TURF SPRINT SHOWCASE NOMS RELEASED; “HEARTS REACHING OUT” IS MARCH 3

By Mike Henry —-

TURF SPRINT SHOWCASE NOMS RELEASED; “HEARTS REACHING OUT” IS MARCH 3

OLDSMAR, FL. – Nominations have been released for the $125,000 Turf Dash Stakes and the $125,000 Lightning City Stakes, a pair of 5-furlong grass events highlighting Turf Sprint Showcase Day on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Turf Dash is for males 4-years-old-and-upward and the Lightning City is for fillies and mares 4-and-upward.

Our Shot, a 6-year-old gelding owned by Gatsas Stables, Steven Schoenfeld and John P. Terranova, II and trained by Terranova, heads the list of 24 nominees for the Turf Dash. The Pennsylvania-bred concluded his 2024 campaign by winning the Grade II, 5 ½-furlong Woodford Stakes on Oct. 5 on the Keeneland turf course. Our Shot is 6-for-19 lifetime, with career earnings of $570,080.

Also nominated are the 1-2 finishers in last year’s Turf Dash, Smithwick’s Spice and Extendo. Smithwick’s Spice, a 9-year-old gelding owned by New Spice Stable and trained by Doug Nunn, has 14 career victories and earnings of $730,542. Extendo, a 5-year-old horse owned by Robert Cotran and trained by Joseph Orseno, is 5-for-18 lifetime.

Chess Master, who won back-to-back editions of the Turf Dash in 2022 and 2023, joins Smithwick’s Spice as a 9-year-old nominee. He is owned by Flying P Stable and trained by Jorge Abreu. He raced only once last year, finishing second in a turf claiming sprint at Saratoga in August.

The Turf Dash nominees also include 5-year-old horse Super Chow, a multiple-Grade III winner owned by Lea Farms and trained by Jorge Delgado who has never tried turf, and 5-year-old gelding Honeyquist, a West Virginia-bred speedball owned by Mammas Boys Thoroughbred Racing Group, Ultra Championship Racing and James F. Miller and trained by Anthony Farrior.

Here are the links to the nominations for the Turf Dash Stakes and their past performances:

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SN-TAM-20250222-592634

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-TAM-20250222-592634

There are 29 fillies and mares nominated to the Lightning City Stakes, headed by career millionaire Danse Macabre. The 5-year-old mare is owned by NBS Stable and Elements Racing and trained by Kelsey Danner.

Danse Macabre has four lifetime stakes victories, including the Grade III Herecomesthebride Stakes in 2023 at Saratoga.

Also nominated to the Lightning City are 4-year-old Florida-bred filly Great Venezuela, owned by Orlyana Farm and trained by Victor Barboza, Jr., who is 6-for-9 lifetime with two seconds; 5-year-old Florida-bred Beauty of the Sea, a two-time stakes winner last year owned by Ironhorse Racing Stable and trained by Joseph Orseno; and trainer Chad Brown’s 5-year-old Risk Threshold, owned by Klaravich Stables.

Here are the links to the nominations for the Lightning City Stakes and their past performances:

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SN-TAM-20250222-592655

https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-TAM-20250222-592655

“Hearts Reaching Out” Tournament upcoming. The 33rd annual “Hearts Reaching Out” Golf Tournament, which benefits the good works and benevolence of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America-Tampa Bay Downs Division, will be played Monday, March 3 at Lansbrook Golf Club in Palm Harbor.

The tournament begins with a 1 p.m. shotgun start. The cost of $110 a player includes golf, on-course contests, range balls, a boxed lunch, beverages and a goody bag. The RTCA-Tampa Bay Downs Division provides for the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of the track’s backside workers.

Various sponsorship deals are available. The Triple Crown Golf Sponsorship, which costs $2,500, includes a foursome with golfer packages, a recognition sign at the tournament and the sponsor’s name on every hole sign. Individual hole sponsorships are $150 (four for $500), offering an individual or company name on a hole sign.

Additionally, donations can be mailed to RTCA/Tampa Bay Downs, Post Office Box 2211, Oldsmar, FL, 34677 (make checks out to Race Track Chaplaincy of America).

The chaplaincy also appreciates donations such as gift cards, restaurant certificates and golf items that can be used for prizes at the tournament.

The “Hearts Reaching Out” Tournament kicks off the track’s Festival week, which is highlighted on Saturday, March 8 with a racing card featuring five stakes races, including the Grade III, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby – a “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points race – and the Grade II, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes on the turf.

Individuals and/or foursomes can reserve their places in the tournament by visiting rtcatbd.square.site on the Internet. For more details, call Chaplain Alex DeLima at (727) 242-2552 or Dr. Bill Owens at (813) 240-1340.

Around the oval. In today’s feature race, the second, 3-year-old gelding Tapirs Valor moved to the lead in the stretch and held off Cockeyed by ¾-length. Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr., rode the winner of the 6-furlong allowance/optional claiming event. Tapirs Valor is owned by Runnymoore Racing and trained by Tim Hamm, who also won the ninth and final race on the turf with E Minor, a 5-year-old gelding owned by Blazing Meadows Farm and ridden by Pablo Morales.

Samuel Marin rode two winners today. He captured the third race on Keep On Rockin, a 5-year-old Florida-bred mare owned by Ballybrit Stable and trained by Mike Dini. Marin added the seventh race on the turf on Thingamabob, a 3-year-old Florida-bred colt owned by Terri Pompay and Barry Berkelhammer and trained by Pompay.

The Legends Bar on the second floor of the Grandstand will be open for simulcast action at 11 a.m. on Monday, which is Presidents’ Day. Among the tracks in action are Parx, Aqueduct, Oaklawn Park, Fair Grounds, Santa Anita and Mahoning Valley.

Thoroughbred racing continues Friday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:40 p.m. Tampa Bay Downs races each Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and 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.