Prospect Watch: 5 notable 3-year-olds debut at Tampa Bay
The most important race taking place at Tampa Bay Downs this Saturday is the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis, a road to the Kentucky Derby prep event featuring a full field of talented 3-year-olds.
But the Sam F. Davis isn’t the only noteworthy race for sophomores slated for Saturday at Tampa. Two high-quality maiden special weights on the undercard have drawn a combined 18 entries, including a bevy of promising first-time starters.
Let’s review five of the most intriguing newcomers:
Tampa Bay Downs Race 3: maiden special weight (6 furlongs, 12:50 p.m. ET)
A son of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist, Tough Tickets was produced by the Tapit mare Tap Tap Tapping, who was sufficiently talented to place in the Honeybee (G3) and Dogwood (G3). This is a rock-solid pedigree geared toward success over a wide variety of distances, so Tough Tickets has the potential to perform well on Saturday and still improve when stretching out around two turns.
Of course, this is assuming that Tough Tickets has talent, which from all appearances he does. The chestnut colt has fired off a couple of bullet workouts over the slow track at Payson Park in recent weeks, including three furlongs in :36 1/5. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez takes the mount for hot trainer Christophe Clement (a 36 percent winner at Tampa this winter), setting the stage for a promising debut.
Trainer Darien Rodriguez wins at a 29 percent rate with first-time starters, so you can bet Harrykeepthechange will be primed for a sharp effort on debut. A son of High Cotton, who sires a solid 11 percent winners from first-time starters, Harrykeepthechange has shown speed in the mornings at Tampa Bay Downs. On Jan. 21, he clocked five furlongs in a bullet 1:02 1/5.
Hot jockey Antonio Gallardo (a 22 percent winner at Tampa) takes the mount, a significant assignment considering Gallardo and Rodriguez have gone 3-for-10 (30 percent) teaming up together over the last two months. Only time will tell how far Harrykeepthechange wants to run (his pedigree is geared toward sprinting), but he can certainly be a factor on Saturday.
#8 Oh Steve
An inexpensive youngster purchased for just $11,000 as a yearling, Oh Steve boasts a pedigree that combines speed with stamina. The stamina comes courtesy of his sire, Bernardini, winner of the Preakness and the champion 3-year-old male of 2006. The speed comes from Oh Steve’s dam, Triumphantly, a Mr. Greeley mare who previously foaled front-running Gallant Bob (G3) winner Trouble Kid.
Oh Steve arrives at his debut with only five modest workouts to his credit, so it’s difficult to predict what kind of effort he’ll produce. But from a pedigree perspective alone, the bay colt bears watching.
Tampa Bay Downs Race 5: maiden special weight (1 mile and 40 yards, 1:50 p.m. ET)
It’s safe to say Core Curriculum is bred to thrive running a mile or farther. His sire, Empire Maker, won the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes, while his dam — the Danzig mare Curriculum — previously foaled the long-winded 1 1/2-mile Cougar II Handicap (G3) winner Temple City.
Sold for only $70,000 as a yearling, Core Curriculum is owned by the partnership of Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables. His work tab isn’t overly flashy, but trainer Todd Pletcher strikes at a 22 percent rate with first-time starters and boasts a strong success rate saddling 3-year-olds at Tampa Bay Downs, so overlook Core Curriculum at your own risk.
It’s easy to understand why Son of Thunder sold for $475,000 as a yearling. The bay colt is a son of champion 2-year-old and hot sire Uncle Mo out of the Speightstown mare Chattertown, previously the dam of Jim Dandy (G2) winner Laoban.
Under the care of Arnaud Delacour (a 31 percent winner at Tampa Bay Downs this winter), Son of Thunder has put together a solid work tab highlighted by a bullet five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 on Dec. 31 at Tampa. Uncle Mo sires a solid 14 percent winners from first-time starters, and Delacour strikes at a lofty 27 percent rate with runners debuting over a mile or longer, so all signs suggest Son of Thunder is sitting on a big effort right out of the box. Jesus Castanon (2-for-4 teaming up with Delacour over the last two months) will guide the Lael Stables colorbearer.