FERRER WINS 3 ON 57TH BIRTHDAY; HELIUM NOMINATED TO TRIPLE CROWN

By Mike Henry —-

OLDSMAR, FL. – The calendar says jockey Jose Ferrer is a year older today. Just don’t tell that to his rival jockeys or the trainers and owners who continue to benefit from his skill and passion.

Ferrer rode three winners on his 57th birthday, then performed 20 pushups in the winner’s circle after weighing in following the ninth race, which he won on 3-year-old filly Princess Nina.

“Hell, no,” Ferrer replied when asked if he felt 57. “Didn’t you see me doing 20 after the race?”

Undoubtedly, he will feel even younger in a couple of hours when he shares ice cream and cake with his wife Steffi and their sons, Derek and Joseph.

Ferrer captured the first race aboard Mermaid Kisses, a 4-year-old filly owned by Ridenjac Racing, Dale Howes and Asta Fico and trained by Dennis Ward. The jockey added the eighth race with Papajudgy, a 5-year-old gelding owned and trained by Kerri Raven. Papajudgy was claimed from the race for $7,000 by trainer Darien Rodriguez for new owners Acclaimed Racing Stable and Gumpster Stable.

In the ninth race on the turf, Ferrer kept Princess Nina close up early, moved to the lead rounding the turn for home and coasted to a 4 ¾-length victory from Kitten With a Whip in the 1-mile contest. That victory moved him into a tie for seventh in the 2020-2021 Tampa Bay Downs standings with 29 victories.

Helium a late Triple Crown nominee. Grade II Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Helium is among nine late nominees for the Triple Crown, bringing the number of 3-year-olds eligible to compete in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont to 335.

The son of Ironicus, out of the Thunder Gulch mare Thundering Emilia, improved to 3-for-3 with his March 6 victory in the Tampa Bay Downs showcase. Owner D. J. Stable paid a late nominating fee of $6,000 to make Helium eligible for the spring classics.

Helium picked up 50 “Road to the Kentucky Derby” qualifying points for his Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby score, ensuring him a spot in the Run for the Roses field on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Mark Casse plans to bring Helium to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve without another start, opting to prepare him at the conditioner’s Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach before sending him to Louisville next weekend, three weeks ahead of the mile-and-a-quarter race. Helium worked Saturday for the first time since his victory here, breezing 4 furlongs in 49.25 seconds.

Owners Leonard and Lois Green and their son, D. J. Stable racing manager Jon Green, are expected to change jockeys after Jose Ferrer rode Helium to victory in Oldsmar.

Other late Triple Crown nominees include Grade III Gotham Stakes winner Weyburn; Turf Paradise Derby winner It’s My House; UAE Derby Sponsored by Emirates NBD runner-up Panadol; Hockey Dad; Maythehorsebwithu; Tiz Mandate; Carrothers; and Back Ring Luck.

Kentucky Derby Day tickets going fast. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, attendance at Tampa Bay Downs on May 1, Kentucky Derby Day, will be limited. As a result, tickets must be purchased in advance, either online or at the Customer Service window on the first floor of the Grandstand. Advance wagering on the Kentucky Derby will be available Friday, April 30.

A front-row box seat for six people in the Grandstand on May 1 is $350, with other boxes available for $250. General-admission tickets are $10 each, with seating on a first-come, first-serve basis. The gates will open at 10 a.m. and there will be a noon post time for the Tampa Bay Downs race program.

Picnic Area tickets are $10. Patrons must bring their own chairs. Kentucky Derby Picnic Area tables for six are $75. All prices include a service fee. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets early to avoid being shut out.

For details, visit www.tampabaydowns.com on the Internet or call (813) 855-4401.

Around the oval. Sosua turned in an eye-popping effort in her career debut in the second race, pulling away through the stretch of the 6-furlong maiden special weight contest to a 12 ¾-length victory from Mastering Bela. Hector Diaz, Jr., was aboard Sosua. The winning 4-year-old daughter of Speightstown, out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Cara Marie, stopped the timer in 1:11.51.

Sosua was a $260,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale. She is owned by Mark B. Grier and trained by Arnaud Delacour.

Another first-time starter won the third race on the turf, as 3-year-old filly Mago On My Mind, a 49-1 shot, strode clear in deep stretch under jockey Isaac Castillo to post a 2-length victory from Clap for Me. The winner, by Brethren out of the Congrats mare Ruby On My Mind, paid $101.80 to win after touring the 1-mile distance in 1:37.34.

Mago On My Mind is owned by Eduardo Murillo Ortega and trained by Antonio Machado.

Diaz, the jockey on Sosua, also won the sixth race on 3-year-old filly Will Take Roses after Sharon’s Law was disqualified for interference through the stretch. Will Take Roses is owned by Angel Ubarri and trained by Victor Carrasco, Jr.

Thoroughbred racing continues Friday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:23 p.m. Following Saturday’s card, Tampa Bay Downs will be closed on Easter Sunday, then pick up on Wednesday, April 7 with the 74th day of the 2020-2021 meeting.

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.