Saturday, March 10, 2012

Tampa Bay Derby Racing Roundup

Trainer Tood Pletcher’s arsenal of 3-year-old Thoroughbreds lost some fire power recently with Algorithms sidelined due to injury. But a win by Spring Hill Farm in today’s $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) at Tampa Bay Downs could give Pletcher another solid Kentucky Derby prospect to join stable mate El Padrino.

Spring Hill Farm, the 5-2 morning line favorite, is undefeated in two starts and he has yet to run in a stakes race. The step up to graded stakes competition will be a big class test but if Spring Hill Farm lives up to his breeding he should be competitive in today’s race.

Smart Strike, the sire of Spring Hill Farm, sired the Preakness Stakes (G1) winners Curlin and Lookin At Lucky and he also is the damsire of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mine That Bird.

Classic Champion Thoroughbreds Pleasant Colony, the damsire of Spring Hill Farm, and The Minstrel, sire of the second dam, also add some good influence to the pedigree.

The tail-female line of Spring Hill Farm also contributes some good influence from the first and second dam: Colonial Minstrel and Minstrella – both multiple graded stakes winners and the line further descends from the fifth dam Gallorette who was a Champion Handicap Mare and Hall of Fame inductee.

Flambette, the seventh dam, was a Reine-des-Course Mare (Family 17-b, Biddy) and that line also produced the Classic Champion Thoroughbreds Danzig Connection, Phalanx, Johnstown and Triple Crown winner Omaha.

Prospective (8-1) showed nice progression as a 2-year-old until he finished dead last in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs on November 5. In his 3-year-old debut, Prospective finished first in the 7-furlong Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and he followed up that effort at the same track with a second-place finish in the 8½-furlong Sam Davis Stakes (G3) to Battle Hardened (9-2) who is also entered in today’s race.

I liked Prospective in Pasco and Sam Davis and I like him in today’s race too.

Malibu Moon, the sire of Prospective, only raced twice until he was retired with a slab fracture. But at stud, Malibu Moon has produced some nice sprint and middle-distance horses such as Life At Ten, Devil May Care, Declan’s Moon and Malibu Mint.

Awesome Again, the damsire of Prospective, was a good middle-distance runner that won the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and earned classic honors by winning the Queen’s Plate Stakes, one of the most prestigious races in Canada.

After three previous attempts in maiden competition, Battle Hardened finally broke his maiden with a 1¼-length victory in the Sam Davis Stakes (G2). Another move forward off of that effort should make him competitive in today’s race.

Golden Ticket (10-1) is much improved as a 3-year-old. In his first start of the season, Golden Ticket finished second in an 8½-furlong maiden race on the turf at Gulfstream Park in January. He followed that up with a first-place finish running the same distance at the same track in February and another move forward will make him competitive in today’s race.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Charles, Chief Energy - gave a clear defeat to Mr. Adonis easily first time two turn. Steady work tab prior to October until now, when most 2 year old were running Maiden 6 furlongs, the colt race two turns 85 Beyers. (JULY 2011) Sharp effort.

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