Spendthrift Farm’s Further Ado (Gun Runner- Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa), who scored his maiden victory at Keeneland by 20 lengths last October, continued to show his affinity for the Lexington track when he captured the $1,250,000, Gr. I Blue Gass Stakes by 11 lengths, cementing his status as one of the favorites for the first leg of the Triple Crown and leading the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week.

    With the Blue Grass victory, Further Ado earned 100 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard for a total of 135 points and guaranteed a spot in the starting gate for the 152nd running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby.

    Trained by Brad Cox, Further Ado is now a two-time graded stakes-winner and boosted his earnings to $1,146,328. 

    “I felt he had moved forward since Tampa (when he finished second in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) March 7), so I expected him to run well,” Cox said. “I thought he got a great trip. We kind of put a plan together with him last fall after he won here, to run him at Churchill and have two races leading up to what we hoped would get him to the (Kentucky) Derby, and it worked out. It’s always nice when a plan works out because most of the time it doesn’t. He’s a good colt, full of quality, athletic, a great mover.”

    Further Ado was purchased by Spendthrift at the 2025 OBS April Sale for $550,000 from the Six K’s Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :21 1/5. 

    About an hour after Further Ado’s victory, So Happy (Runhappy-So Cunning, by Blame) joined him as a top Kentucky Derby contender when he prevailed in the $500,000, Gr. I Santa Anita Derby. Trained by Mark Glatt, So Happy is owned by Norman Stables and Saints or Sinners. He previously captured the Gr. II, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita Park Jan. 10.

    “He kept on going today,” winning jockey Mike Smith said. “Today he really felt fit and ready to race. I can’t say enough of what a great and wonderful man Mark Glatt. The Kentucky Derby is America’s race. Anyone in the world would want to be in that race. There’s more there in the tank for sure.”

    Bred by former Ocalan Leverett Miller, So Happy was purchased by Glatt, agent, for $150,000 at the 2025 OBS March Sale out of the First Call consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

    The undercard of the Blue Grass Stakes saw Gr. 1 winner Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming – New Narration, by Tapit) pounce at the top of the stretch and coast to a 2¾-length victory in the Gr. III Commonwealth Stakes. Trained by Brad Cox, Saudi Crown is now a three-time graded stakes - winner and increased his earnings to $3,686,508. Consigned by Top Line Sales, Agent, to the 2022 OBS Spring Sale, Saudi Crown was sold for $240,000 after breezing in :10 flat. 

    At Aqueduct, Winning Move Stable’s Yo Daddy (Yoshida (JPN)-Elle Stormin’, by Tale of the Cat) earned his first stakes score in the $150,000 Excelsior. Trained by Linda Rice, Yo Daddy was offered at the 2023 OBS June Sale by Britton Peak where he failed to meet his reserve after breezing in :21 4/5.

    At Evangeline Downs, Michael H. Rotstein and Olof’s Tiz Mary’s Comet (Good Samaritan - Suzie's Dream, by Tiz the One) prevailed in the $60,000 Lafayette Stakes. Trained by Rylee Magnon, the gelding was purchased by his owners at the 2025 OBS June Sale from the Omar Ramirez Bloodstock consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

    One year after becoming the eighth Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company graduate to win the Gr. I Dubai Golden Shaheen, Sultan Ali’s Dark Saffron (Flameaway-Meadow Saffron, by Military) defended his title in the $2 million race when he outsprinted reigning Breeders’ Cup Sprint  winner and fellow OBS graduate Bentornato on the Dubai World Cup undercard at Meydan Racetrack, leading the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week..

    Trained by Ahmad Bin Harmash, Dark Saffron joins the likes of Caller One and Mind Your Biscuits as back-to-back winners of the Dubai Golden Shaheen, which serves as a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for this year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland.

    “Obviously he won this race last year and he come back and run really well, it was a bit of a workout first time he ran this season,” winning jockey Connor Beasley said. “Then he had a bit of an incident in the stalls and banged his head and sort of lost his way. I think he lost a bit of confidence for his next three or four runs, but his last run we felt he was coming back to himself.”

    Consigned by Julie Davies, Dark Saffron was purchased by Harmash Racing for $120,000 out of the 2024 OBS April sale after breezing in :9 4/5.

    At Oaklawn Park, West Point Thoroughbreds’ Counting Stars (Honor A.P.- Paynterbynumbers, by Paynter) cemented her spot in the Kentucky Oaks field when she rolled to a 5 ½-length victory in the $1 million, Gr. II Fantasy Stakes.

    The Fantasy awarded 150 total points to its top five finishers (75-37.5-18.75-11.25-7.5, respectively) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks. A daughter of Honor A. P., Counting Stars raised her career earnings to $972,606 following her fourth victory from seven starts.

    Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Counting Stars was purchased by her owners at the 2025 OBS April Sale for $150,000 from the Wildheart Thoroughbreds consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

    The Oaklawn Park card saw Doubledown Stables’ Nu What’s New (Munnings-Heavenly Scat, by Scat Daddy) hold off Gr. 1 winners East Avenue and Full Serrano to win Saturday’s $500,000, Gr. III Oaklawn Mile by three-quarters of a length.

    The Oaklawn Mile represented the first career stakes victory for the speedy Nu What’s New, who was exiting a runner-up finish behind subsequent Dubai World Cup winner Magnitude in the $500,000, Gr. III Razorback Handicap.

    Trained by Jimmy DiVito, Nu What’s New was purchased by DiVito, as agent, for $300,000 at the 2024 OBS April Sale from the Eddie Woods consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    At Gulfstream Park, Lou Donato, Theodore Manziaris, Paul Borrelli and Lanni Bloodstock’s Sultana (Always Dreaming- Private Offering, by Pulpit) pulled off a late-rallying upset in the $175,000, Gr. III Orchid Stakes.

    The Kevin Attard-trained daughter of Always Dreaming had run on turf only once in five prior starts. She was a $50,000 purchase by Harbour 60 Club at the 2023 OBS June Sale from the New Hope consignment after breezing in :21. 

    At Oaklawn Park, Gr. III winner Desert Gate (Omaha Beach-Theogony, by Curlin) showed his class with a wire-to-wire romp in the one-mile, $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes.

    Desert Gate finished 9 3/4 lengths ahead of fellow OBS grad Soldier N Diplomat in the four-horse field. Hall of Famer Bob Baffert trains Desert Gate for longtime clients Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. He was purchased by his owners for $260,000 at the 2025 OBS March Sale from the Navas Equine consignment after breezing in :9 4/5.

    At Tampa Bay Downs during the 23rd edition of the Florida Cup, Maykomotion (Vekoma-Maymont by Unbridled's Song) made light work of the $110,000 Ocala Breeders' Sales Sophomores by tapping into his early speed for a two-length victory.

    Trained by George Weaver, he is owned by Bona Venture Stables and Bianco Thoroughbreds. He was purchased by SGV/GRW, Agent for Bona Venture Stable at the 2025 OBS April Sale for $160,000 from the Niall Brennan Stables consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    The Florida Cup card also saw Mr Mo's Magic (Uncle Chuck- Magical Flair, by Defrere), a Lynn Rarick trainee, pull off a 13-1 upset in the $110,000 Sophomore Turf.

    Owned by Ray Huelsman and Keith Anderson, Mr Mo's Magic is a dual OBS grad, having been sold by Summerfield to Laureles Racing for $12,000 at the 2024 OBS Winter Mixed Sale and then purchased by his owners for $50,000 at the 2025 OBS April Sale from the Majestic consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    HALLANDALE BEACH - Florida Derby Day at Gulfstream Park features a spectacular program Saturday featuring10 stakes, five graded, worth $2.675 million in purses anchored by the $1 million, Gr. I Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa for 3-year-olds, the country’s premier Triple Crown prep celebrating its 75th anniversary.

    Gulfstream odds-maker Brian Nadeau has Fountain of Youth runner-up Chief Wallabee at 2-1, Fountain of Youth winner Commandment at 5-2, Holy Bull winner Nearly 3-1, and Tampa Bay Derby winner The Puma 9-2.

    Trainer Brad Cox is seeking his second consecutive victory in the Florida Derby. He won last year with Tappan Street. Todd Pletcher, who saddles Nearly, will seek his record ninth Florida Derby victory. Bill Mott, trainer of Chief Wallabee, will try to win his first Florida Derby after finishing second three times. A victory by The Puma would provide trainer Gustavo Delgado with his first Florida Derby victory. Delgado won the 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) with Mage.

    First race post Saturday is 11:30 a.m.

    Daniel Alonso’s Gr. 1 winner Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator – Twinkling, by War Chant) made short work of his overmatched rivals when he cruised to a 5 ¼-length victory in the $500,000, Gr. III Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park, leading the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates.

    The victory marked the 12th career graded triumph for Skippylongstocking and increased his overall earnings to $5,746,250 after winning for the 14th time in 37 starts. The 7-year-old son of Exaggerator has won his last three starts, including the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park.

    Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. Skippylongstocking’s winning time was 1:48.82, the quickest since the Essex was extended from 1 1/16 to 1 1/8 miles in 2024.

    “Obviously before the race, you’re the favorite” Joseph said. “There’s a lot of pressure and you’re thinking all different variables, but it worked out great. He was very impressive once again.”

    Skippylongstocking was purchased by Alonso for $37,000 out of the Top Line Sales consignment at the 2021 OBS April Sale after breezing an eighth in :10 2/5.

    Paradise Farms Corp.’s Willy D’s (Lookin At Lucky-Boston Mine, by Mineshaft) out-finished defending winner Mercante to capture the $295,000, Gr. III Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park and earn his first graded stakes win.

    Trained by Mike Maker, Willy D’s boosted his earnings $757,008. The six-time winner was purchased for $60,000 by Greg Compton, agent for Danny W. Brown at the 2023 OBS April Sale from the Woodside Ranch consignment after breezing in :22 1/5.

    At Fair Grounds, Twin Oaks Bloodstock’s Way to Be Marie (Not This Time –Woman of the World, by Henrythenavigator) successfully defended her title in the $150,000 Tom Benson Memorial, part of the undercard stakes on Louisiana Derby Day.

    Way to Be Marie was making her first start for trainer Eddie Kenneally and rallied down the center of the stretch to capture the Tom Benson Memorial for the second straight year. She was purchased by Madaket Stables for $95,000 out of the 2023 OBS April sale from the GOP Racing Stable consignment after breezing in :21 1/5.

    The Louisiana Derby undercard also saw Keith Plaisance’s Nine Part (Leofric - Alva, by Into Mischief) earn his first stakes victory in just his second turf start in the $100,000 Costa Rising.
Trained by Bobby Felks, Nine Part prevailed by one length to earn his sixth win from seven career starts. He was purchased by Nick Hines, agent for Plaisance, for $46,000 at the 2023 OBS June Sale from the Grassroots Training and Sales consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    At Laurel Park, Miss Fulton Gal (Rock Your World-Leah Forestiere, by Not This Time) managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the $100,000 Beyond the Wire Stakes when she scored by a head.

    Miss Fulton Gal is trained by Michael Gorham and is a two-time OBS graduate, having sold for $5,000 as a yearling at the 2024 OBS October Sale out of the Afleet Equine Services consignment before being purchased $35,000 at the 2025 OBS June Sale by jockey Vincent “Jimbo” Bracciale on behalf of co-owners Trott Racing Stables and Five Sisters Farm, who campaign her with John Polizos, out of the Blue Sapphire Stables consignment after breezing in :21 3/5.

    At Turfway Park, Highlander Training Center’s Stylish Sue (Nyquist-Maria Maria, by Curlin) went straight to the front and was never headed en route to victory in the $248,000 Latonia Stakes. Trained by Joe Sharp, Stylish Sue was offered by Clary Bloodstock at the 2023 OBS March Sale where she failed to meet her reserve after breezing in :10 3/5.

    The Gulfstream Park card on March 22 saw Amy Dunne, Caitlin Dunne, Brenda Miley, Jean Wilkinson, Hoffman Family Racing, Tranquility Lake Farm, Maury Harrington and Christopher Harrington’s Lennilu (Leinster – Lulu’s Pom Pom, by Pomeroy) kick off her season with a victory over fellow OBS grad Mystical Belle in the $125,000 Leinster Melody of Colors.

    Trained by Patrick Biancone, Lennilu earned her fifth win from seven career starts and fourth in a stakes. She was purchased by Glencrest Farm for $23,000 from the Abbie Road Farm consignment at the 2024 OBS Winter Mixed Sale.

    At Fair Grounds, Blue Fire (Aurelius Maximus – Mystic Blue, by Maimonides) sped to the lead and held off fellow OBS grad Margie’s Intention in the four-horse field to win the $100,000 Shantel Lanerie Memorial

    Owned by Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel and trained by Steve Asmussen, Blue Fire was purchased for $32,000 by Fast Horses out of the 2023 OBS Winter Mixed Sale from the Kaizen Sales consignment.

    With Gator Ricky Castillo winning the Puerto Rico Open, Daniel Berger could have made it a historic weekend with a victory at the $20 million Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill - a Gator and a Seminole capturing both PGA Tour events on the same weekend. However, after a round of 9-under-par 63 on Thursday followed by a 4-under 68 on Friday, Berger couldn't hang on to his lead all the way through Sunday. After his final-round 70 left him in a deadlock with Akshay Bhatia at 15 under, he lost the title in a one-hole playoff on the 18th hole.

    Berger's runner-up check for $2.2 million sent his multi-year total to a healthy $32,188,225; he's made 7 of 8 cuts this season and 179 of 236 in his career. Bhatia cashed a check for $4 million.

    Gator Billy Horschel shot rounds of 69-74-72-68, finishing tied for 13th at 5 under, and earned $373,000.

    The success Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. graduate Yaupon enjoyed with his first crop of runners in 2025 was enough to catch the eye of one of the more noted bloodstock agents in the thoroughbred industry. It also helped contribute to a bit of history being made inside the sales pavilion where the son of Uncle Mo first made his mark.

    When the dust settled on the OBS March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale a year ago, a  milestone for top-end success had been established as seven horses sold for seven figures during the auction, the most ever for an OBS March sale. When the 2026 edition of the sale concluded its three-day run on March 12, another illustrious chapter had been added to the annals as it delivered a record March gross and equaled the OBS March record with seven horses crossing the million-dollar threshold.

    After having six horses reach the seven-figure stratosphere during the first two days of the sale, Hip 576, a bay colt by Yaupon consigned by King’s Equine, became the final horse to bust through that lofty barrier when he was purchased by agent Donato Lanni on behalf of the “Three Amigos,” also known as the ownership trio of Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman.

    That final exclamation point put a stamp on a sale that continues to build upon the breadth and depth of buying power showcased a year ago. The overall gross of $72,050,000 from 443 head sold at the close of business Thursday surpassed the previous March record of $71,473,500 from 464 sold, established in 2023. In addition to hitting that mark and besting the total gross of $65,660,500 generated by 432 sold in 2025, the cumulative average of $162,641 surpassed the 2025 figure of $151,992, with the median improving from $70,000 last year to $85,000 this season.

    “Very gratified and pleased and happy for the consignors,” said Tod Wojciechowski, Director of Sales for OBS. “As I say all the time, they bring the horses and it’s the quality of the horses they bring is that brings those prices. Very pleased with the amount of trade that took place all three days, both domestically and internationally. We had involvement from a lot of different buyers, so we were very happy with that. What we saw early on proved out in the sale prices and proved out over the last three days.”

    At the close of business Thursday, a total of 123 horses failed to meet their reserve, resulting in an RNA rate of 21.7% compared to 17.6% in 2025.

    Wednesday’s session saw Hip 372, a bay filly by Nyquist consigned by Wavertree Stables (Ciaran Dunne), top the auction when she sold for $2 million to representatives of Boyd Racing. That final bid put the filly, who breezed in :9 3/5, in a three-way tie for the honor of being the second-highest priced horse to sell at an OBS March sale - second only to Brant who brought a record $3 million last year – joining Muth (2023) and Chestertown (2019).

    “(Buying) has been so tough, we knew we’d have to stretch for her,” said Hannah Jennings of Killora Stud after signing the ticket on behalf of Boyd Racing for the Nyquist filly. “We never thought we’d have to stretch that far but when the horse is the right one, everyone is on them.”

    The Nyquist filly highlighted a Wavertree consignment that sold 13 head for a sales-leading gross of $7,730,000.

    After witnessing the precocity showcased by Yaupon’s offspring on the track, Lanni stretched a fair amount himself to land Thursday’s session-leading son of the Spendthrift stallion. Yaupon was the leading first-crop sire of 2025 and the speed that was his trademark was flaunted by Hip 576 when the colt breezed in :9 4/5 during the under-tack show.

    “He was beautiful, fast, and sound. He came out of the work really well,” said Lanni, who added the colt would head to California. “These horses, they have to do it here and they have to do everything right. And he was a horse who did well. We love the sire. Big Yaupon fan. They’re precocious they’re quick, they look really forward. (Yaupon) had a good year last year. We were on the sidelines last year, we watched. But we’re getting in now.”

    The colt is out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Balbina, who is a daughter of multiple graded stakes-winner Ready’s Gal and a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Machen.

    “He’s a beautiful horse, he’s got everything people want on a horse,” Raul Reyes of King’s Equine said of the colt. “He really looks good and he’s very fast, that helps too. We felt he would probably bring seven figures and he barely made it, but he made it.”

    Lanni also signed the ticket for the second highest priced horse to sell during Thursday’s session, Hip 694, a daughter of Constitution that he purchased for $800,000 on behalf of owner Frank Fletcher. Consigned by de Meric Sales, the filly breezed in :10 flat during the under-tack show and is out of the winning Curlin mare Curls and Bows, who is a half-sister to Gr. 1 winner Dearest Trickski.

    Fletcher led all buyers by gross with two horses purchased for $2,650,000. He also purchased the sale’s second highest priced horse, Hip 416, a bay colt by OBS March graduate and leading sire Into Mischief, who elicited a final bid of $1.85 million and became the first seven-figure horse ever sold by Susan Montanye’s S B M Training and Sales consignment.

    “The other thing that I think was noteworthy is… a lot of the younger consignors are becoming a bigger and bigger part of the sales as we lose people like Eddie Woods,” Wojciechowski said. “We see these younger consignors starting to grow more and more within the industry.”

    The sale also featured the first 2-year-olds by champion Flightline, and Hip 698, a daughter of the Lane’s End stallion, produced the third-highest price of the third and final session when she sold for $775,000 to Hideyuki Mori. Consigned by Wavertree Stables (Ciaran Dunne), the filly breezed in :10 flat and is out of Gr. 1 winner Dalika (GER), a daughter of Pastorius (GER).

Other notable prices on the day included:

    Hip 683, a gray or roan ridgling by Epicenter consigned by King's Equine who sold for $560,000 to William K Werner. The colt, who breezed in :9 4/5, is out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Copper Quest, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Copper Bullet.

    Hip 671, a bay colt by Nashville consigned by Twelve Toes LLC who sold for $525,000 to
St. Elias Stable. The colt, who breezed in :10 flat, is out of the winning Tapit mare Closet Shopper and hails from the female family of Gr. 1 winner Sweet Lulu.

    Thursday’s session finished with a gross of $19,396,500 from 130 head sold, down from the $25,161,500 generated by 152 sold during the third session in 2025. The session average of $169,204 was up over the $165,536 posted last year while the session median improved from $61,000 in 2025 to $77,500.

    There were 47 horses who failed to meet their reserve during the final session, resulting in an RNA rate of 26.5%, compared to 15.5% during the corresponding session a year ago.

    HALLANDALE BEACH - Jockey Diego Herrera called his victory aboard British Isles in the Santa Anita Handicap Saturday “the big daddy.”

    Having now won his first Gr. 1 race, the 21-year-old rider is ready for more success.

    After riding British Isles in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park and “enjoying the atmosphere,” Herrera has decided to leave the left coast for South Florida and Gulfstream. He will be represented by agent Kevin Meyocks.

    “I’m trying to seek more opportunities to ride and get more experience,” said Herrera, who has won 257 races since 2021 through Saturday. “Things can get light out here sometimes, a lot of smaller fields. I went to Gulfstream to ride British Isles in the Pegasus, and I liked the atmosphere, I liked Gulfstream, and I spoke to Kevin and it seemed like something I’d like to try.”

     It’s a big move for Herrera, who was born in Inglewood, California and has been around horses all his life. He won the 2025 Cecil B. DeMille (G3) aboard Unrivaled Time and the 2024 Autumn Miss (G3) on Watchtower.

    “I was riding ponies at probably 6 years old, quarter horses around 12 and I got licensed at 15 ? to ride,” Herrera said. “I love the sport. I’m due to get in around March 19 and we’ll see what happens. I’m really looking forward to it."

By Lynne Snierson

    OLDSMAR - The Puma stalked the field of nine talented 3-year-olds and then pounced in the lane to capture the 46th running of the Gr. III, $400,000 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday and advance on The Road to the Kentucky Derby. 

    With the victory, The Puma jumped from the maiden ranks into the second spot on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard by earning 50 qualifying points to add to the six points he had acquired from his third-place finish in the listed Sam F. Davis on this track in his previous start on February 7. The Sam Davis is the traditional prep race for the Tampa Bay Derby. 

    "We're a small barn. We have to scout, we have to buy the horses. It's more gratifying when you only get one or two horses at the sale and they end up like this. It's very satisfying. I'm very pleased. It's not an easy thing when you enter a maiden in a stakes race. People think what are they doing? It's a good thing when they respond on the track," Gustavo Delgado Jr., the assistant trainer to his father, Gustavo Delgado Sr., told America's Best Racing from the winner's circle. "From the first time he ran, I said that this is a very good horse and I kept telling everyone." 

    The Puma, who was ridden by Javier Castellano, broke alertly from the far outside post and settled off the pace as the field continued up the backside while 38-1 longshot Redland Rebels under Junior Alvarado set splits of :23.07 and :46.48 for the first half-mile in the 1 1/16 miles test over the fast main track.

    The Puma steadily advanced while commencing his bid on the far turn and by the time he reached the leaders at the top of the lane, he put his head in front. He dueled through the lane with Further Ado and the $1.50-1 favorite Canaletto, who was ridden by Flavien Prat, and then edged clear by three-quarters of a length in the final time of 1:43.23 to the delight of the on-track crowd of 9,070.

    Further Ado, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., was the runner-up and  Chad-Brown trained Canaletto finished a head behind him.

    "Everybody was trying to save ground and there was a lot of traffic to get there from the outside post (No. 8). From there it's really hard to go all the way to the inside. Nobody spilt up. I was tracking Canaletto with Prat all the way.  I really like my horse and what he did and the way he did it. He ran really good," said Castellano, who took the 2016 Tampa Bay Derby with Destin. "With three-year-olds, you have to give them a chance to develop. In his first race he got beat by a really good horse. In the second race (the Sam Davis) it was his first time around turn turns. He started to figure it out today. When he got rolling, he did what he was supposed to do. I like the way he finished."

    Canaletto, who was a $1 million yearling buy for Coolmore, Peter Brant and Brook T. Smith, was also attempting to handle the class hike from the maiden ranks. In his only previous effort he was an eight-length winner in a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25 under Prat.

    "He was looking around. He never really traveled. They went fast and I was in deep water from the gate," said Prat. Then he made a run, surprisingly, and I thought he was going to make a run at the three-eighths pole. He was brave enough to make a run, but I never really felt that I was traveling well."

    Spendthrift Farm's Further Ado picked up 25 Kentucky Derby points by finishing second to add to the 10 points already in his column, and Canaletto earned 15 points. Redland Rebels took home 10 points to get on the Triple Crown Trail and Talkin garnered 5 points to bring his total to 10. Powershift, representing Repole Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher; Thunder Buck, making his first start for trainer Brendan Walsh after competing three times for Brad Cox; Hulkamania, who is owned in part by former Major Leage Baseball Jayson Werth's Icon Racing Stables; and Smith Ranch Stables Roger That Dana completed the order of finish. 

    The Puma, who is by Essential Quality and the Declaration of War mare Eve of War, was bred in Kentucky by Hidden Brook Farm and Brain Kahn and is owned by the partnership of OGMA Investments, JR Ranch, and High Strep Racing. OGMA Investments campaigned Mage, winner of the 2023 Kentucky Derby, and now they have another colt to take them back to Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

    "From the beginning (with The Puma) I said, 'Let's get everything'. Right now, it makes sense," said Delgado Jr.

    The Puma, dispatched at $7.40-1, rewarded his backers with $16.80 for the $2 win wager and picked up $210,000 from the purse for his efforts to increase his earnings to $244,280. 

    The Festival 46 Day crowd supported the enthusiastic crowd by betting $757,139 on track and the intra-state wagering total was another $441,601. The total inter-state handle was another $13,964,047.

    In the undercard stakes, the Gr. II, $225,000 Hillsborough for older fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on the green, Destino D'Oro proved she's not just good, she's gutsy as she overcame a troubled trip to triumph in a five-horse blanket rush to the finish and assert her dominance in her division.

    The 4-year-old daughter of Bolt d'Oro and Heart of Destiny by Lion Heart showed that she has the heart of  a lion after getting stopped at the half-mile pole but then gathering herself to execute a huge run from far back under Junior Alvarado. She rallied down the lane to get her nose in front of short-priced favorite Whiskey Decision at the wire in the final time of 1:52.18 on a "good" course. Proctor Street was third by a neck. 

    "I had a great trip all the way through to the half-mile pole. The horse that was in front I couldn't even see. I'm thinking he's the (number) One (Whiskey Decision, under Flavien Prat) and he's going to close the door. He came out right in the position where I was and made me lose three, four spots right there. Then I thought I was okay, but this is over. But she just kept coming and coming. She's a very good horse. She's a very good filly. I'm very excited for her because today was the trip for her to get beat, 100 percent. She came out with a run, and she put herself and myself in the winner's circle," Alvarado said. 

    Destino D'Oro took the Gr. II  Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park in her last and is now a three-time graded stakes-winner with six wins in nine starts. She is trained by Brad Cox for Steve Landers Racing.

    Cox, who witnessed his charge Further Ado take second in the Tampa Bay Derby later on the card, drove the 200 miles to the track from Payson Park Training Center in South Florida after breezing 18 horses in the morning.

    “I'm very proud of the filly. I want to congratulate Steve Landers, big win. She’s tough, obviously she showed that today from the half-mile pole home, kind of getting checked out of it a little bit and circling, no pace. It was a question mark with the turf [condition] if she would like it, but I think she’s just honest. She shows up and runs hard when she’s doing well," Cox said. 

    Child of the Moon, And One More Time, Scythian, and Aunt Mo rounded out the order of finish. Dreaming of Abba was scratched. 

    Kentucky-bred Destino d' Oro, sent postward as the 3-1 second pick in the field of eight, paid $8.00 to win and upped her career earnings to $949,884, including the $120,000 winner's share of the purse.

    Cox said, “I loved her last spring and summer, and last fall, she wasn’t doing bad, she just wasn’t doing quite as good as she is now. No reason to stop on her, we kept her ticking over and she got on a roll in December at Gulfstream and she’s been rolling. I wasn’t sure about running here, but her last two works at Payson have been very good and I thought, you know, we’ll just fill the calendar with this race and then maybe look at the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland.”

    Tagermeen Racing's Dandona made her first foray into stakes company a winning one as she rallied from the back of the pack to best a field of 10 other three-year-old fillies to capture the Gr. III , $200,000 Florida Oaks in her third career outing for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. 

    Under a confident ride by Flavien Prat, she waited patiently behind a fast pace and then made a bold move on the far turn of the 1 1/16 miles test over a turf course rated as "good" before the pace picked up. Dandona stormed down the lane while inhaling the fillies in front of her and crossed the wire in the final time of 1:44.71. Time to Dream was 1 1/4 lengths behind with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard and the $1.80-1 favorite Kokomotion, who led earlier in the race under John Velazquez, faded to third.

    Said Prat, "She broke well and it felt like the pace was too hot for her so I gave her a chance. It didn't feel like she wanted to be up in the race. She was traveling good considering the soft ground and I was able to get her outside and get her going and she showed up. I felt the pace was fair enough. I gave her a chance and she was grinding away."

    Laigina, Abigail, Bossy Candy, Special Wood, Alone Time, Backgammon, Bramble Blast, and Courageous Diane followed the leaders home.

    Dandona is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Tiz the Law out of Tulsa Queen by Cactus Ridge. Her record is now 3-2-0-1 and her lifetime earnings are $121,000. 
*
    In the 20th running of the $125,000 Columbia Stakes, DJ Stables homebred Alpyland won his fourth race and second stakes on the grass in his last five tries when he easily dispensed with seven other sophomores for trainer Mark Casse.

    Alpyland, a gelded son of Vekoma who was piloted by Javier Castellano, relished the slight cutback in distance to one mile from his last effort, a third place run in the 1 1/16 miles Kittens Joy at Gulfstream. Rated patiently while longshot Knick's honor set pedestrian fractions of :23.23 and :48.20 for the first half-mile, Alpyland responded to his cue from Castellano coming out of the turn and kicked clear through the lane to win by a comfortable two lengths in the final time of 1:37.61 on a turf course rated good. Proton was second, a neck in front of Knoty Knicks.

    "I really liked the distance. We pointed to this race. A mile, I think, is perfect for the horse. He's got plenty of speed, but he sat beautiful behind the two pace-making horse. I like the way he relaxed on the backside and the way he developed within himself. Every time I asked him, he was there. Turning for home, he exploded. I think he's a really nice horse," Castellano said. 

The winning trainer agreed with his rider. Said Casse by phone from Oaklawn Park, "That was a very nice effort from him. He did that pretty nicely. He's a horse that we liked a lot early on and he's turned out to be nice. It's just taken him a while to get his act together, but he's a pretty good turf horse now. We're probably going to go next with him to Churchill Downs for the American Turf Classic, it's for a million dollars and a Grade 1 on (Kentucky) Derby Day. We hope this horse has a bright future and we're keeping our fingers crossed."

    Out of the Kela mare Il Brigante, Alpyland was bred in Kentucky by his owner and improved his record to 8-4-0-2 while upping his bankroll to $271,596 with the $60,000 winner's cut.

    HALLANDALE BEACH - Gulfstream Park and the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA) are currently developing a 2026 fall racing schedule designed to provide expanded opportunities for Florida-bred horses with fewer restrictions.

    As part of this effort, FHBPA President Tom Cannell expressed strong support for owners purchasing Florida-bred two-year-olds at the upcoming Ocala Breeders’ Sales.

    “We are committed to providing prospective owners of these two-year-olds with a quality and worthwhile racing schedule,” Cannell said. “While the full schedule is still being finalized, it will include stakes races designed to reward Florida-bred horses across the board.”

    Gulfstream and the FHBPA recently reached a new racing agreement extending through 2028, reinforcing a shared commitment to maintaining a strong and competitive racing program in South Florida. Both organizations are actively working to retain and attract trainers and owners to make Gulfstream Park their racing home.

    “Gulfstream Park remains a top-tier racetrack, and we will demonstrate our continued commitment to the owners, trainers, and horses that compete here,” Cannell said. “This initiative will help dispel the many rumors about our immediate racing future, and we look forward to putting our best foot forward.”

    Gulfstream Park Executive Vice President David Duggan echoed that commitment and emphasized the track’s focus on strengthening the Florida-bred program. “We value the important role Florida-bred horses play in the success of Gulfstream Park and the broader Florida racing industry,” Duggan said. “Working together with the FHBPA, we are focused on creating a racing schedule that offers meaningful opportunities for owners, trainers, and breeders while continuing to position Gulfstream Park as a premier racing destination.”

    Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber’s Bold Journey (Hard Spun – Polly Freeze, by Super Saver) rallied from last-of-5 to secure his second career graded score in the Gr. III, $175,000 Tom Fool Stakes at Aqueduct, leading the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week. 

    Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 7-year-old son of Hard Spun previously captured the Gr. III Fall Highweight Handicap in 2023. On Saturday, he rallied down the outside of the track to get up and win by a nose with fellow OBS grad One Nine Hundred in third.

    “He did his job today. He was able to get really comfortable,” winning jockey Eric Cancel said.  “By the three-eighths (pole), he started picking it up little by little. Once we turned for home, I still had some horse, and he gave his all out there."

    Bold Journey was purchased by McMahon and Hill Bloodstock, agent, for $80,000 out of the McKathan Bros. consignment at the 2021 OBS April Sale after breezing in :10 1/5.

    At Fair Grounds, Black Hornet (Essential Quality-Brattata, by More Than Ready) tipped out in the stretch and ran down odds-on favorite Touch of Fire to win the $100,000 Black Gold Stakes. Trained by Brendan Walsh and owned by Calumet Farm, the son of Essential Quality was purchased by his owner at the 2025 OBS March Sale for $120,000 from the Scanlon Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    Saturday’s Fair Grounds card also saw Boss of All Bosses (Street Boss-Tensas Salt, by Salt Lake) take command in the final furlong to win the $100,000 Edward J. Johnston Memorial Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths for trainer Mike Maker. Owned by Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher, Angelo Carlesimo, and Gata Racing Stable, the colt was purchased by Maker for $90,000 at the 2024 OBS April Sale from the Grassroots Training and Sales consignment after breezing in :10 1/5. 

    At Aqueduct, Winning Move Stable, John C. Oxley, Lady Sheila Stable, Silverwood Stables and Sanford H. Robbins’ With the Angels (Omaha Beach – Sister Margaret, by Pulpit) earned a 4 1/2-length score for her first open-company stakes victory in the $135,000 Correction Stakes.

    Trained by Linda Rice, the 4-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach adds to previous state-bred stakes success in the Joseph A. Gimma, Maid of the Mist and Key Cents as part of a 4-for-4 juvenile campaign in 2024. She was purchased by Justin Casse, agent, out of the Wavertree Stables consignment at the 2024 OBS April Sale for $350,000 after breezing in :9 4/5.

  OLDSMAR - Just past the halfway point of the meet, jockey Samuel Marin is on pace to eclipse the track’s single-season victory record of 147 set 11 years ago by Antonio Gallardo.

    Marin, a 24-year-old product of Trujillo, Venezuela, rode five winners Friday for the second time this season. He followed up that performance Saturday with three winners and two seconds from five mounts, capping the card in exciting fashion with a victory aboard trainer Mark Casse’s 5-year-old gelding My Boy Prince in the $100,000 Turf Dash Stakes.

    With 81 winners, Marin is on pace to ride 153 winners assuming he competes through the May 3 finale. He has a 28-victory advantage over five-time Tampa Bay Downs champion Samy Camacho in the standings. Marin added three more winners to his ledger Sunday.

    Friday’s card brought into clear focus some of the reasons Marin has been so dominant. His first four winners were all favorites – in some part, of course, due to trainers clamoring for his services because of his all-around skills. But having a target on his back hasn’t stopped him from making the right moves at the right time in a majority of races to get those “people’s choices” home in front.

    Then, in Friday’s final race at a mile on the turf aboard 5-year-old horse Son of a Slew, Marin angled over to the rail from the No. 5 post soon after the start and stayed there throughout while the pace-setters vied for the lead. Son of a Slew gave a strong response along the inside when summoned, posting a ¾-length victory.

    Saturday’s Turf Dash, although shorter at 5 furlongs, was decided similarly, as Marin got My Boy Prince to the rail right before the turn, a maneuver that proved decisive through the stretch as the winner outlasted hard-charging Rezasrolex by a neck.

    Marin’s winning percentage of 26.6 is the best of any jockey at the meet with at least 40 mounts.

    My Boy Prince’s victory was the fifth stakes triumph in a nine-day period for Casse, who also won Saturday’s Lightning City Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs with 5-year-old mare Creed’s Gold.
And, wouldn’t you know it: Less than an hour after the Turf Dash Stakes, the trainer’s 3-year-old filly French Friction won the Dixie Belle Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

    Little Thunder makes big noise. Although the main track was producing faster times than usual Saturday, plenty of horsemen and handicappers took notice when 4-year-old Florida-bred gelding Little Thunder won the seventh race in 1:08.95, .28 seconds off the track record set in 2012 by filly It’s Me Mom.

    Trainer Tim Hamm, who also owns Little Thunder under his Blazing Meadows Farm banner in partnership with the horse’s breeder, Thomas Equels, watched the allowance/optional claiming race from his Ocala training center after supervising a full schedule of 2-year-old breezes earlier in the day. By the time he was finished, he thought he’d be cutting it too close to make it to Tampa Bay Downs in time for the race, entrusting assistant Julie Hutchison with the saddling duties.

    What they witnessed in the horse’s third career start was awesome to behold. Despite only moderate encouragement from jockey Cipriano Gil, Little Thunder kept widening his lead through the stretch, posting a 7 ¾-length victory from Mor Spring Spirit.

    “He’s a horse that every single time he has done something, he has shown up,” Hamm said. “I told my son Shane that when you get a horse that shows up every time, that’s a horse.”
Hamm has been patient in developing the son of Noble Bird-Circular Rainbow, by Circular Quay, who he described as “a big, gangly horse” as a 2-year-old. He decided against running him up north last summer to start him at Tampa Bay Downs and take advantage of Florida-bred money opportunities.

    The plan has worked nicely thus far. Little Thunder broke his maiden here on Dec. 24 as a 3-year-old in 1:22.50 for 7 furlongs. On Jan. 31, he finished second by 3 ½-lengths to the Todd Pletcher-trained Disruptor in an 11-horse field. The 7-furlong time was 1:22.83.
Gil has ridden Little Thunder in all three starts.

    “I can’t say I expected that (kind of performance) Saturday,” Hamm said. “Once he got in front (rounding the turn), he just started to extend and (Gil) rode him out. After seeing those earlier times, I thought he had a chance to shade 1:09, but that was really impressive.”

    OLDSMAR - Bill Boland flexed his right hand a couple of times between autograph-seekers during Friday’s Jockeys & Jeans “Once in a Lifetime” Meet and Greet event at Tampa Bay Downs to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF).

    At 92, Boland – who won the 1950 Kentucky Derby as a 16-year-old apprentice aboard Middleground – remains the picture of good health. The Palm Coast resident, who traveled to the event with his wife of 75 years Sandy, is surprisingly spry for his age, at least to an observer 24 years younger.

    In fact, Boland would have been happy to sign all day to help those jockeys less fortunate than he who are permanently disabled from a riding accident, whether during a race or in morning workouts. “We (his fellow Hall of Famers and racing legends) are lucky. We’re lucky,” Boland said.

    “They (the disabled riders) are great. If you asked any of them, they would do it (ride races) again tomorrow. They are a lot stronger than I am. I couldn’t do it.”

    Fans turned out by the scores during Friday’s racing card to get autographs and interact with their heroes. The roster of attendees included Boland, Steve Cauthen, Mike Manganello, Ramon Dominguez, Alex Solis, Earlie Fires, Edgar Prado, Sandy Hawley, Chris McCarron, Angel Cordero, Jr., Jose Santos, Jean Cruguet, Laffit Pincay Jr., Jorge Velasquez, Jacinto Vasquez, Jon Court and at least 10 members of the PDJF who brightened the day further with their cheerfulness and approachability.

    The event was held as part of the track’s centennial celebration.

    “The PDJF has held a number of events here at Tampa Bay Downs, and to be able to be here with all these Hall of Fame riders and Triple Crown race winners is pretty special,” said Joe Clabes, the President of the PDJF. “They still stick around the sport to help us take care of the injured riders.

    “Everybody here at the track has been fantastic in helping support not only Jockeys & Jeans, but the PDJF. There is always going to be a need,” Clabes added. He said there currently are 51 former jockeys receiving benefits from the PDJF, with other applicants being processed. The organization benefits those with permanent disabilities, including brain injuries and spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis

Around the oval - Leading jockey Samuel Marin continued his record-breaking pace, riding five winners. Marin scored in the first race on Marty’s Gal, a 4-year-old Florida-bred filly owned by Hit The Bid Racing Stable and trained by Jose Francisco D’Angelo. He added the second aboard Rules for Three, a 3-year-old Florida-bred filly owned by A and LGY-SE Racing and trained by Arthur Agostini.

    Marin next won the fourth race on Two’s a Crowd, a 5-year-old gelding owned by Atlantic Six Racing and trained by Derek Ryan, and added the sixth with Abigail, a 3-year-old filly owned by Waterville Lake Stables and trained by Miguel Clement.

    Marin delivered a clinic in the eighth and final race on the turf, never leaving the inside and receiving the needed response through the stretch from 5-year-old Florida-bred Son of a Slew to prevail. The winner is owned by Glenn Conklin and trained by Mike Dini, who also owns and trains the runner-up Just Comply

    Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse has been named the sixth Chairman of the Board in the history of Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company, Inc., succeeding Francis Vanlangendonck, who steps down after 35 years on the OBS board.

    Vanlangendonck had held the position of chairman since 2022, succeeding Mike O’Farrell, who was elected chairman in 2007 and was an OBS board member for nearly 40 years. George Onett was the first chairman in 1975, followed by Harry T. Mangurian, Jr., Norman E. Casse, O’Farrell and Vanlangendonck.

    OBS extends deep gratitude to Vanlangendonck and Treasurer, Nick de Meric, who is also stepping down from the board, for their leadership and significant contributions to the success of OBS.

    Mark Casse and his wife Tina manage the vast Casse Racing operations from their base in Ocala. His father Norman was a founding member of OBS and Chairman of the Board of OBS for over twenty years and Mark became an OBS board member in 2001 and Secretary-Treasurer in 2022. Casse has won more than 4,100 races to date with career earnings exceeding $274 million. He has been inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

    Barry Eisaman will continue as Vice President of the OBS board. Dr. Eisaman, a veterinarian, was first elected to the OBS Board in 1996 and Secretary-Treasurer from 2010-2021. Along with his wife Shari, Eisaman operates Eisaman Equine. Many of the elite racing stables in the country rely on Eisaman Equine to provide the foundation for their young horses for their racing career and to rehabilitate older horses for their return to the races.

    David O’Farrell will serve as Secretary for OBS. He was elected to the OBS board in 2022 and serves as the TOBA Board of Trustees chair, steward at The Jockey Club, and a member of Breeders’ Cup Limited. The O’Farrell family’s Ocala Stud is celebrating their 70th year anniversary and is synonymous with the Florida breeding industry and OBS. David and his brother Joe are now directing operations, taking over the helm from their father, Mike O’Farrell. Another generation back, Joe O’Farrell, was a promoter of Florida breeding and pioneer of the two-year-olds in training sale concept. He was one of the founding members of Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company, Inc. in 1974 and the first vice president of OBS.

    James L. (Jimbo) Gladwell, IV was elected Treasurer of OBS. He joined the OBS Board in 2021. Gladwell is a third-generation horseman with deep roots in Ocala and, along with his wife Torie, operates Top Line Sales, one of the leading OBS two-year-old sale consignors. Among the Grade 1 winners who are graduates of Top Line Sales are Princess Noor, Arabian Knight, Saudi Crown, and Muth.

    Joining the OBS Board for the first time are Tristan de Meric of de Meric Sales and William B. Russell, DVM Peterson Smith Equine Hospital. The rest of the board includes Tom Ventura; Jonathan I Green (DJ Stables); John Penn (Pennston Farm); Bryan Rice (Woodside Ranch); George Russell (Rustlewood Farm), Paul Sharp, and Eddie Woods.

    The PGA Tour has kicked off week 4 of the 2026 season - the $9.6 million WM Phoenix Open at the par-71 TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona. For the first time in history, there are eight former Gators and Seminoles in the mix, four from each school.

GATORS - Multi-zillionaire Billy Horschel made the cut at the first two events, the Sony and the American Express, earning $75,845, but missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open. Youngster Ricky Castillo, after making the first two cuts, tied for 44th at the Farmers, posting rounds of 68-71-75-68, 6 under, collected $31,264, and now has banked $106,539. 

Alejandro Tosti missed the cut in the first three. and will have to rev it up if he's going to be successful this season. Camilo Villegas made the first two cuts and $75,845, but bombed out with 78-72 last week.

SEMINOLES- Consistent Daniel Berger tied for sixth at the Sony and took home a cool $287,105, then tied for 56th at the American Express and added another $20,884, for a total of $307,989. He didn't play at the Farmers. In his return to the PGA Tour, Brooks Koepka shot 73-68-73-70, tied for 56th at 4 under, and earned $22,176. He's still getting acclimated. Finally, in his return from the Korn Ferry Tour, Hank Lebioda has also missed the boat three times.

After a fairly successful rookie season, Luke Clanton has two missed cuts and added a withdrawal so far this season. 

There's a lot of golf left to play. Five of our eight collegians are competing in Arizona: Horschel, Koepka, Tosti, Lebioda and Berger.

Horschel (75-70) missed the cut, as did Koepka (75-69) and Tosti (75-75). Berger is tied for 37th (67-71-71, -4) heading into the Sunday finale, and Lebioda is tied for 63rd (70-71-71, -1). Berger wound up with 65 for 10 under and tied for 16th. With the hefty check for $160,800, he's banked $468,789 in the young season. Lebioda closed with 73 and wound up one over, collecting his first check of the season - $19,872. 

    OLDSMAR - Three-year-old colts trained by Todd Pletcher and Brad Cox, who have combined to win the Kentucky Derby three times, comprise one-third of a nine-horse field for Saturday’s $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes, one of four stakes races on Tampa Bay Downs’s annual Festival Preview Day card.
    The 46th edition of the mile-and-a-sixteenth race for 3-year-olds on the main track is a “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points race. At stake are 20, 10, 6, 4 and 2 Run for the Roses qualifying points for the top five finishers. The Kentucky Derby is scheduled May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
    The Sam F. Davis is also the major prep race for the Oldsmar oval’s biggest race of the meet, the Grade III, $400,000 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby, to be contested March 7.
Pletcher has two Sam F. Davis entries in Renegade and Epic Desire, who will break from the Nos. 6 and 2 post positions, respectively, while Cox has entered Confessional, who will break from the inside No. 1 post.
    Post time for the first race Saturday is 12:10 p.m. The Sam F. Davis is carded as the 11th and final race at approximately 5:30 p.m.
    It’s a busy week at Tampa Bay Downs, with an eight-race card on Thursday offering fans five consecutive days of racing. The track will also race Wednesday through Sunday next week.
    The $125,000 Suncoast Stakes, at a mile-and-40-yards for 3-year-old fillies on the main track, is a “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” points race, awarding 20, 10, 6, 4 and 2 qualifying points to the top five finishers. It is the fifth race on the card. There are eight sophomore distaffers entered, headed by unbeaten Zany, the potential-laden daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah trained by Pletcher.
    Also on tap Saturday are a pair of $125,000, 6-furlong sprint stakes for older horses. The 45th edition of the Minaret Stakes for fillies and mares 4-years-old-and-upward, which is the fourth race, has attracted six entrants, headed by 5-year-old mare Mystic Lake, a multiple-Grade II winner and career millionaire, from the barn of trainer Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
    The remaining stakes on the card is the 42nd running of the Pelican Stakes for male sprinters 4-years-old-and-upward, which is the 10th race. Nine-time leading Tampa Bay Downs trainer Gerald Bennett has a strong hand for the Pelican with three entrants, including his three-time stakes-winning 4-year-old Florida-bred colt Naughty Rascal, who won last season’s Pasco Stakes via disqualification; 6-year-old Florida-bred gelding Chrome Ghost, winner of his last two starts; and 5-year-old stakes-placed Florida-bred gelding El Principito.
    Of course, the focus of a majority of racing fans Saturday will be on the Sam F. Davis Stakes, won by Cox and jockey Flavien Prat last year with John Hancock. Both Renegade and Confessional will be ridden by world-class jockeys, with Irad Ortiz, Jr., aboard Renegade and Prat on Confessional. Epic Desire’s jockey will be Samy Camacho.
    Prat has won the two most recent Eclipse Awards as North America’s Outstanding Jockey, with Ortiz winning the two before that and five of the previous six.
    Pletcher has won the Sam F. Davis a record seven times, including five times between 2010-2023 when the race was classified as a Grade III stakes. The conditioner’s first two Sam F. Davis victories played a vital role in the race achieving Grade III status in 2009.

    Pletcher’s first Sam F. Davis winner, Bluegrass Cat (2006), subsequently finished second in the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby, the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes and won the Grade I Haskell Invitational.
    The trainer’s Sam F. Davis winner the following year, Any Given Saturday, was second in the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby and won the Grade II Dwyer Stakes, the Grade I Haskell Invitational and the Grade II Brooklyn Handicap.
    Pletcher’s sixth Sam F. Davis winner, Destin (2016), also won that year’s Grade II Tampa Bay Derby and the Grade II Marathon Stakes Presented by TAA and was second by a nose to Creator in the Belmont Stakes.
Although Renegade is a maiden (non-winner), he is held in high regard by respected handicappers. On Oct. 17, he won a 1-mile maiden special weight race at Belmont At The Big A but was disqualified and placed second behind Paladin for a bumping incident. In the Grade II Remsen Stakes on Dec. 6 at Aqueduct, Renegade took the lead briefly in the stretch before falling victim by 2 lengths to Paladin’s late rally.
    Confessional won his career debut on Oct. 16 at Keeneland, then finished second by 5 lengths to the Pletcher-trained Nearly on Jan. 2 in an allowance/optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park. Nearly won his next start, Saturday’s Grade III Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream, winning by 5 ¾ lengths to make Confessional’s last performance better-looking.
The full field for the Sam F. Davis in post position is as follows: No. 1, Confessional, No. 2, Epic Desire; No. 3, The Puma; No. 4, Game For It; No. 5, Ocelli; No. 6, Renegade; No. 7, Wayne’s Law; No. 8, Max Capacity; and No. 9, Dr. Kapur.
Pletcher appears to have a heavy favorite for the Suncoast in Zany, who posted a 2-for-2 mark as a 2-year-old. She will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. The Repole Stable-owned filly broke her maiden by 6 ½ lengths on Nov. 2 at Gulfstream, then went north to capture the Grade II Demoiselle Stakes on Dec. 6 at Aqueduct at the demanding mile-and-an-eighth distance. She won by 6 ½ lengths in a time of 1:50.55, .42 seconds faster than Paladin’s Remsen time six races later.

Around the oval. Tampa Bay Downs is instituting a daily purse increase of $1,500 for each overnight claiming (non-allowance) race. The increase, which will take effect with the Feb. 11 card (condition book 4), is attributable to increases in wagering handle throughout the first third of the mee

    Beth Bayer had good reason to be biased about the gray or roan filly by Taiba in her consignment for the 2026 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company January Winter Mixed Sale.

    Not only was the newly turned yearling one of the more popular residents in Bayer’s shedrow once she arrived on the grounds, but she carried an added dose of sentiment as Bayer had bred the filly and hence, had been there for every moment of her development.

    “I bred her, I raised her…I’ve loved her since the day she was born,” Bayer said of the filly catalogued as Hip 80.

    The high opinion Bayer held of her homebred proved more than just emotions talking as the youngster headed up an outstanding day for her breeder/consignor when she sold for a sale-topping $150,000 during the one-day January Winter Mixed Sale held Jan. 27.

    In addition to selling the Taiba filly to Marc Gunderson, Bayer also consigned Hip 22, a colt by Nashville, who brought the day’s second highest price when he elicited a final bid of $140,000 to Always Dreaming. When the dust settled, Bayer had sold three of the top four prices during the session, including Hip 133, a colt by Zandon out of the winning Roman Ruler mare Built in a Day, who went to Pine Creek Ranch for $90,000.

    The market for short yearlings was expected to be solid heading into the sale, and that theory indeed held true once the bidding started. The Taiba filly proved most desirable as she is out of the winning Unbridled’s Song mare Tranquil Song and is a half sister to Isolate, a multiple group 2 winner in Dubai.

    “I loved everything about her. She just had so much class and has done everything right for me,” Bayer said. “It ended up paying off for me at the end of the day.”

    The son of Nashville Bayer brought to the auction was another who ended up paying handsome dividends.

    Bred by Boone Family Trust, the colt is out the stakes winning Forest Wildcat mare Rapid Racer and is a half sibling to graded stakes placed Lee’s Baby Girl. Rapid Racer is out of a half sister to the top producing mare Ticket to Houston, dam of multiple graded stakes winner Runway Model who herself produced Grade 1 winner and sire McKinzie.

    “When he arrived, I was pleasantly pleased with him because he was a big strong colt, lots of bone, lots of size, a lot of substance,” said Bayer, who also sold Hip 90, another son of Nashville, for $75,000 to Dark Horse Racing Stable. “He presented himself really well. He reciprocated what I thought he would bring.”

Overall, Bayer led all consignors with 21 head sold for $719,800.

    Bayer’s leading duo were among a trio of yearlings that cracked the six-figure mark during the session. Hip 191, a colt by Simplification, also reached that threshold when he sold for $100,000 to Rising Dividends Racing.

    Consigned by Danielle Loya’s Silver Oaks Farm and bred by Tami Bobo, the colt is out of the Sky Mesa mare Gidget Girl and is a half brother to King’s Plate winner and OBS graduate Mansetti and multiple stakes winner Straight Up G.

    Other notable hips included Hip 91, a colt by Pappacap consigned by Kaizen Sales (Richard Kent), and Hip 260, a colt by Cairo Prince consigned by Hare Hill Farm, both of whom sold for $85,000. The son of Pappacap was purchased by Pinhook Partners while Banks Bloodstock landed the Cairo Prince colt.
    Hip 49, a colt by Drain the Clock, was purchased by Pine Creek Ranch for $82,000 from the Silver Oaks Farm consignment while Hip 116, a filly by Engage now named Ms. Engaged from the Hare Hill consignment, and Hip 217 Mom Said Win, a filly by Win Win Win consigned by Colin Brennan Bloodstock at Highlander Training Center, each brought $65,000. The Engage filly sold to Silver Creek Thoroughbreds with Breeze Easy & Robert Cotran purchasing Mom Said Win.

    The highest priced broodmare or broodmare prospect to sell was Hip 267, Callie’s Courage, a daughter of Girvin consigned by Kaizen Sales, who sold for $48,000 to William Churly. Callie’s Courage sold in foal to Gunite and is out of the winning mare Mom’s a Cougar, a daughter of OBS grad Kantharos, who is a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner and OBS grad Mom’s On Strike and multiple stakes winner Otago.

    The January Winter Mixed Sale finished with across-the-board gains over the 2025 exercise in all key metrics. At the close of business Jan. 27, a total of 186 head sold for total gross receipts of $3,507,850, an increase over the $3,093,700 generated by 212 sold a year ago. The average came in at $18,859, up from $14,593 in 2025, while the median of $12,000 was an improvement over $7,500 a year ago. A total of 71 horses failed to meet their reserve for an RNA percentage of 27.6%, up from 21.4% in 2025.