Tampa Bay Derby Stakes Racing Roundup

©2018 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby will log a lot of miles this Saturday with qualifying races in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and Gotham Stakes (G3) on the east coast and the San Felipe Stakes (G2) on the west coast.
At Tampa Bay Downs, FLAMEAWAY has been tagged as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the 38^th running of the $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2). Post time is 5:20 p.m. ET.
Flameaway comes into this race with a 5-0-0 record in seven starts for trainer Mark Casse including a win in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3). Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

FLAMEAWAY set pressured pace throughout, headed at the eighth pole, roused and dug in gamely to prevail.

Flameaway showed a lot of grit to prevail for the win, over a determined Catholic Boy, by a half-length in stakes record time of 1:42.44.

Scat Daddy, the sire of Flameaway, was a multiple graded stakes winner who compiled a 5-1-1 record in nine starts with $1,334,300 in career earnings.

As a two-year-old, Scat Daddy was 3-0-1 in five starts with wins in the Sanford Stakes (G2) and Champagne Stakes (G1), and he finished second in the Hopeful Stakes (G1).

In his season debut as a 3-year-old, Scat Daddy finished third in the one mile Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and followed up with wins in the 9 furlong Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and Florida Derby (G1) in route to a eighteenth-place finish in the Derby.

His best runners on the Derby Trail include Daddy Long Legs, Daddy Nose Best, El Kabeir, Frac Daddy, Azar and Dice Flavor who was my long shot pick to win the 2013 El Camino Real Derby (G3).

Flameaway has a D Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior Index makes him competitive and I look for him to run a good race.

VINO ROSSO (4-1) comes into this race with a 2-0-1 record in three starts for trainer Todd Pletcher including a third-place finish in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3). Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

VINO ROSSO tracked between horses, rallied with a mild gain in the drive for the show spot.

Coming off the layoff, Vino Rosso looked good in his stakes debut to finish a closing third, just 1¼ lengths shy of victory. He’s a colt we profiled as a yearling (Hip 528) at the 2016 Keeneland September sale and with an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, he has the breeding to be competitive on the Derby trail.

Curlin, the sire of Vino Rosso, was an outstanding racehorse that compiled an 11-2-2 record in 16 career starts with $10,501,800 in career earnings.

Curlin did not start as a two-year-old. But, at the age of three, Curlin was 6-1-2 in nine starts with $5,102,800 in earnings including wins in the Rebel Stakes (G3) and Arkansas Derby (G2) en route to a third-place finish in the 2007 Kentucky Derby (G1). He went on to win the Preakness Stakes (G1) and he finished second in the Belmont Stakes (G1).

Other important stakes wins include the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), twice, Dubai World Cup (G1), Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), Woodward Stakes (G1), and the UAE Jaguar Trophy Handicap.

In his first five crops as a stallion, Curlin has sired the 2013 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Palace Malice and the 2016 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Exaggerator. In addition, Curlin produced the classic-placed runners Ride On Curlin (second, 2014 Preakness), Keen Ice (third, 2015 Belmont) and Irish War Cry (second, 2017 Belmont).
Regular jockey John Velazquez retains the mount on Vino Rosso and he has room to improve in his second start of the season.

UNTAMED DOMAIN (6-1) comes into this race with a 2-1-2 record in six starts for trainer Graham Motion including a third-place finish in the Dania Beach Stakes (G3). Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

UNTAMED DOMAIN steadied slightly two to three wide midway through the first turn, was roused sharply three wide past the quarter-pole, had aim on the dueling leaders through the stretch but could not gain appreciably while best of the others.

Animal Kingdom, the sire of Untamed Doman, was a multiple-graded stakes winner and Classic Champion Thoroughbred that compiled a 5-5-0 record in 12 starts with $8,387,500 in career earnings.

As a two-year-old, Animal Kingdom only made two starts, breaking his maiden on the second start. As a three-year-old, he compiled a 2-2-0 record in five starts with wins in the Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (G3) and Kentucky Derby (G1). He finished second in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and sixth in the Belmont Stakes (G1).

Animal Kingdom made only two starts as a four-year-old and he finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). As a five-year-old, Animal Kingdom made three starts finishing second in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) and winning the Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airlines.

Animal Kingdom was a versatile, world-class runner that won on dirt, turf and artificial surfaces and he won races on two continents.
Untamed Domain has only run in turf races, but it would not be a surprise if he ran well on the dirt. He has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and, along with Vino Rosso, he’s one of the best-bred colts in this race.

WORLD OF TROUBLE (5-1) comes into this race with a 2-1-0 record in three starts for trainer Jason Servis including an impressive win in the Pasco Stakes. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

WORLD OF TROUBLE set the pace on the inside, took charge on the turn, pulled away on his own, was shown the whip in mid-stretch, drew off, was ridden out and eased up in the final yards.

World of Trouble, who was never asked to run, set fast fractions and pulled away to win the seven-furlong Pasco Stakes by a whopping 13 lengths in a final time of 1:21.52 – just a few ticks off the track record time of 1:21.40 set by Catalina Red in 2014.

Kantharos, the sire of World of Trouble, was an undefeated multiple graded stakes winner that only raced three times as a two year old before he was retired due to fractured sesamoids in his left foreleg during a workout.

During his brief racing career, Kantharos won his three starts by a combined 28½ lengths with stakes wins in the Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) and Saratoga Special Stakes (G2).
World of Trouble has an E Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior Index makes him competitive in this race.

*****

This is the sixth consecutive year for Churchill Downs to use a point system to determine eligibility to get into the Kentucky Derby starting gate. A total of 36 races comprise the Road to the Kentucky Derby and a significant change to the schedule is the addition of the Springboard Mile at Remington Park on December 17.

In addition to the Japan road to the Derby which features the Cattleya Sho Stakes (November 25), Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushan Stakes (December 13) and Hayacinth Stakes (February 2018), Churchill Downs has added a European road to Derby glory consisting of seven races: Juddmonte Beresford (September 24), Juddmonte Royal Lodge (September 30), Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (October 1), Racing Post Trophy (October 28, Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes (March 1), Patton (March 2) and the Burradon (March 30).

2018 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Bravazo, 54, D. Wayne Lukas, $349,913

2. +Good Magic, 24, Chad Brown, $1,200,000

3. Firenze Fire, 24, Jason Servis, $567,500

4. Snapper Sinclair, 22, Steve Asmussen, $301,810

5. McKinzie, 20, Bob Baffert, $240,000

6. Instilled Regard, 19, Jerry Hollendorfer, $196,000

7. Bolt d’Oro, 14, Mick Ruis, $540,000

8. +Free Drop Billy, 14, Dale Romans, $467,200

9. +Solomini, 14, Bob Baffert, $436,000

10. Catholic Boy, 14, Jonathan Thomas, $330,000

11. Avery Island, 14, Kiaran McLaughlin, $320,000

12. Enticed, 13, Kiaran McLaughlin, $180,880

13. My Boy Jack, 12, Keith Desormeaux, $402,000

14. Combatant, 12, Steve Asmussen, $210,000

15. Mourinho, 11, Bob Baffert, $149,360

16. Greyvitos, 10, Adam Kitchingman, $300,000

17. Audible, 10, Todd Pletcher, $208,320

18. Lombo, 10, Mike Pender, $90,000

19. Noble Indy, 10, Todd Pletcher, $40,000

20. Tiz Mischief, 6, Dale Romans, $70,400

+ = Horses we picked as yearlings at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Good Magic = Eclipse Champion Two Year Old Male.

EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Saxon Warrior (JPN), 20, Aidan O’Brien, $245,017

2. *GRONKOWSKI, 20, Jeremy Noseda, $43,235

3. Roaring Lion (USA), 14, John Gosden, $136,807

4. f-Happily (IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $543,648

5. Court House (IRE), 8, John Gosden, $12,946

6. Olmedo (FR), 4, Jean-Claude Rouget, $113,505

7. Nelson (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $99,826

8. Delano Roosevelt (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $38,074

9. Fortune’s Pearl (IRE), 4, Andrew Balding, $8,273

10. Masar (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $101,264

11. The Pentagon (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $71.981

12. Mildenberger (ENG), 2, Mark Johnston, $64,634

13. Warm the Voice (IRE), 2, Brendan Duke, $12,904

14. Verbal Dexterity (IRE), 1, Jim Bolger, $280,269

15. Kew Gardens (IRE), 1, Aidan O’Brien, $28,605

16. Woodmax (GER), 1, Nicolas Clement, $23,610

17. Petrus (IRE), 1, Brian Meehan, $7,182

          *Gronkowski is the only horse nominated for the Triple Crown on the European Leaderboard.

JAPAN ROAD LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Sumahama (JPN), 30, Ryo Takahashi, $291,287

2. *Ruggero (JPN), 16, Yuichi Shikato, $220,861

3. Taiki Ferveur, 12, Mitsunori Makiura, $299,689

4. Le Vent Se Leve (JPN), 10, Kiyoshi Hagiwara, $463,935

5. Don Fortis (JPN), 4, Mitsunori Makiura, $436,916

6. Mic Ben Hur (JPN), 4, Yoshihiro Hatakeyama, $122,696

7. Great Time (JPN), 3, Hideaki Fujiwara, $186,586

8. Haseno Pyro (JPN), 2, Kenki Sato, $263,981

9. Meiner Yukitsubaki (JPN) 2, Noboru Takagi, $151,796

10. Dark Repulser (JPN), 1, Takashi Kanari, $200,920

11. Bronze Kay (JPN), 1, Koichi Tsunoda, $75,979

* = Nominated to Triple Crown.