Tampa Bay Downs

'TDN Rising Star' Munnys Gold turned her stakes debut into a laugher while stamping herself as a potential major force among sophomore fillies this season. A jaw-dropping 14 1/2-length debut winner at Monmouth last June, good for a gaudy 101 Beyer Speed Figure, the dark bay was subsequently sidelined with a foot bruise, but eventually resurfaced to make short work of first-level Florida-bred allowance foes at Gulfstream Jan. 25. She was facing her sternest test to date with the likes of Dreaming of Snow, upsetter of champion Wonder Wheel (Into...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-AQU, $80K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:20 p.m. Trainer Chad Brown has Aqueduct's first race on closing day bookended with a pair of firsters from his shedrow in OCASEK (Candy Ride {Arg}), who draws the rail with Dylan Davis aboard and to the outside ARMY TIMES (Into Mischief) with Manny Franco in the irons. Both have a Candy Ride connection as the former, who was a $440,000 '21 FTSAUG  purchase by Spendthrift Farm, was sired by him, while the latter's dam, MGSW & MGISP Paid...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column covering Mar. 15-21, is highlighted by the victory of new 'TDN Rising Star' Preliminary (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park. Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables already celebrated the victory of Equitize this past week, and the white-and-red-striped colours were back in the limelight with the 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy performance of Preliminary in the ninth race in Hallandale Beach on Thursday for trainer Chad...

Our series featuring notable success for European sires in North America, with this week's highlight being the victory of Grade I winner Shantisara (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) in the GII Hillsborough S. at Tampa Bay Downs. Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Robert LaPenta's Shantisara is no stranger to the winner's circle, and the 2021 GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. heroine secured her first victory since 2021 with a 1 1/4-length triumph in the Hillsborough S. on Saturday (video). Now a 5-year-old, the mare was bred by Oliver Donlon, and sold...

With her victory in the fifth race at Tampa Bay Downs Sunday, Kathleen O'Connell surpassed Kim Hammond to become the winningest female trainer in North America. My Eagle Soars (Khozan) became O'Connell's 2,386th winner when he crossed the line first in the six-furlong maiden claimer. "It's just been a wonderful ride," O'Connell said of her training career. "It's not only about the destination, it's the journey getting there." O'Connell, who began training on her own in 1981, has twice been the leading trainer at Tampa Bay Downs. She also won...

At almost no point during the opening 6 1/2 furlongs of Saturday's GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby did things look particularly promising for Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's heavily favored Tapit Trice (Tapit). But in a stretch rally befitting his status as a 'TDN Rising Star', the $1.3-million Keeneland September graduate went through his gears and whistled home to--somewhat unbelievably--post an open-lengths victory over Classic Car Wash (Noble Bird) and Classic Legacy (Into Mischief), the third- and fourth-place finishers, respectively, in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. four...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 9th-TAM, $27K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 4:40 p.m. A homebred for Florida's Bridlewood Farm, JUSTDOITALREADY (Justify) debuts Sunday for trainer Eoin Harty. The dark bay filly, a daughter of $2,000,000 2014 Fasig-Tipton November Sale purchase Concinnous, is a half-sister to MGISW Iotapa (Afleet Alex), herself a $2.8m pick up by China Horse Club out of the 2014 Keeneland November Sale. Concinnous has also produced SW & GSP Saintly Joan (Northern Afleet). Justdoitalready fired a bullet two works back (five furlongs in 1:02) and jockey Jesus...

Trainer Todd Pletcher has unsaddled the winner of the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby a record five times--no one else has more than two to their credit--and he stands a fair chance to make it a half-dozen Saturday afternoon when he sends out the two favorites on the morning line. Pegged at odds of 8-5 is Whisper Hill Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit), who will attempt to provide his sire with a fourth winner of the race since in its last 10 runnings (Ring Weekend, 2014; the...

It continues to be a strange year on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. It's been a division where no one seemed ready to step to the front and become a clear leader of the group. That, sort of, changed Sunday in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Sunday at Santa Anita. Faiza (Girvin) stayed undefeated in four starts with a 2 1/4-length win and, under normal circumstances, would have gone to No. 1 on this list. But the filly, who is trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Michael...

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be featured at Tampa Bay Downs with a named race on the Tampa Bay Derby undercard Saturday, March 11. Following the running of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Race, a presentation will be made to the winning connections including a branded blanket and swag bag. Tampa Bay Downs will feature and promote accredited aftercare awareness throughout the race day and race meet. As part of Tampa Bay Down's support, a VIP experience has been donated to the winners of the January 2023 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance "Off...

6th-Tampa Bay Downs, $24,000, Msw, 2-19, 3yo, 1mT, 1:36.33, fm, 1 1/4 lengths. SILVER PEAK (c, 3, Quality Road--Dreamologist {GSW, $203,710}, by Tapit) debuted over the synthetic track at Woodbine Nov. 13 and got up to be second when traveling 6 1/2 furlongs. Given the stretch out and the change of surface Sunday, the gray jumped from the blocks as the narrow 7-5 second choice and dove to the front to lead narrowly into the first turn. Showing the way through opening fractions of :23.63 and :48.85, Silver Peak held...

   In this new semi-weekly series, the TDN takes a look at the notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column, Feb. 11-17, is highlighted by the victory of Manhattan Jungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) in the Sweet Life S. at Santa Anita Park on Feb. 11. No Concrete Fears For Smart Filly The best performance of the week was Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Manhattan Jungle adding to her resume in the Sweet Life S. going down the hill at Santa Anita. A three-quarter length winner for trainer...