TAMPA BAY: SUNDAY’S FLORIDA CUP DRAWS 45 SET TO VIE FOR $660,000 IN PURSE MONEY

By Mike Henry —-

SUNDAY’S FLORIDA CUP DRAWS 45 SET TO VIE FOR $660,000 IN PURSE MONEY

OLDSMAR, FL. – A talented collection of 45 state-breds will compete for stakes glory and the lion’s share of the purse money on Sunday’s 21st annual Florida Cup Day card, featuring six stakes for registered Florida-breds offering $110,000 apiece.

The Florida Cup is Tampa Bay Downs’s way of celebrating the state’s rich tradition of breeding, raising and racing champion Thoroughbreds, including such all-time greats as Affirmed, Dr. Fager, Unbridled, Silver Charm, Holy Bull, Needles, Carry Back and Afleet Alex.

Post time for the first of Sunday’s 12 races is 12:15 p.m. The Florida Cup is comprised of races 6-through-11, starting with the Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies for 3-year-old females at a distance of 7 furlongs on the main dirt track. That race is scheduled for 2:50 p.m.

Six fillies are entered, including trainer Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.’s Mystic Lake, who won the Gasparilla Stakes here on Jan. 13. Edgard Zayas will travel from south Florida to ride Mystic Lake.

The second Florida Cup race, which is the seventh event on the card, is the mile-and-a-sixteenth Equistaff Sophomore Turf for 3-year-olds, which features a field of seven. Crystal Quest, a son of Uncle Mo who has won his last two races in impressive fashion, is expected to be among the favorites. The colt is owned by Live Oak Plantation and trained by Michael Trombetta and will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano.

Sunday’s eighth race is the 6-furlong NYRABETS Sprint, with seven horses entered. Stonehedge, LLC’s 5-year-old gelding Dean Delivers, a Grade III winner who just missed here on Dec. 9 in the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Marion County Florida Sire Stakes, and 7-year-old gelding Mish, second to Sibelius on Feb. 10 in the Pelican, loom as top contenders.

Dean Delivers is trained by Michael Yates and will be ridden by Castellano. Joseph, the trainer of Mish, has named leading Oldsmar jockey Samy Camacho to ride.

The ninth race, the ESMARK Turf Classic for horses 4-years-old-and-upward at a mile-and-an-eighth on the grass, has attracted eight runners, including 2021 winner Me and Mr. C. The 7-year-old gelding, who has five career stakes victories, is trained by Mike Maker, who has named Zayas to ride. Forever Souper, from the Live Oak Plantation-Trombetta team with Paco Lopez aboard, and last year’s Equistaff Sophomore Turf winner, trainer Kelsey Danner’s Otago, figure to be dangerous. Adam Beschizza is named to ride Otago.

Eight 3-year-olds are set to compete in the 10th race, the 7-furlong Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore. Pure Class, a colt from the barn of trainer David Fawkes, will try to live up to his name while competing in a stakes for the first time. Lopez will ride.

Pure Class’s rivals include trainer Kelly Breen’s colt Squints, who will team with jockey Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr. That combination won the Juvenile Sprint Stakes in November at Gulfstream at odds of 28-1.

Sunday’s 11th race, the final Florida Cup race on the card, is the Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf for fillies and mares 3-and-upward at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass. There are nine entered, including last year’s winner Sweet Dani Girl and Grade III winner Mohawk Trail.

Sweet Dani Girl, a 5-year-old mare, is trained by Christophe Clement and will be ridden by Castellano. Mohawk Trail, a 4-year-old, is trained by Danner and will have Beschizza aboard.

All licensed owners, breeders and trainers are invited to a luncheon free of charge from noon-3 p.m. under the big tent adjacent to the paddock.