HALLANDALE BEACH - Jockey David Egan made a winning return to Gulfstream Park Thursday after spending two weeks back in Europe, guiding Lea Farms’ Never Count Me Out ($4) to a popular victory in Race 4.

    The 26-year-old Irish-born and Great Britain-based jockey, has ridden at Gulfstream during Europe’s offseason the past few years, notched his 18th winning ride of the Championship Meet aboard the Jorge Delgado-trained 3-year-old Tacitus colt in the 5-furlong, $35,000 maiden claiming race. Making his second career start, Never Count Me Out stumbled early before making a four-wide sweep to the lead and drawing off to win by five lengths.

    “This horse definitely wants longer,” Egan said. “The first jump was quick. The second step out of the gate he stumbled and went to his head, and I had to rush him down the backstretch, which was not ideal. But he’s was much the best. He’s a big strong horse.”

    Egan, the multiple Group 1 stakes-winning former British champion apprentice, is under contract with European sports agent Kia Joorabchian’s AMO Racing.

    “I was back in the U.K., riding some horses on the track. We have a lot of young horses coming through, so I was over there to breeze them at the farms,” Egan said. “It’s an important time of year getting these horses ready.”

    Egan has a busy riding schedule this weekend with six mounts today, 11 on Saturday’s 14-race Coolmore Fountain of Yout Day card, and nine on Sunday.

    “I’m here all of this week and next week anyway,” Egan said. “I’ve got some nice rides – a nice filly, Domino Vitali, for Jorge again for AMO Racing. I have lots of rides on Saturday, Fountain of Youth Day, not in the big one, but I’m in nearly all the other races.”

Champion Apprentice Moran Rides at Gulfstream Sunday

    Pietro Moran, who won the 2025 Outstanding Apprentice Eclipse Award, will begin riding at Gulfstream Sunday.

    The 20-year-old Irish-born jockey, whose meet-leading 140 wins at Woodbine included a $1 million King’s Plate victory aboard Mansetti, has been named on a pair of 3-year-old maidens by Canadian trainer Rachel Halden. He has the mounts on Magical Factor in Race 8, a 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight on turf, and Just In Touch in Race 11, a 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight race on turf for fillies.

    “I’ll ride here until April and head back to Woodbine,” said Moran, who lived in Ireland for six years before moving with his family to Canada. “I’m here for the experience. It’s a good room with a lot of good riders I can learn from and a lot of good trainers and owners.”

    Moran no longer qualifies for the five-pound apprentice allowance.

    “I’ve been very fortunate so far. I’ve had a lot of opportunities and support, and I hope to keep it going,” Moran said.

          

         

    OLDSMAR - It looked for all the world as if pair of longshot winners had helped to create a huge late Pick-5 carryover pool going into Friday’s action.

    Instead, 9-5 second choice Midway Vow staged a dramatic rally in the ninth and final on the turf under jockey Cipriano Gil for a victory that enabled one bettor to take home the whole Pick-5 shebang of $98,367.

    Earlier victories by 46-1 shot Curlin Gunner in the sixth race and 17-1 shot Keigs in the seventh had raised everyone’s hopes (well, almost everyone) of a carryover, but the 5-year-old mare Midway Vow proved best in sterling fashion, showing that sometimes a pot of gold does rest at the end of a rainbow for somebody.

  John Oxley’s Silent Tactic (Tacitus-Magical Sign, by Gun Runner) roared late to capture the $1 million, Gr. III Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, putting himself on the Kentucky Derby trail and leading the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week.

    Ridden by Cristian Torres and trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Silent Tactic led a sweep of the top three places by OBS grads when he finished 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Solider N Diplomat with Buetane a head farther back in third. He collected 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and has 25 points overall. Silent Tactic, a son of Tacitus, also became the first graded stakes winner for his sire.

    “He wanted to go and I just waited a little bit longer,” Torres told Oaklawn Park publicity. “I knew when I got him clear he was going to fire for me. Good horse. Hopefully, he’s going to keep improving. The more distance the better, I think.”

    Silent Tactic was purchased by Justin Casse for $500,000 at the 2025 OBS April Sale from the Thorostock consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    At Santa Anita Park, El Potente (Temple City – Charmsil, by Silver Charm) won the Gr. 3, $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes for the second year in a row when rolling to a front-running victory.

    Trained by Dan Blacker, El Potente is owned by My Way Racing and was purchased by McMahon and Hill Bloodstock, agent, for $35,000 out of the Nice and Easy Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2021 OBS June Sale after breezing in :10 1/5.

    The Feb. 7 card at Santa Anita also saw Light Won Up (City of Light-Factorofwon, by The Factor) roll to a 2 ¾-length victory in the $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes.

    Trained by Doug O’Neill, the filly by City of Light bested fellow OBS grad Himika, who was making her turf debut. Light Won Up is owned by Purple Rein Racing and Mark D. Davis. She was purchased by her owners for $265,000 at last year’s OBS March Sale from the Top Line Sales consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    At Tampa Bay Downs, Florida-bred stalwart Mystic Lake (Mo Town – Salty Soul, by Itsmyluckyday) broke on top and turned her speed up a notch after being headed briefly on the turn for home, powering to a 7 ½-length victory in the $125,000 Minaret Stakes.

    Now 12-for-22 lifetime, Mystic Lake increased her career bankroll to $1,537,517. She is owned by Miller Racing, BAG Racing Stables and Stefania Farms and trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. She is a two-time OBS graduate, sold by Summerfield (Francis & Barbara Vanlangendonck), Agent, at the 2022 October Yearling Sale and then purchased for $130,000 out of the Tom McCrocklin consignment at the 2023 March Sale after breezing in :20 4/5.

    At Turfway Park, BSF Equine Athlete’s Coco Connect (Connect-Miss Chanel, by Commissioner) notched her first career stakes victory when she defeated five rivals by a half-length in the $125,000 Valdale Stakes.

    Trained by John Ennis, Coco Connect was purchased by Jeremiah O'Dwyer, agent at the 2025 OBS March Sale for $150,000 from the Wildheart Thoroughbreds consignment after breezing in :21.

    At Oaklawn Park, heavily favored Roll On Big Joe (Prospective – Nina’s Gift, by Victory Gallop) carried his razor-sharp form into 2026, scoring a half-length victory over Tejano Twist in the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes.

    The King Cotton was the fifth career stakes victory and third consecutive for Roll On Big Joe, owned by Rancho Temescal, Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, White Fence and Richard Hale Jr. All five stakes victories have come in the last year, including the $150,000 Ring the Bell Dec. 13 at Oaklawn to conclude his 2025 campaign.

    Trained by Bob Hess Jr., Roll On Big Joe was purchased by Southern California-based owner Tim Cohen (Rancho Temescal) for $90,000 at the 2022 OBS June Sale from the Gayle Woods consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

    At Santa Anita, Jim Daniell’s Yellow Card (Lost Treasure (IRE)-Paris Girl, by Pulpit) closed to win the $100,000 Clockers’ Corner Stakes.

    Trained by Michael McCarthy, Yellow Card earned his first stakes win. He was purchased by West Bloodstock at the 2023 OBS April Sale for $87,000 from the Little Farm Equine consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

    At Oaklawn Park, T. C. Stables and Hickory Stables’ Mackman (Union Rags-Silverpocketsfull, by Indian Charlie) earned his first stakes victory when he captured the $135,000 General MacArthur Overnight Stakes. Trained by Matt Shirer, Mackman was purchased by his owners for $160,000 at the 2022 OBS April Sale from the Mayberry Farm consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    OLDSMAR - As part of its centennial celebration, Tampa Bay Downs will host the 11th annual “Jockeys and Jeans” Fundraiser for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund on Friday and Saturday on the first floor of the Grandstand.

    Friday’s event from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. is billed as a “Once in a Lifetime” Autograph Meet & Greet event featuring such legendary riders as Steve Cauthen, Laffit Pincay Jr., Angel Cordero Jr., Pat Day, Chris McCarron, Jean Cruguet, Sandy Hawley, Jacinto Vasquez, Edgar Prado, Jorge Velasquez, Mike Manganello, Ramon Dominguez, Earlie Fires and others.

    Tickets are available for the “Once in a Lifetime” event for $40 apiece on the “Jockeys and Jeans” website at www.jockeysandjeans.com.

    On Saturday, active jockeys will be available for autograph signing from noon-2 p.m. on the first floor of the grandstand. A donation to the PDJF is requested.

    The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund is a 501 (c) (3) public charity that provides financial assistance to approximately 60 former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries, predominantly paralysis and/or brain injuries.

    Festival Preview Day was filled with memorable performances. Victories Saturday by 3-year-old colt Renegade in the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes and Zany in the $125,000 Suncoast Stakes highlighted an outstanding day of racing.

    Renegade, who collared longshot leader Wayne’s Law in the stretch and rolled on to victory under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., is likely to make his next start on March 28 in the Arkansas Derby, according to both trainer Todd Pletcher and co-owner Mike Repole of Repole Stable. Renegade’s breeders and co-owners, Robert and Lawana Low, are Springfield, Mo., residents known as passionate Oaklawn Park supporters.

    Pletcher told racing journalist Lynne Snierson they will keep their options open, but ruled out a return to Oldsmar for the Gr. III, $400,000 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby on March 7.

    A crowd of 5,261 turned out for the festivities in cool, sunny weather. Total all-sources wagering handle was $11,484,564.
Somewhat overlooked amid four exciting stakes races were strong undercard performances by a pair of 3-year-old maidens.

    In the sixth race, first-time starter Emerging Market, a son of Candy Ride out of an Empire Maker mare, rallied stoutly through the stretch to catch the favorite, fellow first-time starter Powershift, by three-quarters of a length. Flavien Prat was aboard the winner for owner Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown.

    Emerging Market’s time of 1:39.11 for the mile-and-40-yard distance was .97 seconds off Golden Juan’s track record. Powershift finished 13 ½  lengths ahead of third-place finisher Make My Day.

    Three races later, another first-time starter, Kokomotion, rallied from dead-last early to post a resounding 8 ¼-length victory from Ati Girl in a mile-and-sixteenth turf event for maiden 3-year-old fillies. Jevian Toledo was aboard for the romp in the sunshine. Kokomotion is a daughter of Quality Road owned by Icon Racing Stable and trained by Whit Beckman.

    Turf Sprint Showcase Day is Saturday. Rezasrolex, a 5-year-old Florida-bred gelding who is riding a nine-race winning streak, is a probable entrant for Saturday’s $100,000, 5-furlong Turf Dash Stakes for older horses sprinting 5 furlongs on the Oldsmar turf course.

    Rezasrolex won his Tampa Bay Downs debut on Jan. 11 on the grass under jockey Edgard Zayas, scoring in :55.65 seconds for 5 furlongs. He is owned by his breeder Scott Herbertson and trained by Joseph Orseno.

    Last season’s Turf Dash winner, trainer Gerald Bennett’s 5-year-old gelding Rouki, is also among the probable starters.

    The other stakes race on the card is the $100,000, 5-furlong Lightning City Stakes for older fillies and mares on the grass. Trainer Victor Barboza Jr.’s 5-year-old mare and 2025 winner Great Venezuela is expected to return to defend.

    Rouki sprang a 20-1 upset last year in the Turf Dash for Bennett and owner Tropic Lightning Racing. He has five victories from 14 lifetime starts. Samy Camacho was aboard for the triumph. Great Venezuela, who is owned by Orlyana Farm, won the 2025 Lightning City under Leonel Reyes as the 2-1 favorite. Great Venezuela is 9-for-16 lifetime with four seconds.

    In the Turf Dash, Bennett may also start Team Equistaff’s 4-year-old gelding Aegon Targaryen. Other Turf Dash probables include multiple stakes-winner Coppola, from the barn of Dale Romans, and 5-year-old gelding and career millionaire and six-time stakes-winner My Boy Prince, a multiple Gr. I-placed Ontario-bred trained by Mark Casse.

    Two horses from the Casse barn are under consideration for the Lightning City: 5-year-old Creed’s Gold, who won the Gr. III Hendrie at Woodbine last July in her most recent start, and 4-year-old filly Abientot, a Gr. II winner. Expected to make her Oldsmar turf course debut is 6-year-old Love Appeals, a multiple stakes-winner trained by Miguel Clement.

    Around the oval. Daniel Centeno rode three winners today. He captured the first race on 6-year-old Florida-bred ridgling Copazo for owner GOP Racing Stable and trainer Gerard Ochoa, then added the sixth race with Blue Fashion, a 5-year-old mare owned by Amaty Racing Stables and trained by Jose A. Gallegos. Blue Fashion was claimed for $8,000 by trainer Gregg Sacco for new owner Elliot Mavorah.

    Centeno wasn’t done yet, winning the eighth aboard first-time starter Hulkamania, a 3-year-old colt owned by Hoolie Racing Stable, Blue Mist Racing and Icon Racing Stable and trained by Whit Beckman.

    All patrons attending the Wednesday, Feb. 18 racing program marking the 100th anniversary of the first race in track history will receive a season Grandstand pass for the 2026-27 meet.

   HALLANDALE BEACH - 1/ST today announced a new partnership with Arranca TV, launching a dedicated Spanish-language horse racing channel on YouTube designed to deliver live race coverage, analysis, and original programming to Spanish-speaking fans across the United States and internationally.

    The channel is available now on YouTube  https://youtube.com/@arrancatv

    The Arranca TV channel will feature live race coverage from Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park from Thursday through Sunday, along with interactive live chats, interviews, and behind-the-scenes access that bring fans closer to the sport’s biggest moments.

    “Having covered horse racing at the highest level for years, launching Arranca TV allows me to bring Spanish-speaking fans closer to the sport with the depth, emotion, and professionalism they deserve,” said Pedro Casella, founder of Arranca TV. “Working alongside 1/ST makes that vision possible.”

    Arranca TV will operate under a three-tier subscription model, offering fans flexible access ranging from live race broadcasts and interactive chats to premium weekly programming, exclusive handicapping content, and VIP-level engagement with Casella and the Arranca TV team. The platform is designed to deliver a more immersive, personalized experience for racing fans at every level.

    In addition to the YouTube presence, Arranca TV will also be offering a subscription-based viewing option through its official website, ArrancaTV.com, which is currently under construction. This platform is being developed to provide fans with another way to enjoy live racing from Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park, particularly for audiences in markets where YouTube subscriptions can be more challenging.

    Both platforms will operate under the same paid-access model and are designed to complement each other while expanding reach and improving the overall fan experience

    Joining Casella is Claudia Spadaro, an acclaimed racing content creator and racing personality who will serve as Arranca TV’s on-site reporter. Spadaro will provide paddock coverage, winner’s circle interviews, and race-day reporting. Spadaro made history as the first woman to broadcast major horse racing events in Spanish including the Breeders’ Cup, Preakness Stakes, and Pegasus World Cup.

    “Arranca TV is exactly the kind of platform we want to support - authentic voices, deep racing knowledge, and real interaction with fans,” said Joe Longo, Chief Revenue Officer at 1/ST. “Pedro Casella and Claudia Spadaro understand how to tell racing’s story in Spanish, and this partnership helps bring the sport closer to a broader audience in a modern, engaging way.”

    OLDSMAR - Morning rain and chilly winds did little to diminish the enthusiasm of bettors seeking a pot of gold at the end of Sunday’s late Pick 5, which started with a carryover pool of $80,016 because no one selected the winners of Saturday’s final five races.

    By post time for the fifth race – at almost the exact time the sun peeked through the clouds for one of the few times – an additional $664,026 had been funneled into the 50-cent late Pick 5, creating a mammoth pool of $744,042.

    With one betting favorite and four second choices winning the late Pick 5 events, plenty of winners (1,165, to be exact) cashed in on the 1-6-8-4-5 combination, each winning ticket worth $552.75.

    Leading jockey Samuel Marin enjoyed another big day, riding four winners on the nine-race card. Marin also won four races Wednesday and has 49 for the meet. He was aboard 3-year-old Florida-bred gelding Net Profit in the fourth race for owner Karen S. Nielsen and trainer Jon Arnett. Marin added the sixth on Twilight Dancer, a 5-year-old gelding owned and trained by Juan Arriagada.

    Marin came right back to win the seventh on the turf on Navigation, who was making his first career start. Navigation is owned by Stone Farm, Madaket Stables, Oakwood Stables and Paul Braverman and trained by Miguel Clement. Marin made it three in a row and four overall in the eighth, piloting 4-year-old Florida-bred filly Long Gone Sally to victory for owner Tom Abrahamson and trainer Lynn Rarick.

    The victory was the fourth in a row at the meet for Long Gone Sally, who was claimed by Rarick after her second victory here for $8,000.

    Nine-time leading trainer Gerald Bennett swept the early daily double. Bennett won the first race with 3-year-old Florida-bred filly Duchess Eleanor, who is owned by his Winning Stables, and Todd R. Bittiger. Jose Batista was the jockey.

    Bennett captured the second with 5-year-old Florida-bred mare Three Run Bolt, owned by Averill Racing and Jayson R. Werth and ridden by Samy Camacho. Three Run Bolt was claimed from the race for $6,250 by new owner-trainer Jose Antonio Vargas.

    Camacho also won the fifth race on the turf on Fitz Right, a 3-year-old filly owned by Michael Dubb, William H. Lawrence, The Elkstone Group (Stuart Grant) and Michael E. Kisber and trained by Chad Brown. Camacho made it three on the day in the ninth, prevailing on Cupid’s dude for owner Amazing Luxury Miami and leading trainer Juan Carlos Avila.

    Saturday is the track’s annual “Cap Giveaway Day.” All patrons will receive the centennial black cap with gold lettering against the Tampa Bay Downs 100 logo with their paid admission, while supplies last. Encircling the logo are the words “100 Years of Thoroughbred Racing,” and directly below, the years “1926-2026.”

    Tampa Bay Downs jockeys will be on hand to sign the caps for fans wanting autographs. The gates will open at 11 a.m.

    “Cap Giveaway Day” kicks off a fun-filled weekend that will also be highlighted by the first “Mouse’s Kids & Family Days” celebration on Sunday, Jan. 25. Fans of all ages get to meet track mascot Mouse the Miniature Horse, while youngsters can choose between bounce houses, pony rides and a variety of games and special activities. Buzzy’s Food Truck will also be on the scene.

    OLDSMAR - Since her horses were sidelined for seven racing days in December, Tampa Bay Downs trainer Kathleen O’Connell has been making up for lost time.

    O’Connell sent out four winners on Jan. 2, tying a track record she established in 2003. It is shared by Gerald Bennett (three times), Jamie Ness (twice) and Chad Brown. That performance was instrumental in O’Connell earning the Martin’s Italian Trainer of the Month Award.

    It also kindled hopes for a third consecutive Oldsmar training crown and fifth overall for O’Connell, who first won the title in 1998-99 and captured it again in 2009-10, tying with Ness. O’Connell has nine victories, trailing Juan Carlos Avila (18), Juan Arriagada (13) and Bennett (12).

    More on O’Connell in a moment. With $817,003 funneled into today’s late Pick 5 carryover pool, the potential for a huge payoff seemed likely, and victories in the first two legs by 17-1 and 20-1 shots seemed to assure it. At the end of the card, the winning 4-11-10-6-2 combination paid $21,765 apiece to 35 lucky ticket holders.

\    The Ultimate 6 was also hit, with one bettor correctly selecting the winners of the final six races – the old 8-4-11-10-6-2 combination – to the tune of $33,093.

    Back to O’Connell, one of the track’s most popular trainers due as much to her humility as her winning ways. “Four in a day doesn’t happen too often,” she said Wednesday from Gulfstream Park, where she is overseeing her south Florida string this week. “We felt they were all in good spots and drew good post positions, but you still need to get a good trip to win.
“I’m very happy for everyone in our crew and the owners – it was very hard for them to watch races their horses were supposed to run in.”

    Her record-tying afternoon began when the 5-year-old mare Fullmoonmagic won the first race for owner Joseph Capriglione, with Sonny Leon in the saddle. O’Connell and Leon teamed to win the sixth race with Stonehedge-bred and owned 3-year-old filly Justamomentplease, who was claimed from the race for $16,000 by trainer Ralph N. Baez.

    O’Connell added the eighth race with DiBello Racing homebred 6-year-old mare Princess Britni, ridden by Jose Ferrer, and the ninth on the turf with Katies a Lady, a 7-year-old mare owned by Double D Stable and ridden by Ademar Santos.

    O’Connell’s barn was one of two sidelined last month by a quarantine imposed after a horse was confirmed to have the neurological form of EHV-1 (Equine Herpesvirus Type 1), which is highly contagious. No other horse on the grounds tested positive or displayed any signs of having the virus.

    Tampa Bay Downs established numerous safety measures to keep the virus from spreading, including requiring workers at both barns to wear protective footwear and clothing and adopting a temporary training schedule for the affected barns – after the rest of the track’s horse population had already been out and galloped or breezed.

    “It was a very tough thing to go through, but everyone on our team pulled together and did a great job. It was a total group effort,” O’Connell said. “Horses are creatures of habit who want structure and routine, and we had to break that up and go to a different routine that was hard on everybody, including the horses. I am a firm believer in schooling a horse at the starting gate and we didn’t have gate-schooling for 21 days, so everything needed to be revamped and we did the best that we could.”

    On Sundays during the quarantine, when there was no racing, the track maintenance department dragged the racetrack after horses from other barns had worked to provide O’Connell’s horses a smooth surface. O’Connell cited that as one example of track officials working closely with her to ensure she could keep her horses as race-ready as possible.

    “I thought they did a great job of accommodating our needs wherever possible,” she said. “Everybody worked together and tried to do things in a safe manner while helping us with what we needed to get back into action.”

    That is when O’Connell and her charges are at their best. Since joining the training ranks in 1981, she has sent out 2,606 career winners, briefly holding the No. 1 spot all-time among North American female trainers in 2023 before being passed by Linda Rice. O’Connell’s national profile skyrocketed in 2015 as the trainer of exciting 3-year-old filly Lady Shipman, who finished second by a neck to Mongolian Saturday in the TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland after winning six stakes and setting two course records.

    O’Connell has also trained the likes of 2011 Gr. II Tampa Bay Derby winner Watch Me Go, her lone Kentucky Derby starter; Blazing Sword, a winner of three graded stakes from 1997-2000; 2019 Gr. III Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Well Defined; Stormy Embrace, winner of back-to-back runnings of the Gr. II Princess Rooney Stakes in 2018-19; and Ivanavinalot, who won the Gr. II Bonnie Miss Stakes in 2003 and is the dam of Hall of Fame member Songbird.

    OLDSMAR - After jockey Vernon Bush fractured his back in three places and broke a rib last August when his mount flipped over in the post parade at Belterra Park, some relatives and close friends began planning a retirement party.

    But the 64-year-old Bush, who began riding in 1978 at River Downs in Ohio, asked them to hold off until he got to Tampa Bay Downs and won one more race. “I wanted to go out on top and be able to hold my head high and say I did it my way. There is no better way to go out than on a winner,” Bush said Thursday, still savoring his victory on 18-1 shot Protest in Wednesday’s seventh race, a 7-furlong maiden claiming event.

    Bush had ridden the (now)-6-year-old gelding to a decent fourth-place finish on Dec. 31 for owner Carla March and her husband, trainer William March. “He made a good run and got a little tired, but I knew he had to improve off that race,” Bush said. “When I got to the winner’s circle, Bill March told me ‘I knew you were going to do this.’ ”

    For Bush and the Marches, Protest’s victory brought things full circle. Bush had won numerous races for the couple on their horse Well Connected, including a starter/optional claiming race for them two years ago at Tampa Bay Downs.

    Bush, the brother of Midwest trainer George Bush, retires with 3,288 career victories and total purse earnings of $25,212,469. Best known for his success in New England, he won six riding titles at Suffolk Downs in Boston and four at Rockingham Park in New Hampshire. He rode six winners on a card at both Suffolk and Northampton Fair in Massachusetts.

    Among almost a half-century of racing-related memories, Bush also notes a piece of trivia: He was moved up from third to first in two separate races when the top two finishers were both disqualified.

    “I’ve ridden so many nice horses through my career. I won stakes at Rockingham, Suffolk, all the Ohio tracks and New Jersey. I’ve won races at almost every track on the East Coast and the Atlantic Seaboard from Saratoga to Gulfstream and Hialeah. I’ve been very lucky and had a very good career,” said Bush, whose late father Vernon Bush was also a jockey.

    Bush did not ride from the summer of 2018 until March of 2022 due to a broken femur, a broken ankle and two hip surgeries, including a hip replacement. He worked at Belterra Park as a jockeys’ room supervisor and entry-taker in 2019 and 2020 before his love for racing inspired him to return to the saddle.

    Bush rode 47 winners after his comeback. He was honored three years ago with the Randy Romero Pure Courage Award, given to a jockey who has overcome serious injuries and/or adversity. Romero, a member of the sport’s Hall of Fame who died in 2019, incurred an abundance of racing-related injuries, requiring more than 20 surgeries.

    “I’m honored just to have my name next to his on something, and I hope it gives other people inspiration that they can overcome things in their life and go forward. Anything can be achieved when you put your mind to it,” Bush said.

    Bush created another lifetime memory last August, shortly before he was injured. He had found a saddle used at least 40 years earlier by jockey Al Herrera, the father of Bush’s close friend Marilee. Bush cleaned and polished the saddle and used it to ride 5-year-old mare Whiskey Diamond – owned and trained by George Bush, his brother – to an 18-length victory in a claiming race at Belterra Park.

    Bush plans to continue to exercise horses in the mornings (he was on four Wednesday). He hopes to continue working in the industry, possibly as a racing-office employee, and may try to become accredited as a steward.

    Wherever he winds up, Bush will be forgiven for occasionally reflecting on the thrills, the big wins, the occasional setbacks and the friendships he has made throughout his career.

    “It’s that time for me. I have to step away. I know I can still ride a race and not interfere with a horse, but I’d rather go out on top than ride a lot of races not knowing if I would win again. I can say that I enjoyed every moment of my career and I’m happy the way it ended,” he said.

    OLDSMAR - One of the track’s most popular promotions, the “Live It Up Challenge” handicapping contest, begins Saturday, running through the March 7 Festival Day 46 card highlighted by the Gr. III ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby and the Gr. II Hillsborough Stakes on the turf.

    Players may register for the contest free of charge at www.liveitupchallenge.com any time before 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.

    All wagers are mythical, with players required to make selections each racing day in any two of the three randomly selected “Challenge Races.” A player’s bankroll is based on the payoffs for their selections based on a $2 win, place and show wager.

    Participants start the contest with one free lifeline. If a player’s selections in both of a day’s “Challenge Races” do not hit the board, they lose a lifeline. Players may purchase up to eight additional lifelines for $5 each upon signup; up to eight more for $10 each on Jan. 31; and up to four more for $25 each on Feb. 14.

    Once a player loses all their lifelines, they are eliminated. Players can only lose a maximum of one lifeline per day.

    The player with the largest bankroll will be declared the Grand Prize winner and will receive two seats in the High Rollers Contest in February of 2027 at Tampa Bay Downs, a $2,000 value. The second, third and fourth-place finishers will receive one High Rollers Contest seat apiece in February of 2027 at the Oldsmar oval, a $1,000 value.

    A bonus prize of $500 will go to the player who selects the most winners during the contest. The recipient of the “Most Winners” bonus may have been eliminated and does not have to remain active by the close of the contest period.

    If all players are eliminated before the conclusion of the contest, the four players with the highest bankrolls will win the prizes.

   To register and for a complete set of contest rules, visit www.liveitupchallenge.com on the Internet.

    MORRISTON - Pleasant Acres Stallions has announced the arrival of MR FISK’s first foal, a healthy filly out of NY-bred Brass Cat, a daughter of Gr. I-winning millionaire BLUEGRASS CAT.  
 
    “Our beautiful Brass Cat has blessed us with another big, athletic baby,” said breeder Martine Britell. “Paired with MR FISK’s amazing bloodlines and triple-digit speed, we are excited for this filly’s future!”
 
    “A stallion’s first foal is always a milestone, and this filly is exactly the kind of start you hope for,” said Christine Jones, Director of Stallion Services at Pleasant Acres Stallions. “MR FISK has the race record, the physical and the pedigree depth we believe Florida breeders deserve. He was a multiple graded stakes winner with triple-digit Beyer ability, and he brings the rare opportunity to access ARROGATE’s line along with a deep successful European female family. This first foal is a great start, and we can’t wait to see what his first crop delivers for Florida breeders.”
 
    MR FISK (Arrogate / Plein Air (IRE), by Manduro (GER)) delivers proven graded stakes class and consistency to the Pleasant Acres Stallions roster. Trained by Bob Baffert, he broke his maiden at Santa Anita, then returned to place second in the Affirmed Stakes at 1-1/16 miles on dirt. He went on to win the Shared Belief Stakes and the Gr. III Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar, and at four captured the Gr. III Californian Stakes and G. II Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes at Santa Anita, earning a triple-digit Beyer. MR FISK hit the board in seven of 11 starts, finishing in the money 64% of the time while facing deep, high-quality fields.
 
    On pedigree, MR FISK offers a rare continuation of ARROGATE’s line, as the four-time Gr. I winner stood for only three breeding seasons. The ARROGATE résumé includes victories in the Travers Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup, and Dubai World Cup, with earnings of $17.4 million.

    MR FISK’s dam, PLEIN AIR (IRE), is a two-time black-type winner on two continents and is by world champion MANDURO (GER), a multiple Gr. I winner who was ranked the IFHA’s top horse in the world for 2007 and later secured by Sheikh Mohammad for a reported $25 million in breeding rights. MANDURO is by MONSUN – four-time champion German sire who is considered the most successful stallion in the history of Germany. The female family is stacked with black type through multiple generations, reflecting the kind of speed, soundness, stamina, and durability that has repeatedly produced stakes performers in Europe and around the world.

    OLDSMAR - Sunday racing is set for its 2025-26 season debut today with a nine-race card beginning at 12:32 p.m. Course conditions permitting, there are three turf races on tap – the fifth, seventh and ninth – all at a distance of 1 mile.

    Sunday racing was first conducted at Tampa Bay Downs on Dec. 7, 1986. It arrived a little more than a year after the Florida State Supreme Court had overturned a lower court ruling that would have allowed Sunday racing, upsetting fans eager for more entertainment options on the weekend.

    The Supreme Court justices had ruled that a Sunday ban on gambling on horse racing was constitutional because it limited the opportunity for “mischief” and encouraged people to spend their leisure time in “more healthy recreational pursuits” and had a legitimate purpose: protecting the public “health, safety, morals or general welfare.”

    Many in the crowd of 5,893 those 39 seasons ago viewed things differently, and Sunday racing has remained an Oldsmar oval staple, introducing a new fan demographic appreciative of the grandeur and thrills of Thoroughbred racing.

    Tampa Bay Downs will race each Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the duration of the meet except for Easter Sunday, April 5, when the track will be closed. Beginning Sunday, Jan. 25, the track will hold a series of “Mouse’s Kids & Family Days” on various Sundays in the Backyard Picnic Area, with pony rides, bounce houses, games and special activities, a food truck and visits from the track mascot, Mouse the Miniature Horse.
Sounds like a lot of fun – the good, old-fashioned family kind that draws entertainment lovers from all walks of life.

    Juan Carlos Avila saddled three winners Saturday, extending his lead in the trainer race to 16-11 from Juan Arriagada. Avila won the third race with Midnight Onyx, a 6-year-old Florida-bred gelding owned by Establo Heluce and ridden by Samy Camacho. Avila added the fourth race with Homer Jones, a 5-year-old Florida-bred gelding owned by Nigale Racing Group and ridden by Cipriano Gil.

    With rain falling, Avila’s 4-year-old Florida-bred colt Gianluca Be Lucky played “catch-me-if-you-can,” going gate-to-wire in the ninth race under jockey Daniel Centeno. The speedster is owned by Julian De Mora, Jr.

    Camacho scored again in the fifth race on the turf aboard heavy favorite French Mistress, a 4-year-old filly owned by Martine Head and trained by Miguel Clement. That conditioner has been red-hot at the Oldsmar oval, with five victories and a second from his last seven Tampa Bay Downs starters – closer to perfect than it might appear, considering his entrants Willpowered and Duty finished 1-2 in Friday’s seventh race.

Crump remembered for chasing her dream.

    The Tampa Bay Downs community and racing fans across the country were saddened to learn of the passing Thursday of jockey Diane Crump, who made history in 1969 at Hialeah Park by becoming the first woman to ride in a parimutuel race and again the following year as the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby. She was 77.

    While most of the reports of her career focused on those two groundbreaking feats, Crump was a highly visible presence at the outset of her career at the track then known as Florida Downs. Her father, Walter Crump, owned a marina in Oldsmar, and horse-crazy Diane got a job at Lake Magdalene Farm in Tampa while attending Chamberlain High School.

    Crump set her sights on a career as a jockey despite facing widespread resistance in an era when many male jockeys believed women had no place on the racetrack, an opinion shared by a large segment of the betting population. Among a group that included fellow pioneers such as Kathy Kusner, Penny Ann Early, Barbara Jo Rubin, Patti Barton, Mary Bacon and Robyn Smith, Crump became the first to compete in a race, finishing 10th on Bridle ’n Bit at Hialeah Park on Feb. 7, 1969.

    On March 1, 1969 at Florida Downs, Crump was first across the finish line on Bridle ’n Bit, entering the winner’s circle for what appeared to be her first career triumph (Barbara Jo Rubin had won a race at Charles Town the previous week to become the first female jockey to score a victory). But Crump’s win was reversed by the Florida State Racing Commission because of a rule that prohibited a horse claimed at Hialeah from running elsewhere before the conclusion of the south Florida track’s meeting.

    The 20-year-old Crump would have to wait almost three more weeks before earning her first official victory on Tou Ritzi – but at Gulfstream Park, not Florida Downs. A year later, Crump rode a horse named Fathom in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 15th in the race won by Tampa Bay Downs jockey Mike Manganello on Dust Commander.

    Crump rode 228 winners from 1976 onward, according to Equibase statistics, and also saddled 14 winners as a trainer. She rode her final race at Tampa Bay Downs in 1998, a few weeks before turning 50, finishing second on the aptly-named Glory Days, a 3-year-old filly she also trained.
Crump – who attended the inaugural “Jockeys and Jeans” fundraiser on March 29, 2014 at Tampa Bay Downs to raise money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund – always handled the intense glare from the media and public with grace and composure.

    “I never felt like a pioneer or trailblazer,” she told writer Liane Crossley in 2019. “I just wanted to live my dream and I most certainly did.”And, in the process, helped make it possible for countless other young women athletes to pursue theirs.

    HALLANDALE BEACH - Graded stakes-winners from the barns of trainers by Mark Casse, Graham Motion, Roger Attfield, Miguel Clement, Chad Brown, and Kevin Attard are part of a group of 19 fillies and mares invited to participate in the fifth running of the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2) Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park.

    The $500,000 event, at 1 1/16-mile on the turf, is part of the 10th anniversary of Pegasus World Cup Day that will offer 10 stakes worth $5.55 million in purses. The 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), the richest dirt race in the U.S. for older horses outside of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), and the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), a 1 1/8-mile stakes for 4-year-olds on the turf, are among seven graded stakes on the program.

          The four previous winners of the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf continued to excel, with three of the four winning Grade 1 races. Inaugural winner Regal Glory won the Jenny Wiley (G1) and Matriarch (G1), 2023 winner Queen Goddess was Grade 1 stakes placed, 2024 winner Didia won the New York Stakes (G1), while last year’s winner Be Your Best won the Gamely (G1).

          And One More Time is one of three Casse-trained invitees. The daughter of Omaha Beach won last year’s Natalma (G1) at Woodbine before returning from a year off and winning an allowance optional claimer at Woodbine in September and finishing second at Gulfstream Dec. 13 in the Tropical Park Oaks.

          Also invited from the Casse barn is Candy Quest and Classic Q.

          Classic Q was third in the Mrs. Revere (G2) at Churchill Downs in November and second in the Lake George (G3) at Saratoga and Valley View (G2) at Keeneland earlier in the year. Candy Quest won the Colleen (G3) at Woodbine in July and was second in the Dueling Grounds Oaks (G2) at Kentucky Downs in September and fifth in the Queen Elizabeth II (G1) in October at Keeneland.

          Breath Away earned her way into the Pegasus Filly & Mare by winning the ‘Win & In’ Dance Smartly (G2) at Woodbine Oct. 4. The mare has since finished second in the Goldikova (G3) and fourth in the Matriarch (G1), both contested at Del Mar.  Clement trains for Qatar Racing.

          Ready for Shirl, third in the Dance Smartly, has also earned an invitation. The Attfield-trained mare won the Canadian (G2) in July before finishing third in the E.P. Taylor (G1), both at Woodbine.

          Caitlinhergrtness, trained by Attard, had a successful campaign in 2025 winning the Ontario Matron (G2) and My Charmer at Turfway Park. The daughter of Omaha Beach was fifth in the E.P. Taylor (G1) and second in the Dance Smartly (G2) and Bessarabian (G3).

          Destino d’Oro, who defeated And One More Time in the Tropical Park Oaks, has been invited. Trained by Brad Cox, Destino d’Oro won the Pucker Up (G3) at Ellis Park over the summer.

          Crevalle d’Oro enters the race off a victory in the Suwannee River here Dec. 20. The Jose D’Angelo trained daughter of Constitution was fourth in the Goldikova in November.

          Gulfstream’s leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. could saddle two in Movin’ On Up and In Our Time. Movin’ On Up finished second Dec. 20 in the Suwannee River while finishing third earlier in the year in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2) and Mint Julep (G3), both at Churchill Downs. In Our Time, a daughter of Not This Time who comes off a pair of second place finishes in the Franklin (G2) at Keeneland and Matriarch. She finished third in last year’s Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf.

          Trainer Chad Brown, who won the inaugural Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf with Regal Glory, has two invitees in Whiskey Decision and Oversubscribed. Whiskey Decision won the Eatontown Stakes (G3) at Monmouth in June and most recently the Athenia at Aqueduct. Oversubscribed was second in November in the Pebbles (G3) at Aqueduct and second over the summer in the Lake George at Saratoga.

          Heredia, a daughter of Dark Angel trained by Graham Motion, won the Yellow Ribbon (G2) at Del Mar over the summer before finishing sixth in the First Lady (G1) at Keeneland and fifth in the Matriarch at Del Mar. Motion’s Warming, winner of the Autumn Miss (G3), also earned an invitation.

          Medoro, trained by Peter Eurton, would arrive from California where she finished second in the John Mabee (G2), third in the Goldikova and sixth in the Matriarch.

          Awesome Czech comes from the barn of trainer Horacio De Paz. Awesome Czech won the Yaddo at Saratoga and Ticonderoga at Aqueduct.

Other fillies and mares invited include Ramsey Pond, third in the Tropical Park Oaks, Cardinal winner Proctor Street, and Noble Damsel winner Aussie Girl.

    Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s Usha (Tiz the Law- Animal Appeal, by Leroidesanimaux) uncorked a powerful performance under jockey Juan Hernandez to prevail in her Gr. 1 debut in the $300,000 La Brea Stakes on opening day at Santa Anita Park, leading the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week.

    Usha raced in mid-pack down the backstretch, split horses near the quarter pole and then drew off in the stretch to romp by 5 ¼ lengths for trainer Bob Baffert, becoming the first Gr. 1 winner for her sire, Tiz the Law.

    “Usha showed up today,” Baffert said. “She came back here and that worked well. We expected this when I shipped her to Kentucky, and didn't win a race, but today she showed up.”

    Usha was purchased by her owners for $600,000 at the 2024 OBS April Sale from the On Point Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :9 4/5.

    The opening day card at Santa Anita also saw Nysos (Nyquist – Zetta Z, by Bernardini) edge stablemate and fellow Gr. 1 winner Nevada Beach by a head in the Gr. II, $200,000 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Both are trained by Baffert.

    The victory added to a banner year for Nysos, who prevailed in last month’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar and now has won seven of eight career starts with $1,238,500 in earnings. He was purchased for $550,000 out of the Best A Luck Farm consignment by Donato Lanni, agent for owner Baoma Corp, at the 2023 OBS April Sale after breezing in :9 4/5. Also listed on the owner’s line for Nysos as lessee’s are Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael B. Tabor.

    Also on the Santa Anita card, Kretz Racing’s veteran gelding Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile-Fancy Day (IRE), by Shamardal) earned the sixth stakes win of his career when rolling to a front-running victory in the Gr. III, $100,000 San Gabriel Stakes.

    Trained by George Papaprodromou, Cabo Spirit has earned five wins at the graded level and improved his career bankroll to $1,356,836. Cabo Spirit was consigned to the 2021 OBS April Sale by Eddie Woods, Agent, and purchased for $575,000 by Gayle Van Leer, Agent, after breezing in :20 4/5.

    At Aqueduct, Tristar Farm’s Doc Sullivan (Solomini-Queen Frostine, by Giant’s Causeway) earned a determined win over fellow OBS grad Quick to Accuse in the $125,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes for New York-breds.

    Trained by John Ortiz, the 4-year-old son of Solomini won the rubber match with multiple stakes-winner and fellow OBS grad Bank Frenzy, who finished third. Doc Sullivan has now won 3-of-5 matchups between him and Bank Frenzy, including last out in the seven-furlong NYSSS Thunder Rumble.

    Doc Sullivan was a $59,000 purchase by Glen Lostritto from the consignment of Omar Ramirez Bloodstock at the 2023 OBS June Sale after breezing in :21 1/5.

    At Oaklawn Park, West Point Thoroughbreds’ Counting Stars (Honor A.P.- Paynterbynumbers, by Paynter) wheeled back on short rest to score an eye-catching victory in the $150,000 Year’s End Stakes.

    Trained by dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, Counting Stars was running back in 13 days after earning a four-length win in the $135,000 Astral Spa Stakes at six furlongs. She was purchased by her owners at the 2025 OBS April Sale for $150,000 from the Wildheart Thoroughbreds consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

    OLDSMAR - The majority of bettors who came to Tampa Bay Downs yesterday to focus on the mandatory Ultimate 6 jackpot payout saw their hopes evaporate in the fourth race (the first race of the wager) when Noble Annie, the second-longest shot in the 10-horse field at 34-1, defeated 11-5 favorite Mistrial Wind by a nose in the 1-mile turf event.

    Those dreams out of the way, it is hoped investors got over their disappointment quickly enough to enjoy the latest in a series of picture-postcard afternoons that have postponed any signs of winter’s chill until at least next week.

    Others who used Noble Annie might not have paid as much attention to the weather. Things settled down for Ultimate 6 bettors sticking more closely to the form, with two of the remaining five races won by a betting favorite – Elusive d’Oro, who won the fifth race at odds of 9-5, and Real Savvy, who won the ninth at even-money – and two others by the second choice.

    Ultimately, 14 “survivors” selected the 2-1-1-5-4-4 combination on their tickets, earning $14,026 apiece.

    A pair of longshot winners made the early Pick-5 wager highly profitable for four bettors, including one on-track, who correctly nailed the 6/2/2/2/1, 7 combination to collect $27,564 each. The key longshots on the ticket were 5-year-old gelding St. Louie Louie, who paid $52 to win in the second race, and the aforementioned 2-year-old filly Noble Annie, who returned $71.20 for her victory in the fourth.

    Noble Annie was the only horse claimed from the race, with trainer Carlos Narvaez paying $16,000 for the juvenile lass for new owner Ladycaroly Stable.
In the featured seventh race, a 1-mile conditional allowance/optional claiming race on the turf, Britain’s Kitten, a 7-2 shot, overcame some bumping at the start to secure good position on the inside, then responded to jockey Israel Rodriguez’s urgings to post a head victory from betting favorite Tok Tok in a time of 1:35.24 for the distance.

    It was the first start in more than two years for Britain’s Kitten, a 6-year-old gelding who is owned by Bella Mia Stables and trained by Kevin Rice. The conditioner also won today’s third race with Kuku, a 3-year-old filly competing under his Rice Racing banner and ridden by Rosario Montanez.

    Leading jockey Samuel Marin won the final two races on Litigant and Real Savvy, surviving a claim of foul by Samy Camacho aboard runner-up Persisten in the finale.
Around the oval. The Oldsmar oval’s highly anticipated Calendar Giveaway Day is Friday. The gates will open at 11 a.m. The 2026 calendars, which celebrate the 100th anniversary season of Tampa Bay Downs, are free of charge (with paid admission) to the first 5,000 fans through the turnstiles.

    Friday’s nine-race card begins at 12:35 p.m. The first race is a $56,500, 6 ½-furlong allowance/optional claiming event, with trainer Gerald Bennett’s 5-year-old Florida-bred gelding Chrome Ghost the 6-5 morning-line favorite. Samy Camacho has the riding assignment.
Saturday’s program features the opening legs of the popular Tampa Turf Test starter handicap series, with both the fifth race for fillies and mares 3-years-old-and-upward and the seventh race for males 3-and-up being contested at a distance of 1 mile on the grass course. Full fields of 10 are expected for both races.

    The feature Saturday is the ninth, a $55,000, mile-and-a-sixteenth maiden special weight event on the turf for 2-year-old fillies. With two entries apiece from trainers Chad Brown and H. Graham Motion, the race should be a corker. Post time for Saturday’s first race is 12:35 p.m.

    As previously reported, Sunday racing at Tampa Bay Downs will begin on Jan. 4. Starting next week, there will be racing on a Wednesday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule, with Thursday cards on Feb. 5 and Feb. 12 added to make up for the originally scheduled Sunday programs on Dec. 21 and Dec. 28.