SILVER SLUGGER RUNS TO FORM, MAY GO IN STAKES NEXT; CAMACHO WINS 4

By Mike Henry —-

SILVER SLUGGER RUNS TO FORM, MAY GO IN STAKES NEXT; CAMACHO WINS 4

OLDSMAR, FL. – After coming within .20 seconds of the Tampa Bay Downs track record for 6 ½ furlongs in his previous start on March 23, trainer Juan Carlos Avila’s 5-year-old gelding Silver Slugger looked virtually unbeatable in today’s eighth race at Tampa Bay Downs.
The scratch of his stablemate, the track’s mile-and-40-yard record holder Golden Juan, made Silver Slugger’s task appear that much easier. And despite a so-so start from the No. 1 post, that was precisely the way the starter/optional claiming race played out, as Silver Slugger coasted to a 6 ½-length victory from Bar Down Express under jockey Samy Camacho.
Silver Slugger’s time for the 6 ½-furlong distance on a fast but not lightning-quick track was 1:16.17, .70 seconds off Action Andy’s 13-year-old track record. The victory was the fourth on the day for Camacho.
Silver Slugger, who is owned by former major league baseball slugger Victor Martinez’s Victoria’s Ranch, improved to 6-for-8 lifetime and 4-for-5 this season at the Oldsmar oval, his only defeat a sixth-place finish in the Pelican Stakes on Feb. 8. The son of Cairo Prince-One More Wild Ride, by Wildcat Heir, paid $2.60 to win as the heavy favorite.
“I feel very good riding a horse like this,” Camacho said. “I had to ask him a little bit out of the gate to get the lead, but when he got it I put him on cruise control and he did the job. He looked the best in this field, and (after Bar Down Express issued a challenge on the turn for home), I asked my horse and he responded.”
Jabran finished a non-threatening third in the seven-horse field.
Avila said he hopes to point Silver Slugger to the $100,000, 6-furlong Mr. Prospector Stakes on May 26 at Monmouth Park.
The trainer said 6-year-old Golden Juan struck himself Tuesday when he was startled by the sound from a mower and was scratched as a precaution. Avila expects Golden Juan to return to training in a few days.
Camacho’s big day began when he swept the early daily double. He won the first race on Rozay Summer, a 4-year-old filly owned by Reinaldo Ruiz and trained by Reynaldo Yanez. Rozay Summer was claimed from the race for $8,000 by trainer Michael Simone for new owner Roger B. Sterling.
Camacho won the second with Tiz a Beast, a 5-year-old Florida-bred gelding owned by TCBR Stable and trained by Jennifer Paragallo. Camacho’s third victory came in the sixth race on the turf aboard Timeless Rose, an 8-year-old mare owned and trained by Anthony Granitz.
Around the oval. Thoroughbred racing continues Friday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:35 p.m. Tampa Bay Downs will be closed in its entirety Sunday for Easter. The track will reopen Monday 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.
The Oldsmar oval is the place to be on Saturday, May 3. In addition to a full card of Thoroughbred excitement, Tampa Bay Downs will simulcast the 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve from Churchill Downs.
As always, Tampa Bay Downs will simulcast every race from Churchill Downs and numerous other tracks around the country.
Tickets, which are $10, are available online at www.tampabaydowns.com . Reserved seating is sold out. Children 17-and-under are admitted free. Valet parking is $25 and the gates will open at 10 a.m. Automatic wagering terminals will be set up outside in front of the main Grandstand entrance for fans who decide to grab their tickets early and watch elsewhere.
Plenty of Kentucky Derby souvenirs will be on sale in the Gift Shop, including glasses listing all 150 winners of the race for $9.95 each. There will also be food-truck specials on the grounds, in addition to the usual concession stand and restaurant fare.
The 2024-2025 Tampa Bay Downs meet concludes on Sunday, May 4, which is Fan Appreciation Day. Admission is free and there will be food and drink discounts throughout the day, as the management and staff thank patrons for their support throughout the season.