Destin Wins Another Sam F. Davis for Pletcher
Trainer Todd Pletcher continued his dominance of the Sam F. Davis (G3) as he registered his sixth win in this race when Destin rallied from off the pace to get the victory.
The $250,000 Sam F. Davis was the first of four stakes races at the Tampa Bay Downs Festival Preview Day. The stakes, that include three at the graded level, offered a total of $600,000 in purse money on the day. The Sam F. Davis, which no longer carries any Kentucky Derby qualifying points, serves as a prep race for the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) to be run on March 12.
A field of six three-year-olds went to the gate for the mile and a sixteenth contest. As expected, local stakes winner Morning Fire was sent to the lead to set the early pace. Awesome Slate followed a length or so behind with Destin’s stablemate, Gettysburg, on the rail a close third. Jockey John Velazquez was content to sit a stalking trip in fourth place a couple lengths behind with Destin.
As the early fractions went in 23.92 and 48.16, the top three runners stayed the same. After six furlongs went in a solid 1:12.95, Gettysburg began to fade and Velazquez decided to make the first move for the lead with Destin. At the same time Rafting, who had been guided by Edgar Prado into contention, responded quickly to Velazquez’s move.
Going around the final turn it was clear that Destin and Rafting were going to battle down the stretch. The pace setter Morning Fire could not hold off the two closers. As those two vied for the lead down the stretch, Destin appeared to drift out just a bit as he took control of the race.
After the race Velazquez said, “By the three-eighths pole I made sure I got him going and when the other horse (runner-up Rafting) came to him at the quarter-pole, he gave a nice response. But he was green in everything – looking at the horses sideways, and when he got to the quarter-pole he didn’t know what to do and I had to get after him.”
In the end Destin, who was a $400,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale of 2014 for Twin Creek Racing Stable, drew off to a 2 ¼ length victory. Rafting finished another 3 ½ in front of Morning Fire.
Destin, who is by the stallion Giant’s Causeway and is out of the multi-graded stakes winning millionaire Dream of Summer, upped her career record to 4: 2-1-0 with earnings of $180,700. Destin has one Kentucky Derby qualifying point for his fourth place finish in the LeComte (G3) at the Fair Grounds on January 16.
“I think he took a giant step forward from his New Orleans race,” Pletcher assistant trainer Ginny DePasquale said. “Knowing his history, I was a little concerned he didn’t really seem like he was going to go on today, and John said ‘OK, we’re going to do this now.’ John kept at him and he kept him between horses where he was more focused. He could kind of look around and see the other horses instead of stopping and waiting.”
Pletcher had previously won the Sam F. Davis five times with Vinceremos in 2014, Brethren in 2011, Rule 2010, Any Given Saturday 2007, and Bluegrass Cat in 2006. Velazquez won his third having teamed up with Pletcher on Rule and Bluegrass Cat.
The grey colt Destin was sent off as the 4.00-1 fourth betting choice and paid $10.00, $3.60, and $3.00. The trainer and jockey combination teamed up to win the prior race on a first-time starter and produced a Pletcher-Velazquez daily double that paid $33.