistice Day, who is owned by Bruce Lunsford and Lansdon B. Robbins.
Here are the links to the Tampa Bay Stakes nominees and their past performances:
https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SN-TAM-20210206-567509
https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-TAM-20210206-567509
Grade III stakes winner Stunning Sky and multiple-stakes winners Micheline and La Signare are among the top possibilities for the Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes, which has drawn 24 nominations. The 4-year-old filly Stunning Sky, owned by Paradise Farms Corp. and Parkland Thoroughbreds and trained by Maker, won the Grade III Pin Oak Valley View Stakes on Oct. 16 at Keeneland.
The 4-year-old Micheline, bred and owned by Godolphin, LLC and trained by Stidham, has been freshened since finishing second in the Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in October at Keeneland. Feel Glorious, a 5-year-old multiple-stakes winner, has been nominated from the barn of Christophe Clement.
Delacour has three nominees to the race, including Beverly Anderson and Edward Seltzer’s 5-year-old Eres Tu. She has won three consecutive races since returning after 18 months on the sidelines, most recently winning the Grade III Allaire DuPont Stakes on Dec. 26 at Laurel Park.
Here are the links to the Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes nominees and their past performances:
https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SN-TAM-20210206-567507
https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-TAM-20210206-567507
The 41st running of the Suncoast Stakes closed with 26 nominations. Four are trained by Oldsmar conditioner Tim Hamm, including his Grade I winner Dayoutoftheoffice and multiple-stakes winner Esplanande.
Ken McPeek, the trainer of Preakness and Alabama Stakes winner Swiss Skydiver, has nominated three fillies to the Suncoast: Il Malocchio, Roll Up Mo Money and Ship It. Il Malocchio is a stakes winner, capturing the Victorian Queen Stakes in September at Woodbine.
Other top Suncoast nominees include trainer Michael Campbell’s Feeling Mischief, winner of the Sandpiper Stakes here on Dec. 5 and third in the Gasparilla Stakes on Jan. 16; WinStar Stablemates Racing’s Gulf Coast, second in the Sandpiper Stakes and winner of the Cash Run Stakes on New Year’s Day at Gulfstream; and Lady Traveler, a Romans-trainee who finished second in the Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes in October at Churchill.
Adios Trippi and Special Princess, who dead-heated for the victory in the Gasparilla, are also nominated. Adios Trippi is trained by Peter Walder and Special Princess is conditioned by Walter Woodard.
The Suncoast Stakes awards qualifying points to the first four finishers on the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” on a 10-4-2-1 scale. The Longines Kentucky Oaks will be run April 30 at Churchill Downs.
Here are the links to the Suncoast Stakes nominees and their past performances:
https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SN-TAM-20210206-567510
https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-TAM-20210206-567510
Tickets for Festival Preview Day 41 Presented by Lambholm South on sale. Additional information on tickets for the Festival Preview Day 41 Presented by Lambholm South card on Feb. 6:
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Tampa Bay Downs is limiting general-admission attendance for Festival Preview Day 41 Presented by Lambholm South on Saturday, Feb. 6 to 2,500 spectators. Tickets, which are $10 each plus a service fee, are being sold online through Eventbrite.com and at the program stands.
Horsemen, box-seat holders and season-ticket holders do not need to purchase tickets, but will need to present their passes at the gate to gain admittance.
Seating will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis unless patrons have prior arrangements in the Skye Terrace Dining Room, Sports Gallery, Clubhouse Carrels or Legends Bar, but the purchase of a general-admission ticket is still required to gain admittance.
The track is also selling a limited number of tables in the Backyard Picnic Area for $50 each plus a service fee; that price includes admission for six people.
Here is the link for Festival Preview Day 41 tickets and picnic-area seating:
Everyone will be required to wear masks or face coverings and maintain appropriate social distancing.
Around the oval. Hector Diaz, Jr., rode three winners today. Diaz captured the second race on Fan Fan, a 3-year-old Florida-bred filly owned by Ca Sal Stables and trained by Kathleen O’Connell. Diaz added the third race aboard Fourth Design, a 5-year-old Florida-bred gelding owned by Dennis Leone and trained by Peter Wasiluk, Jr.
Fourth Design was claimed for $5,000 by trainer Jose H. Delgado for new owner Carole Star Stables.
Diaz completed his hat trick by winning the ninth and final race on the turf on Regal Speaker, a 4-year-old homebred colt racing for Mr. and Mrs. Bertram R. Firestone and trained by Arnaud Delacour.
Jesus Castanon and Samy Camacho each rode two winners today. Both of Castanon’s victories came on the turf. He won the first race on Dancing Crane, a 3-year-old filly owned by Reitman Stables and trained by Darien Rodriguez. Castanon added the seventh with Survey, a 6-year-old gelding owned by William Meister and trained by Rachael Keithan. The victory was the first of Keithan’s career in her third start of the meeting.
Camacho won the fifth race on Mystic Link, a 5-year-old gelding owned by Charles Nielsen and trained by Jon Arnett. Camacho scored again in the eighth, winning on 3-year-old Florida-bred colt First Navy Admiral for breeder-owner Jacks or Better Farm and O’Connell.
Jon Arnett joined O’Connell in sending out two winners. In addition to his triumph with Mystic Link, Arnett won the sixth race with Praetorian, a 6-year-old gelding owned by Zolene Voight Knott and ridden by Roberto Alvarado, Jr.
Thoroughbred racing continues Friday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:42 p.m. Tampa Bay Downs currently races on a Wednesday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule. The track 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.
