Wins by Rymska, Flameaway lead Tampa Bay Derby undercard

Preceding Saturday's Tampa Bay Derby (G2), two other graded stakes were contested and won by horses that could vie for the lead in their respective divisions later this season.

In the Grade 2, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes on the turf, the French-bred Rymska, owned by Madaket Stables, Tom Coleman, Team Hanley and Elayne Stables and trained by Chad Brown, overtook the pace-setting Hawksmoor, who was making her final career start and will be bred to Kitten’s Joy.

Rymska won by two lengths in 1:49.18 for the mile-and-an-eighth distance, with Hawksmoor staving off Onthemoonagain by a nose for second.

“Irad rode a beautiful race,” winning trainer Chad Brown said. “She got a beautiful trip and she responded well. She’s been laying a little closer her last couple of starts, which I like to see, and she finished great.”

Rymska improved to 7-for-13 in her career. “She broke really well and I let her be forwardly placed early,” Ortiz said. “I thought (No. 1, Phantom Opening) was one of the horses I had to beat, so I just tried to follow her because I knew she was going to take us a long way and when we got to the stretch, I thought I would pick them up.

“Everything worked out perfect. I had plenty of horse when I asked her. Chad (Brown) did a great job with her and she was ready.”

Arnaud Delacour, the trainer of Hawksmoor, had no regrets and offered no excuses.

“She ran her race and it’s a great way to finish her career,” Delacour said. “She (Rymska) had beaten us once last year, so (the result) is kind of logical. She gave it her best shot and ran relaxed and finished very well.”

Hawksmoor, who is owned by Lael Stables, will be bred to 2018 North American leading sire Kitten’s Joy.

Concrete Rose turned in an impressive triumph in the Grade 3, $200,000 Florida Oaks, also on the turf, carrying top weight of 123 pounds and Leparoux to victory in 1:43.02 for the mile-and-a-sixteenth. Blowout staged a strong rally for second, a half-length ahead of Winter Sunset.

Concrete Rose was making her first start since an unplaced effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November and is now 3-for-4. She is owned by Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing and trained by George “Rusty” Arnold, II.

“This was a big one to get out from under her, to come off a layoff and carrying top weight,” Arnold said. “I was worried because she was a little bit hyper in the paddock, which she’s never been, but she had never shipped, so I think we can handle that when we get back to Keeneland.

“This was a quality bunch. This is going to probably take something out of her, so we might wait until Churchill Downs (for her next start). I’m going to let her tell me. She hadn’t been out in four months, but she is a talented filly and she has acted like a talented filly from Day 1, so we’re very happy with her.”

So was Leparoux. “She put me in the race nicely and we went pretty quick the first quarter, but we slowed it down very good the second part of the race,” the rider said. “She was so relaxed and she does whatever you want with her, so I sat there and made one run and she had a nice kick at the end. She is a nice filly and she was still going at the finish.”  

The Challenger Stakes was a case of déjà vu all over again for 4-year-old Flameaway, who rallied in the stretch after losing the lead to Pelican Stakes winner Killybegs Captain to post a half-length victory. The time was a sizzling 1:41.89 for the mile-and-a-sixteenth, .14 seconds off the stakes and track record.

Jose Ortiz rode Flameaway, who is owned by John C. Oxley and trained by Mark Casse.

Although it was the first victory for Flameaway since last year’s Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes, he finished second in three Grade 2 events as a 3-year-old: the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, the Toyota Blue Grass and the Jim Dandy.

“Somebody was saying this reminded them of the Sam F. Davis (when Flameaway defeated Catholic Boy by a half-length), and we’ve said all along he’s as game as he can be,” Casse said. “We’ve had some issues with him; he actually cracked a rib when we ran him at Parx (in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones in August), so we gave him a break, and he has come back good and strong.”

Jose Ortiz said the pre-race strategy was to track Killybegs Captain and Jay’s Way early, but Flameaway wanted the lead from the No. 1 post and Ortiz let him go.

“We broke really well and nobody challenged me until the backside, so I let him be there. I think his heart is way bigger when he’s on the lead,” Ortiz said.

The 5-year-old Killybegs Captain, under Samy Camacho, took the lead on the turn for home, but Ortiz got to scrubbing and Flameaway responded in a similar manner to last year’s Sam F. Davis score.

“I knew (Killybegs Captain) has always been a sprinter, so I thought from the 1/8-mile pole to the wire I was going to have a little more than him,” Ortiz said.