Dini has five chances on card

Trainer Mike Dini appears poised to have a successful Wednesday at Tampa Bay Downs with runners in five of the nine races on the card led by Hopesndreams in the featured starter/optional claimer for 3-year-old fillies, which goes as race 6.

Hopesndreams, a daughter of Ride On Curlin, is 3 for 4 at the meet, having won a maiden $25,000 claimer on Jan. 10 and then two versions of this same starter condition on Feb. 16 and March 10. Dini ran Hopesndreams in the Sophomore Fillies Stakes on March 24, when she finished third to the heavily favored Mystic Lake.

All three of Hopesndreams’s victories came when she raced on the anti-bleeding medication Lasix, which she gets back on Wednesday after not having it in the Sophomore Fillies.

“She’s not a bad bleeder or anything, but when she has Lasix she’s a new horse,” Dini said. “She’s back where she belongs. We found out too that if she gets the lead too quick, she wants to wait on horses.”

Hopesndreams breaks from the outside post in this sevenhorse field under regular rider Jesus Castanon.

Glorious Lady, sent out by Tampa’s leading trainer, Kathleen O’Connell, won her debut for maiden $25,000 claiming by six lengths and meets winners for the first time.

Chief Lady, coming off a seven-length win for $20,000 claiming on March 3, is another contender.

In race 7, Dini sends out Platinum Diva, the only multiple winner in a field of 10 entered in a $20,000 claimer scheduled for a mile on the turf. Platinum Diva has w on two of her la st three starts, including a fivelength score last time out at this level.

“She’s a very nervous horse,” Dini said. “Not soaking-wet nervous, but she’s hard on herself in the post parade. Hopefully, she’ll settle a little more and become a better horse.”

In race 2, Dini sends out Oscar Gaze in a $25,000 claimer for fillies and mares who have never won three lifetime races. Oscar Gaze was a two-length winner of a non-winners-of-two-lifetime race on March 13.

“She’s slowly been getting good,” Dini said. “She was a very timid horse when I got her, now she’s learning how to settle in and run really good.”

In race 5, a $25,000 claimer for males who have never won three lifetime races, Bramble Baze seeks to improve on his half-length defeat when third in this condition on March 20. Bramble Bla ze is a half-brother to stakes winners Bramble Bay and Bramble Queen.

“My owner has that mare and it seems like all the good ones are fillies,” Dini said. “He’s coming around. He’s a small gelding, his sisters are honest triers. The other thing is, we found out he only runs for female jockeys.”

Dini has the apprentice Melissa Iorio to ride. Iorio won five races over the weekend – including three on Friday. Iorio’s win aboard Raichu on Sunday was her 40th career victory and she is now a fivepound apprentice.

Dini’s final runner comes in the ninth with Bird’s Eye View, a 10-year-old gelding making his 74th career start in a $16,000 claimer. Bird’s Eye View is 0 for 15 since he last won at Tampa for this price tag in December 2022.