Thursday Notes from Tampa Bay Downs

THURSDAY NOTES

By Lynne Snierson

OLDSMAR, FL— There’s a lot of chatter about Spendthrift Farm’s Grade 2 winner Further Ado, who is making the first appearance of his sophomore season in Saturday’s Tampa Bay Derby and is the morning line 9-5 favorite. But trainer Danny Gargan thinks it would be a mistake to leave Talkin out of the conversation.

Talkin, whom Gargan sends out in the 46th running of the Grade 3, $400,000 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby that offers Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers (50-25-15-10-5), is also beginning his 3-year-old campaign. He last raced at Aqueduct when finishing ninth in the Grade 2 Remen contested at 1 1/8 miles December 18.

Prior to the Remsen, when making his second start Talkin was the runner-up in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont on October 4 though he was beaten six lengths.

“He kind of got lost out in the 11-hole in the Remsen and he got hung out wide in the first turn. He just didn’t get hold of the track that day. It’s just one of those things where he didn’t show up. In his other two races he got in trouble. The first time out he won (by a neck in a maiden special weight at Saratoga at 7 furlongs August 30) and then in the Champagne he got in trouble and still finished second. He got checked several times that day. Then in his last he got hung out wide, so hopefully he can turn in a big effort on Saturday,” said Gargan.

Talkin, installed at 15-1, will break from Post 2 under Joel Rosario in the field of nine 3-year-olds traveling the Kentucky Derby trail. Redlands Rebels, Roger That Dana, Hulkamania, Powershift, Thunder Buck, The Puma, and Canaletto are entered to join Talkin and Further Ado in the starting gate.

Talkin has already earned five Kentucky Derby qualifying points and a good showing on Saturday would propel him toward Louisville and Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. The son of Good Magic has wintered at Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida and has turned in a steady progression of solid works these past couple of months.

“We gave him three or four weeks off after the Remsen and then he went to the farm where he was turned out and just jogged. Since he’s come in (to the barn) he’s marched right along and he’s improved every week we’ve had him in. I think he’s doing super well.” His trainer said. “I don’t necessarily think he has to win this one, he just has to run one, two, or three and get back on track and get going in the right direction.”

The last time Gargan had a Kentucky Derby horse was 2024 when Society Man ran 16th and Dornoch finished 10th. Dornoch would go on to an exceptional season, winning both the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and the Grade 1 Haskell before being retired due to injury shortly before the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

There are similarities between Talkin, who were both sired by Good Magic. Talkin is owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Pine Racing Stables, Legendary Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding, and R. A. Hill Stable. Dornoch raced for an ownership group that included Randy Hill, Belmar, and Pine Racing.

“Talkin’s a little different than Dornoch. Obviously, Dornoch was a big, strong, impressive horse. He’s a real pretty horse. He’s not a super big horse but he’s a real pretty horse and he’s a nice horse. He’s a really talented horse. I wish we could have got one more work in him, but we’ve got to get a race in him now to make the next spot,” said Gargan.

The trainer will be on track to saddle Talkin, and he’ll send him to the gate with confidence.

“I think he’s going to run really well. Hopefully, he redeems himself on Saturday,” he said.

If Talkin does, he’ll remind his connections of their former stable star Dornoch.

“Let’s hope he turns out to be as good as him,” Gargan said with a laugh.

The Tampa Bay Derby headlines a stacked card featuring five stakes races on the track’s prestigious Festival Day 46. The other stakes on Saturday’s card are the Grade 2, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes for fillies and mares 4-years-old-and-upward at a distance of a mile-and-an-eighth on the turf course; the Grade 3, $200,000 Florida Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass; the Grade 3, $125,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes for horses 4-and-upward at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the main track; and the $125,000 Columbia Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on the turf.

Juddmonte’s homebred Disco Time, last seen when suffering his first career defeat with an 8th place finish in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream on January 24th headlines the seven horse field in the Challenger Stakes. Both Tampa Bay Derby Favorite Further Ado are trained by two-time Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox.

Disco Time will have the services of reigning Eclipse Award-winning rider Flavien Prat, who will be in the irons on 5-2 second choice Canaletto for Chad Brown in the Tampa Bay Derby.

Cox will also saddle Destino D’Oro in the Hillsborough. The 4-year-old filly won the Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational last time out at Gulfstream Park on January 24 and is seeking her third consecutive stakes and second straight Grade 2 stakes victory. Junior Alvarado gets the return call.

First post for Saturday’s 12-race card is at 12:15 pm. The Tamps Bay Derby is slated to go off at 5:35 pm.

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