TAMPA BAY: GULFSTREAM JOCKS ORTIZ, ALVARADO HERE SATURDAY

By Mike Henry —-

GULFSTREAM JOCKS ORTIZ, ALVARADO HERE SATURDAY; CAMACHO WINS 3

OLDSMAR, FL. – Six 3-year-olds are set to take a major step on the road to the Grade III, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on Saturday in the $150,000, 7-furlong Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

The 27th running of the Pasco, which in recent years has been captured by subsequent Grade I winners Book’em Danno (2024), Win Win Win (2019) and World of Trouble (2018), is Saturday’s main event on a 10-race Skyway Festival Day card that includes the 41st edition of the $150,000, 7-furlong Gasparilla Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, scheduled as the fifth race, and the 41st running of the $100,000, mile-and-a-sixteenth Wayward Lass Stakes for fillies and mares 4-years-old-and-upward, which is the seventh race.

Post time for Saturday’s first race is 12:30 p.m. Irad Ortiz, Jr., the five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey, will be traveling from Gulfstream Park and has been named by trainer Brian Lynch to ride stakes winners Owen Almighty in the Pasco and Mrs Worldwide in the Gasparilla. Ortiz is also named on Peignoir for trainer Rodolphe Brisset in the Wayward Lass.

Junior Alvarado, who is also coming in from Gulfstream, has the assignment on Rookie Card for conditioner Danny Gargan in the Pasco and Dancing Magic for Michael Campbell in the Gasparilla. Alvarado will ride Little Jamie for trainer Robert Medina in the Wayward Lass.

Here is the field for the Pasco in post position order, followed by the horse’s jockey and trainer: 1. Juan Colorado, Cipriano Gil, Abraham Gardea; 2. Very Bold, Jesus Castanon, Eoin Harty; 3. Cockeyed, Antonio Gallardo, Terri Pompay; 4. Rookie Card, Junior Alvarado, Danny Gargan; 5. Naughty Rascal, Edwin Gonzalez, Gerald Bennett; 6. Owen Almighty, Irad Ortiz, Jr., Brian Lynch.

While the Kentucky Derby is 16 weeks away, horsemen looking to proceed more cautiously – and, perhaps, realistically – may have their sights trained on the Oldsmar oval’s two Grade III dirt stakes for 3-year-olds: the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes on Feb. 8 and the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on March 8.

Both the Sam F. Davis and the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby are “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points races.

Here is the field for the Gasparilla in post position order, followed by the horse’s jockey and trainer:

Tessitura, Willie Martinez, Eoin Harty; 2. Dancing Magic, Junior Alvarado, Michael Campbell; 3. Lynn’s Milky Way, Jose Ferrer, Luis M. Ramirez; 4. Vuela Paloma, Daniel Centeno, Gerald Bennett; 5. Another Cleeshay, Rosario Montanez, Gary Contessa; 6. Mrs Worldwide, Irad Ortiz, Jr., Brian Lynch; 7. Win N Your In, Miguel Vasquez, Carlos David.

The Gasparilla is a natural stepping stone toward the $150,000, mile-and-40-yard Suncoast Stakes on Feb. 8. The Suncoast is a “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” points race.

Here is the field for the Wayward Lass in post position order, followed by the horse’s jockey and trainer:

Peignoir, Irad Ortiz, Jr., Rodolphe Brisset; 2. Dream Concert, Jose Batista, Kathleen O’Connell; 3. Abundancia, Miguel Vasquez, Victor Barboza, Jr.; 4. American Retro, Antonio Gallardo, Ian Wilkes; 5. Literate, Samy Camacho, Martin Drexler; 6. Louder Than Words, Samuel Marin, Anthony Granitz; 7. Easy Come Easy Go, Sonny Leon, Renaldo Richards; 8. Little Jamie, Junior Alvarado, Robert Medina; 9. America’s Vow, Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr., Tim Hamm.

John Hancock wins debut impressively. Today’s eighth race for 3-year-old maidens featured the return to Tampa Bay Downs of trainer Brad Cox (or at least, one of his horses) after a six-year absence. Unraced John Hancock, a chestnut colt owned by WinStar Farm, LLC, CHC, INC., and Siena Farm, LLC, lived up to the high expectations, rolling to a 3-length victory from runner-up Mad House in 1:09.45 for the 6-furlong distance, .78 seconds off the track record.

Cox, who won Eclipse Awards as North America’s Outstanding Trainer in 2020 and 2021 in addition to capturing the 2020 Kentucky Derby with Mandaloun (via the disqualification of Medina Spirit) and 11 Breeders’ Cup races, finished third here in the 2019 Wayward Lass with Figarella’s Queen and third in the 2019 Florida Cup Turf Classic with Big Changes.

There were seven first-time starters in the 10-horse field, and John Hancock toyed with them like LeBron James against college players, setting early fractions of 22.13 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.41 for the half. From the beginning it was no contest, as the son of Constitution-Scribbling Sarah, by Freud, up from his Payson Park Training Center base in Indiantown, unleashed his natural ability freely.

“That was like riding a machine,” said winning jockey Samy Camacho. “I didn’t ask him 100 percent, just a little bit at the quarter pole, and after that I was on cruise control.

“They’re going to have fun with him. That horse has a great future.”

Only time will tell, but the visuals were quite impressive.

Around the oval. Camacho swept the late daily double, winning the ninth and final race on the turf on 10-1 shot General’s Duty. The 6-year-old gelding is owned by Goodwood Racing XII and trained by Jane Cibelli. Camacho also won the third race on Bold Baby, a 4-year-old filly owned by Juan Arriagada and Stephen J. Derany and trained by Arriagada.

Thoroughbred racing continues Friday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:15 p.m. The feature is the ninth race, a $54,000, 1-mile allowance/optional claiming race for fillies and mares 4-and-upward on the turf.

Tampa Bay Downs 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.