PASCO WINNER NOVA RAGS, SOUP AND SANDWICH ENTERED IN FLORIDA DERBY

By Mike Henry —-

OLDSMAR, FL. – Nova Rags, who won the Pasco Stakes on Jan. 16 at Tampa Bay Downs and finished second here three weeks later in the Grade III Sam F. Davis Stakes, and Feb. 24 Oldsmar allowance/optional claiming winner Soup and Sandwich have been entered in Saturday’s Grade I, $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa at Gulfstream Park.

The 11-horse field is headed by 6-5 morning-line favorite Greatest Honour, who won the Grade II Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 27 at Gulfstream in his most recent start.

The Florida Derby is the 14th race on a card that will be simulcast by Tampa Bay Downs in its entirety.

Bill Mott, who trains Nova Rags for breeder-owner Michael Shanley, told reporters he thinks the colt deserves a chance to prove he belongs on the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve trail. Junior Alvarado is the jockey.

“It’s a big race worth 100 points (to the winner in the ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby’ standings),” Mott said. “If he would qualify for the Kentucky Derby, then we’d have to consider it, but this is the race that’s going to tell us what we’re going to do with him.”

Soup and Sandwich is a Florida-bred son of Into Mischief bred by Charlotte C. Weber’s Live Oak Stud. The colt races for her Live Oak Plantation and is trained by Mark Casse, who won the Grade II Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby with Helium.

Soup and Sandwich earned his second victory in two starts in a mile-and-40-yard allowance/optional claiming race here in a time of 1:39.65. John Velazquez picks up the mount.

Another Florida Derby entrant sporting Tampa Bay Downs form is Known Agenda, who finished fifth in the Sam F. Davis. The Todd Pletcher-trainee rebounded for an 11-length victory in a Feb. 26 allowance/optional claiming race at Gulfstream to earn Saturday’s opportunity.

Pletcher has won the Florida Derby in four of the last seven years, including the 2017 running with Always Dreaming, who broke his maiden at Tampa Bay Downs that year en route to Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby triumphs.

Nova Rags drew the No. 1 post position for the race, with Soup and Sandwich breaking from the No. 8 post and Greatest Honour and Jose Ortiz starting from the No. 7 position. Known Agenda and Irad Ortiz, Jr., will start from the No. 5 post.

Around the oval. Leading jockey Samy Camacho rode two winners, both on the turf. He captured the fifth race aboard Obiwan, a 4-year-old gelding owned by MCR Stable and trained by Benny Feliciano. Camacho added the seventh with Pythoness, a 4-year-old filly owned by Mellon Patch and trained by Michael Campbell.

Ronnie Allen, Jr., also rode two winners, sweeping the late daily double. Allen won the eighth race on Estilo Peligroso, a 4-year-old gelding owned by Jerry Campbell and trained by Maria Bowersock. Allen won the ninth race on the turf on Fox Rox, a 10-year-old gelding owned by Mark Hoffman and trained by Dennis Ward.

Thoroughbred racing at Tampa Bay Downs continues Friday with a nine-race card beginning at 1215 p.m. The track races on a Wednesday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule, except for Easter Sunday, April 4, when the track is closed. Otherwise, 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.

Mike Henry