Flameaway fending off the challenge of Catholic Boy, photo by SV Photography
The 38th running of the Grade II, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby is slated to run this weekend at Tampa Bay Downs, with fifty coveted Kentucky Derby points going to the winner. A deep and talented field of 11 has assembled for the event, all in hot pursuit of earning a spot in the starting gates on the first Saturday in May.
Sam F. Davis winner, Flameaway, is back for more in the Tampa Bay Derby. This hard knocking and versatile son of Scat Daddy has brought nothing but guts, determination, and glory to the track this year. Both of his starts as a three-year-old have resulted in worthy trips to the winner’s circle, and this gritty colt looks poised to keep his perfect record for the season going.
Flameaway may not be as high on many people’s Derby lists compared to some of his peers, but if you stop and think about it, there isn’t much that you can fault him with. This plucky youngster has proven himself to be both a gallant and consistent competitor on more than one occasion. Since the age of two, Flameaway has displayed undeniable courage when it comes to his will to win. To date, this resilient horse has won on a synthetic track, the dirt, the turf, and the mud, at distances ranging from 4 ½ furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. No matter the track, conditions or distance, Flameaway will run his race.
After refusing to relinquish the lead in the Sam F. Davis Stakes, Flameaway scorched over the wire to not only defeat his foes, but to defeat the track record as well. His final time for the 1 1/16 mile event stopped the clock in 1:42.44, making it the fastest Sam F. Davis Stakes ever run. In the process, Flameaway managed to derail Catholic Boy, the impressive winner of the Remsen Stakes (Gr. 2), as well as Vino Rosso, a colt who had previously been undefeated. With a powerful drive to win, a stakes record under his belt, a victory over solid competition, and consistency that most of his rivals appear to lack, Flameaway looks ready to strike again as he takes a step closer on his journey to the Kentucky Derby.
Vino Rosso, who ran a game third in the Sam F. Davis, is back to take another crack at Flameaway in the Tampa Bay Derby. With two solid wins to go along with his stakes-placed effort, there is a lot to like about this classy son of Curlin. He has already shown an affinity for the surface at Tampa Bay Downs, having run well on it twice. His liking to the track gives him a nice advantage, as not all horses appear to appreciate the somewhat quirky strip of dirt at Tampa Bay Downs.
Vino Rosso’s trainer, Todd Pletcher, is no stranger when it comes to winning the Tampa Bay Derby. With five wins in this event, Todd Pletcher currently holds the record for the most wins by a trainer in the Tampa Bay Derby. After conditioning last year’s Tampa Bay Derby victor, Tapwrit, Pletcher aims to obtain back-to-back wins and keep his record going. Thanks to Vino Rosso, he has a very live chance to do so. The pedigree of this steadily improving colt suggests that he should get better with distance, so if he manages to secure Kentucky Derby points on Saturday, I think he will relish the distance of the run for the roses, come May.
The last horse that appears to be sitting on a big effort on Saturday is Tiz Mischief. This strapping son of Into Mischief has been nothing but game and persistent from the first time he hit the track as a two-year-old. In four career starts, Tiz Mischief has never finished worse than third. After breaking his maiden on his second try, the aristocratic bay boldly launched himself straight into stakes company, in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (Gr.2). He didn’t win that day, but he did manage to run a massive race to be second to the regally bred, Enticed. His defeat came in the form of an inauspicious bob of the nose, a mere inch short of victory.
After his valiant defeat in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, Tiz Mischief did not race again until the age of three. His seasonal debut came in the grade 2, Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, where he finished third. Now that Tiz Mischief has had a race under his belt for the year, he should be even more fit coming into the Tampa Bay Derby than he already was. The gritty contestant is likely to improve off of his last start, and should be right there in the stretch on Saturday, fighting to the wire.
I expect the Tampa Bay Derby to come down to Flameaway, Vino Rosso, and Tiz Mischief when the starting gates spring open on race day. However, if you’re looking for a sneaky long shot to use underneath them, look no further than Untamed Domain. This athletic bay has never run a poor race, always managing to finish in the top three in all five of his career starts. Untamed Domain has never competed on the dirt before, so a run in the Tampa Bay Derby will be a major test for the young colt. However, he is by the stallion, Animal Kingdom, who was able to win on synthetic, turf, and dirt tracks during his career, including a score in the 2011 Kentucky Derby. If Untamed Domain inherited even a fraction of the versatility that his sire possessed, then he has nothing to worry about on Saturday.
I want to end this segment with two honorable mentions. Due to inclement weather, traveling plans for both Free Drop Billy and Enticed have been put on hold. The goal for both of the colts is to run in the Gotham Stakes in New York, but the tricky weather has forced their trainers to cross-enter them in the Tampa Bay Derby as a precaution. In the event that Enticed and Free Drop Billy are not able to make it to New York, I expect them each to make some noise in the Tampa Bay Derby. However, since the Gotham Stakes is their main target, and it is likely that they will ultimately run there, I will reserve my analysis of them for my Gotham Stakes review that will be coming later in the week.
Thank you to SV Photography for providing the pictures of Flameaway and Vino Rosso!
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Stay tuned for my analysis of the Gotham Stakes and the San Felipe Stakes!
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