No Dozing looks to wake up in Tampa Bay Derby
The richest card in the history of Tampa Bay Downs takes place Saturday at the track in Oldsmar, Fla., headed by the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, a 11⁄ 16- mile test for 3-year-old horses looking to qualify for the Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs.
A large field is expected to vie for the 85 points available to the topfour finishers, including 50 for the winner.
Total purse for the day’s races is $925,000.
Heading the field for the Tampa Bay Derby is No Dozing, trained by Arnaud Delacour, who finished second in the Remsen Stakes.
No Dozing ran for the first time as a 3-year-old Feb. 11 in Oldsmar in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes, the key prep race for the Tampa Bay Derby, finishing a disappointing sixth. No. 1-ranked McCraken won the Davis in track-record time. The early favorite for the Kentucky Derby, McCraken will miss the Tampa Bay Derby with a minor ankle injury.
No Dozing breezed 5 furlongs in 1:01.60 Sunday, starting slow because of another horse breezing just prior. No Dozing’s final quarter was 12.20 seconds.
“He came back happy, and I’m very encouraged by the way he’s handling his training and behaving,” Delacour said. “I wouldn’t run him if I didn’t think he will perform well, and the way he breezed last week was very good.”
Also in the field is Todd Pletcher’s Trapwrit, who finished second to McCraken in the Sam F. Davis. Trapwrit won his maiden as well as the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream in his two starts before the Davis. Last year, Pletcher’s Destin won the Tampa Bay Derby, and the trainer has won three of the last four Tampa Bay Derby races.
Another Pletcher horse in the Tampa Bay field is Third Day, which has won his two starts, most recently the Just One More Stakes on Feb. 8 at Gulfstream.
Other starters include Beasley, who was scratched from the Fountain of Youth last week to run in the Tampa Bay Derby, and State of Honor, who has placed in four of his five stakes races, most recently third in the Sam F. Davis.
Gormley to San Felipe:
Gormley, winner of the Jan. 7 Sham Stakes and one of the West Coast’s top contenders for the Run for the Roses, worked 4 furlongs on Santa Anita’s main track Monday in 47.80 under regular rider and three-time Kentucky Derby winner Victor Espinoza.
Gormley, the bay colt son of Malibu Moon, is tentatively set to start in the $400,000 Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 11⁄ miles Saturday. The 16 winner of the San Felipe earns 50 points toward entry into the Kentucky Derby.
Gormley’s trainer, John Shirreffs, who also trains Robert B. Lewis Stakes winner Royal Mo, said Gormley “went good. I’m happy with both horses at this point.”
Added Espinoza, who won the Kentucky Derby in 2002 (aboard War Emblem), 2014 (California Chrome) and 2015 (with Triple Crown winner American Pharoah): “Gormley felt good. He does things so easy; you couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Gormley’s top competition will come from Mastery, Bob Baffert’s outstanding colt that is expected to make his first start of 2017. Mastery is ranked third in the NTRA 3-yearold poll and is expected to be favored in the San Felipe.
Royal Mo is expected to run next in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., on March 18.
Unique Bella wins big:
Sensational filly Unique Bella moved up to fourth in the NTRA 3-year-old poll after her smashing 2¼-length victory in the Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday. The massive filly by Tapit is ranked No. 1 on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.