Tampa Bay Derby 2020: Post positions, odds and more

Last out stakes winners Chance It and Sole Volante headline the field of 12 runners in Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby, a race that figures to send its winner on to the 2020 Kentucky Derby.

Chance It was a race day scratch from Gulfstream Park's Fountain of Youth (G2) last weekend with trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. unhappy with an outside post position. Chance It is better positioned at Tampa Bay downs and would be the favorite if not for Sole Volante's presence.

Sole Volante won the local prep race for the Tampa Bay Derby, the Sam F. Davis (G3), when rallying to defeat previously unbeaten Independence Hall. The combination of trainer Patrick Biancone and jockey Florent Geroux also teamed up to win the Fountain of Youth with Ete Indien.

According to TimeformUS' Pace Projector, things could be contested early with King Guillermo expected to gun it from his wide post. The Todd Pletcher-trained pair of Market Analysis and Texas Swing, both maiden winners, could also show speed.

Chance It, meanwhile, is anticipated to stalk the pace while Sole Volante would welcome a hot pace given he's expected to take up the rear of the field early.

Tampa Bay Derby on TV

Fox Sports 2 will televise "America's Day at the Races" from 5:30-7 p.m. ET Saturday with the Tampa Bay Derby to go off at 5:32 p.m. ET. Additionally, wagering and a live stream are available via TVG, which offers enhanced on-site coverage from Matt Carothers and Gabby Gaudet.
 

Tampa Bay Derby handicapping

Looking to play the Tampa Bay Derby? Check out TVG's $200 Risk Free Bet available to new members.

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Tampa Bay Downs' stakes lineup

Race 7: Columbia Stakes (3:18 p.m)

Race 8: Challenger Stakes (G3) (3:55 p.m.)

Race 9: Hillsborough Stakes (G2) (4:25 p.m.)

Race 10: Florida Oaks (G3) (4:55 p.m.)

Race 11: Tampa Bay Derby (G2) (5:32 p.m.)

Tampa Bay Derby preview

Via Mike Henry, Tampa Bay Downs

The Tampa Bay Derby is one of five stakes, four graded, on a Festival Day card offering $1 million in stakes purse money alone. It is also a “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points race, awarding qualifying points for the Run for the Roses on May 2 to the first four finishers on a 50-20-10-5 scale.

The five stakes will be run consecutively, comprising a Festival Day Pick 5.

Sole Volante, the lone gelding in the field, drew the No.7 post position for the mile-and-a-sixteenth feature on the main track and was made the favorite based on his impressive Feb. 8 victory in the Sam F. Davis.

Now 3-for-4 in his career, Sole Volante is owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Andie Biancone and Limelight Stables Corp. and trained by Patrick Biancone. Florent Geroux will be the jockey, replacing Sam F. Davis-winning rider Luca Panici, who suffered a fractured collarbone in a fall on Feb. 21.

The second choice at 5-2 is Chance It, a Florida-bred colt owned by Shooting Star Thoroughbreds and trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr. He will break from the No. 4 post under jockey Paco Lopez.

Chance It is 4-for-6 with three stakes victories, including a triumph in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes on Jan. 4 at Gulfstream Park in which he defeated Sole Volante.

Although Sole Volante and Chance It possess excellent credentials, the high stakes involved virtually ensured a large field.

Todd Pletcher, who has trained five Tampa Bay Derby winners, including three in a row from 2015-2017, will send out three lightly-raced starters: maiden winners Market Analysis and Texas Swing along with Unrighteous, who is still a maiden.

Market Analysis, who is owned by WinStar Farm and China Horse Club International, won his lone start going seven furlongs on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream. Texas Swing, owned by Harrell Ventures, won his second career start, a mile-and-40-yard maiden special weight contest here on the Feb. 8 Sam F. Davis Stakes undercard.

Unrighteous, a homebred colt racing for Calumet Farm, has a fourth and a second in two starts at Gulfstream.

Pletcher’s five Tampa Bay Derby winners are Limehouse (2004), Verrazano (2013), Carpe Diem (2015), Destin (2016) and Tapwrit (2017). He has won the Kentucky Derby twice, both times with horses that raced at Tampa Bay Downs. In 2010, his Super Saver won the Kentucky Derby after finishing third in the Tampa Bay Derby; in 2017, Pletcher sent eventual Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming here to break his maiden on Jan. 25.

The only other horse to win the Kentucky Derby after competing at Tampa Bay Downs was Street Sense, who won both the Oldsmar showcase and the Kentucky Derby in 2007.