SAM F. DAVIS 1-2 FINISHERS ARE CANDIDATES FOR MARCH 6 TAMPA BAY DERBY

By Mike Henry —-

OLDSMAR, FL. – Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who sent out 1-2 finishers Candy Man Rocket and Nova Rags in Saturday’s Grade III, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes, said he hopes to return to Tampa Bay Downs with at least one of the 3-year-old colts on March 6 for the Grade II, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby.

“It was gratifying to see both horses pass the two-turn test,” said Mott, who sent his son Riley Mott to Oldsmar from south Florida for saddling duties. “They both ran big races and it looked like they were strong at the finish. They came out of the race well, so I think both horses would be possible for the (Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby).”

The March 6 card will feature five stakes, four graded, worth a total of $1-million in purse money. The other stakes include the Grade II, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes for older fillies and mares on the turf; the Grade III, $200,000 Florida Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on the turf; the Grade III, $100,000 Challenger Stakes for horses 4-years-old-and-upward on the main track; and the $75,000 Columbia Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf.

The victory by Candy Man Rocket was the first for Mott, jockey Junior Alvarado and owner Frank Fletcher Racing Operations in the Sam F. Davis. Alvarado also won Saturday’s Grade III, $175,000 Tampa Bay Stakes on the turf with 4-year-old gelding Get Smokin, owned by Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust and trained by Thomas Bush.

Alvarado and Mott teamed to finish second with 4-year-old filly New York Girl in the Grade III, $175,000 Lambholm South Endeavour, won by Counterparty Risk.

Mott said he would prefer Candy Man Rocket and Nova Rags not square off again in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, run at the identical mile-and-a-sixteenth distance of the Sam F. Davis. “It would be nice to run one of them there, knowing they both like the track, but maybe we will try to split them up next time,” he said.

Hidden Stash, who rallied for third, also looks like a good candidate for the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby.

Candy Man Rocket came into the Sam F. Davis off a 9 ¼-length, 6-furlong maiden special weight score on Jan. 9 at Gulfstream Park, while Nova Rags was attempting to duplicate his victory here on Jan. 16 in the 7-furlong Pasco Stakes. The winner received 10 qualifying points on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby,” while Nova Rags, bred and owned by Michael Shanley, earned 4 points.

The points increase dramatically for the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, with 50, 20, 10 and 5 awarded to the first four finishers.

Mott stressed that both horses still have much to prove before entertaining serious thoughts of making it to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve starting gate on May 1.

“I know everybody this time of year is thinking of the Triple Crown, but there is still a long road ahead for that,” said Mott, who finished 1-3 in the 2019 Run for the Roses with Country House (moved up via disqualification) and that year’s Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner, Tacitus. “You just have to take things one step at a time.

“Put it this way: I think both horses earned their way into another prep race.”

Pelican, Minaret Stakes on tap. The 36th running of the $100,000, 6-furlong Pelican Stakes for horses 4-years-old-and-upward and the 39th edition of the $50,000, 6-furlong Minaret Stakes for fillies and mares 4-and-upward headline Saturday’s Sprint Showcase Day card at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Pelican, which has been won by such standouts as 1995 Eclipse Award Champion Sprinter Not Surprising (1994 and 1995), stakes-record holder Action Andy (2013 and 2014) and Group I winner and $3-million earner X Y Jet (2018), closed with 20 nominations.

The list of candidates for Saturday’s renewal includes Grade III-winning Florida-bred Jackson, a 5-year-old who holds the Oldsmar mile-and-40-yard track record; 4-year-old colt Mischevious Alex, who won last year’s Grade III Swale and Grade III Gotham Stakes while on the Triple Crown trail; 8-year-old Florida-bred gelding Extravagant Kid, who is less than $19,000 shy of $1-million in career earnings; Grade III-winning 7-year-old gelding Cool Arrow; and Shivaree, a 4-year-old Florida-bred colt who won this season’s Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Marion County Florida Sire Stakes.

Heading the list of 21 Minaret Stakes nominations is last year’s winner, 7-year-old Florida-bred mare Lady’s Island. Although it is likely she will not return this year, having won Saturday’s Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park, the multiple-Grade III winner’s record of 18 victories from 35 starts is worthy of note.

More likely Minaret starters include multiple-stakes winning 6-year-old mare Heiressall, the Florida-bred winner of this season’s FTBOA City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes; Bronx Beauty, a stakes-winning 6-year-old earner of more than $620,000; improving 4-year-old The Goddess Lyssa, who wired an allowance/optional claiming field here on Jan. 6 by 10 lengths in 1:09.33 for 6 furlongs; 6-year-old multiple-stakes winner Jakarta; and 4-year-old Thissmytime, second on Jan. 23 at Gulfstream in the Grade II Inside Information.

Around the oval. Samy Camacho rode two winners today to tie Antonio Gallardo atop the Tampa Bay Downs jockey standings with 51 victories apiece. Camacho won the sixth race on Ride Into the Sky, a 6-year-old gelding owned by Winning Stables and trained by Gerald Bennett. Ride Into the Sky was claimed from the race for $5,000 by trainer Aldana Gonzalez for new owner Bruno Schickedanz.

Camacho also won the ninth and final race on Effiemeister, a 5-year-old mare owned by Caperlane Farm and trained by Luis Carvajal, Jr.

Thoroughbred racing continues Wednesday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:20 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.