PLETCHER WINS 7TH SAM F. DAVIS WITH LITIGATE; DREAMING OF SNOW ASTOUNDS

By Mike Henry —-

Litigate; SV Photography

Just when a race seems more wide-open than you can imagine, and any one of eight or nine horses seems to have a chance to land in the winner’s circle, along comes this Pletcher fellow to snap you back to reality.

Hall of Famer and reigning Eclipse Award champion conditioner Todd Pletcher won his record seventh Sam F. Davis Stakes in the rain at Tampa Bay Downs, as his 3-year-old Litigate turned in a sustained rally under jockey Luis Saez and held off long-shot Groveland by a length-and-a-quarter to win the Grade III, $250,000 event.

Litigate picked up 20 “Road to the Kentucky Derby” qualifying points after completing the mile-and-a-sixteenth distance in 1:44.83. Another long shot, Classic Car Wash, finished third in the 11-horse field, with betting favorite Dubyuhnell never getting untracked and finishing eighth.

Litigate paid $7.60 to win as the second wagering choice. “I’m very pleased with Litigate,” Pletcher said from his south Florida base after winning the Sam F. Davis for the first time since 2016 with Destin. “He got a good position early and finished well. We thought he would appreciate two turns.”

Saez was able to secure good position in fifth place early, keeping Litigate out of trouble and saving his best for the stretch run. “That was magnificent,” Saez said. “The game plan was trying to break from the start and pick up some spots. He ran from there pretty well and when he came to the top of the stretch, I felt like I had a lot of horse and let him run free and keep going. I had plenty of horse and he was running pretty nice.”

The victory, Litigate’s second from only three starts, was worth $120,000 to owner Centennial Farms, raising Litigate’s bankroll to $182,590.

“It’s exciting to be on the Kentucky Derby trail,” said Centennial Farms president and co-owner Donald Little, Jr. “He just really improved mentally from his last race (a second-place finish on Jan. 8 at Gulfstream) and put it all together today. Luis gave him a really tactical ride. He broke him early, got in there and saved some ground in the first turn and then he moved him to the outside and let him rock.”

GRADE III, $250,000 SAM F. DAVIS STAKES QUOTES

Winning trainer Todd Pletcher: “I’m very pleased with Litigate. He got a good position early and finished well. We thought he would appreciate two turns.”

Winning jockey Luis Saez: “The game plan was trying to break from the start and pick up some spots. He ran from there pretty well and when he came to the top of the stretch, I felt like I had a lot of horse and let him run free and keep going. I thought I had it. I had plenty of horse and he was running pretty nice. That was magnificent.”

Centennial Farms president and co-owner Donald Little, Jr., owner of Litigate: “He just really improved mentally since his last race and he put it all together today. Luis gave him a really tactical ride. He broke him early, got in there and saved some ground in the first turn and then moved him to the outside and let him rock. He came running at the end. It’s exciting to be on the (Kentucky) Derby trail.”

Jose Ortiz, jockey on beaten favorite Dubyuhnell: “The first turn was very rough and I had to check really hard. After that, he never got back on rhythm. That took him out of the race. It was very hard to get back to where I wanted to be.”

Eoin Harty, trainer of runner-up Groveland: “I’m very happy. I said (Friday) I loved him, and he proved my point. He got in a little tight (around the 3/8-mile pole) and Danny (Centeno) had to check him, but he got a good education out of it. He doesn’t quit. He digs in and I don’t think distance will be a problem moving forward.”

The 43rd running of the Sam F. Davis Stakes was the centerpiece of an exciting Festival Preview Day card that included four stakes races. In the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, the race preceding the Sam F. Davis, co-owner and trainer Gerald Bennett’s Florida-bred Dreaming of Snow pulled a shocker, withstanding the determined efforts of 2022 Eclipse Award Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Wonder Wheel to post a neck victory.

Samy Camacho rode Dreaming of Snow, who paid $78 to win after racing the mile-and-40-yard distance in a good time of 1:40.18 in a light rain. That was one of three victories today for Camacho, the track’s leading rider. Julia Shining, trained by Pletcher, finished third, another length-and-a-quarter back.

Jockey Daniel Centeno, aboard fourth-place finisher Opus Forty Two, claimed foul against Dreaming of Snow for interference in the first turn, but the claim was disallowed by the stewards. Dreaming of Snow improved to 3-for-5 lifetime, with first-place money of $110,000 boosting her earnings to $170,850.

“I beat Wonder Wheel – WOW!” Camacho exclaimed after the result was made official. “I know this filly well and when I got on her in the morning for the first time, I told (Bennett) I have to stay on her. She’s pretty nice, but I never thought she would run two turns like this. She came back again when Wonder Wheel came to her.”

Considering Dreaming of Snow was making her first start around two turns, it was a supreme performance and affirmation of her ability after a disappointing fourth-place finish in last month’s Gasparilla Stakes.

“She’s been training really well and getting better and better,” said Bennett, who owns Dreaming of Snow under his Winning Stables banner with Team Equistaff. “She went a little backwards during the recent cold weather, but she blew out like a monster (Feb. 4, 4 furlongs in 46 seconds flat) and galloped out quick.

“You had to be on the rail today and I told Samy to put her on the lead, and she kept going. She likes this track, so you can’t win it if you’re not in it.”

On Wonder Wheel’s determined rally, Bennett relayed that “I said ‘Put your hands under her (Dreaming of Snow), Dear Lord, and carry her on home.’ ”

Mark Casse, who trains Wonder Wheel for owner D. J. Stable, and jockey Tyler Gaffalione attempted to put her second defeat in six races in perspective.

“I thought she ran very well,” Casse said. “I’m very proud of her. She got a little tired, but she ran good and this sets her up great (for the future).”

“She was traveling great coming off the layoff (since her NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies victory on Nov. 4 at Keeneland),” Gaffalione said. “That was my only concern. I tried to wait on her as long as possible, but she just got tired today.

“Today wasn’t the end goal. We’ve got bigger things ahead.”

The Suncoast is a “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” points race, with Dreaming of Snow earning 20 points toward qualifying for the May 5 event.

$150,000 SUNCOAST STAKES QUOTES

Winning trainer Gerald Bennett: “She’s been training really well and getting better and better. She went a little backwards during the cold weather, but she blew out like a monster (Feb. 4, 4 furlongs in 46 seconds flat) and galloped out quick. You had to be on the rail today and I told Samy (Camacho) to put her on the lead, and she kept going. She likes this track, so you can’t win it if you’re not in it.” On Wonder Wheel’s rally: “I said ‘Put your hands under her, Dear Lord, and carry her on home.’ ”

Winning jockey Samy Camacho: “”I know this filly well and when I got on her in the morning for the first time, I told (Bennett) I have to stay on her. She’s pretty nice, but I never thought she would run two turns like this. She came back again when Wonder Wheel came to her. I beat Wonder Wheel – WOW! I’m pretty happy.”

Tyler Gaffalione, jockey on runner-up Wonder Wheel: “She was traveling great coming off the layoff. That was my only concern. I tried to wait on her as long as possible, but she just got tired today. Today wasn’t the end goal. We’ve got bigger things ahead.”

Mark Casse, trainer of Wonder Wheel: “I thought she ran very well. I’m very proud of her. She got a little tired, but she ran good and this sets her up great (for the future).”

Earlier on the card, after 5-year-old gelding Sibelius won the 39th edition of the $100,000 Pelican Stakes in stakes-record time of 1:08.75 (.08 seconds off the track record) for the 6-furlong distance, winning trainer Jeremiah O’Dwyer danced an impromptu waltz with his 2-year-old daughter Adelaide in the Oldsmar winner’s circle.

Sibelius’s performance under jockey Junior Alvarado was worthy of celebrating. They withstood a race-long duel with 4-year-old Minnesota-bred Doctor Oscar, who finished a length-and-a-quarter back, with Gatsby another length-and-a-quarter back in third.

Sibelius, who is owned by Jun H. Park and Delia Nash, paid $5.20 as the betting favorite in the 10-horse field. He is 6-for-18 lifetime, including a victory on Dec. 31 at Gulfstream in his previous start in the Grade III Mr. Prospector Stakes, and the winner’s share of $45,000 raised his earnings to $488,889.

“I was hoping for an easier time out there today,” O’Dwyer said. “We knew that (Doctor Oscar) has speed, and he kind of took it to us. I leave it up to Junior when he rides this horse. You don’t tell these good riders what to do – they play the break and see how it goes.

“He was on the lead the whole way, he got pressured the whole way and he was strong at the finish. I’m just very proud of the way he battled and held on to the wire.”

O’Dwyer said he is hopeful of getting an invitation for Sibelius to compete in the Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 25 in the United Arab Emirates.

Alvarado said he was impressed by how Sibelius fought throughout, despite being pressure through taxing fractions of 21.46 seconds for the first quarter-mile and 43.88 for the half. “Sometimes he breaks very sharp and sometimes he’s just OK out of the gate, but today he broke sharp and I wasn’t going to take anything away from him,” Alvarado said. “It wasn’t a real struggle for him. He was a fighter for me.”

In the 42nd running of the $50,000 Minaret Stakes, 4-year-old filly Drifaros pulled off an upset, moving smartly to the lead on the turn for home and outlasting Olivia Darling by a length-and-a-quarter.

My Destiny finished third, while the 2-5 favorite, Caramel Swirl, flattened out late, finishing a disappointing fourth.

The victory was the fourth in a row for Drifaros, owned by Wanda Polisseni’s My Purple Haze Stables and trained by Terri Pompay. Daniel Centeno rode the winner.

“She’s so gutsy. She really is,” said Pompay after Drifaros sped the 6-furlong distance in 1:09.85, .22 seconds off the stakes record. “It went better than the game plan. I was worried that (My Destiny) might push us, because you never know when they get to a certain point and go ‘I can’t do this.’ But this was a great effort.”

Centeno, who rode Drifaros for the first time, felt he was sitting on a lot of horse the entire way. “(Pompay) told me she has natural speed, but she doesn’t have to be on the lead,” Centeno said. “I let her go on her own inside and right before the turn, I decided to open up before everybody came running.

“As soon as she took the lead, she got stronger and she did it all the way to the wire. She tried hard.”

First-place money of $30,000 raised Drifaros’s career earnings to $148,100.

Back to the Sam F. Davis, in which Jose Ortiz, the jockey on Dubyuhnell, said early traffic trouble took the 2-1 shot out of the race.

“The first turn was very rough and I had to check really hard,” Ortiz said. “After that, he never got back on rhythm. That took him out of the race. It was very hard to get back to where I wanted to be.”

Groveland, ridden by Centeno, also had to check nearing the 3/8-mile pole after pace-setter Zydeceaux came in, but managed to launch an impressive late rally to gain the place spot. Trainer Eoin Harty was pleased with Groveland’s performance.

“I’m very happy. I said (Friday) I loved him, and he proved my point,” Harty said. “He got a good education out of it. He doesn’t quit. He digs in and I don’t think distance will be a problem moving forward.”

Around the oval. Thoroughbred racing continues Sunday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:45 p.m. 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.

All photos provided by SV Photography