Tampa Bay Downs

Sent away as the somewhat surprising 33-10 favorite in Saturday's $250,000 GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs, Morplay Racing's No More Time (Not This Time) won the pace battle and ultimately the war, as he had enough in the tank late to hold off 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road) and earn 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. West Saratoga (Exaggerator), winner of last year's GIII Iroquois S. and a distant second to the G3 Saudi Derby-bound Book'em Danno (Bucchero) in Tampa's Pasco...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column reflects on success at Gulfstream Park for Warm Heart and Francesco Clemente.  The highlight of recent weeks has been the Coolmore partners' Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who won her third top-level race in a third different country when taking the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. in Florida in late January (video). Trained by Aidan O'Brien, the Coolmore-bred set a new course record, and is now bound for...

8th-FG, $57K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 4:30 p.m. ET. Bred by Machmer Hall, SHIRE'S END (Into Mischief) takes to the turf in New Orleans under the guidance of trainer Brendan Walsh. A $450,000 buy at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, the colt is a full-brother to MGSW/GISP Three Witches, who went to RIFA Mustang Europe for $1.7 million at last year's Keeneland November Sale, then won the GII Santa Monica S. at Santa Anita a week ago. Dam Layreebelle (Tale of the Cat) is also responsible for GII...

The Tampa Road to the Kentucky Derby heats up Saturday afternoon, as a full field of 12 sophomore males is set to face the starter for the $250,000 GIII Sam F. Davis S., with 42 Kentucky Derby qualifying points (20-10-6-4-2) up for grabs. When Litigate (Blame) took out the 2023 renewal, he was giving trainer Todd Pletcher a seventh victory in the Davis, having won the race for the first time in 2006 with Bluegrass Cat (Storm Cat). 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road) will be the more-fancied of...

4th-Tampa Bay Downs, $32,000, Msw, 2-3, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:48.37, fm, neck. WAITLIST (c, 3, Not This Time--Grandezza, by Scat Daddy) opened his account in highly impressive fashion at first asking going nine furlongs over the Tampa turf course Saturday afternoon. By the sire of recently crowned champion Up to the Mark and sent out by that one's trainer Todd Pletcher, the $240,000 Keeneland September acquisition was void of early speed and settled one from the tail. Asked to improve his position leaving the five-furlong pole by Emisael Jaramillo, the...

8th-TAM, $53K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 4:03 p.m. ET. Bred by Clearsky Farms, ACCLAIMED VICTOR (Omaha Beach) makes his first start for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The $725,000 Keeneland September grad, who was purchased by St. Elias, was the third highest selling yearling in 2022 by his top five first-crop sire. Out of Color Me Flying (Distorted Humor), the 3-year-old is a half-brother to MGSP Colorful Mischief (Into Mischief), who St. Elias acquired at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale for $300,000. Acclaimed Victor's extended female family includes his...

Bred in New Jersey, Book 'em Danno (Bucchero) is a 3-year-old, has been beaten only once in five starts, has won three stakes and is coming off a career-best effort when beating up on five inferior rivals in the Jan. 13 Pasco S. at Tampa Bay Downs. With most owners and trainers, to have a horse like that would mean they'd be hyper-focused on getting to the GI Kentucky Derby. But not trainer Derek Ryan or the partnership that races under the name of Atlantic Six Racing LLC. They're headed...

Book'em Danno (Bucchero) was a tough-luck loser of Aqueduct's one-mile Nashua S. when last seen 2 1/2 months ago, but atoned for that first career defeat in no uncertain terms with a thoroughly dominating victory in Saturday's Pasco S. at Tampa. Hovering around 2-5 and 1-2 for the bulk of the wagering, the tote showed 1-9 when the gates flew and the New Jersey-bred was content to take back off the pace of debut winner Banded Rocket (Malibu Moon) and El Principito (Accelerate), who matched motors through decent fractions of...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Kalispera at Gulfstream Park.   Ten Sovereigns Filly Delivers In Florida William Werner's Kalispera (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) won her American debut at Gulfstream Park for trainer Brian Lynch earlier this month (video). A product of the storied Annemarie O'Brien breeding programme, the 3-year-old rattled off a trio of group placings at two in her colours when third in both the G2 Debutante...

4th-GP, $89K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:38 p.m. ET. Bred by Stonehaven Steadings & Leah O'Meara, LESLIE'S HUMOR (Kantharos) makes the races for LSU Stables. Initially sold for $125,000 at the Keeneland September Sale, the chestnut RNA'd for $110,000 at OBS April before going for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale in June. The second to race for La Titina (Distorted Humor), the 3-year-old filly's younger half-brother by Not This Time was purchased for $310,000 last September at Keeneland by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds. Granddam and MGISW Ask the Moon (Malibu...

Luis Yamil Marcano, who spent most of 2023 riding at Belterra Park, before returning to his native Puerto Rico in October to ride at Camarero, died Sunday night from injuries he sustained from a motorcycle accident. He was 19. The news was first reported on Camarero's Facebook page, which posted the following: "Camarero Racecourse regrets the sudden death of rider Luis Yamil Marcano. Luis graduated from the Agustín Mercado Reverón Equestrian Vocational School in 2022 staying active since then in races at Camarero Racecourse and several racecourses in the United...

LSU Stables' Ari's Magic (c, 3, Good Magic--Ari the Adventurer, by Pioneerof the Nile) looked to be spinning his wheels for the better part of the opening half-mile of his Friday unveiling at Tampa Bay Downs, but surged to the front under a massive head of steam with a furlong to race and widened from there to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Samy Camacho was named to ride, but it was Oisin Murphy at the controls aboard the 9-10 pick, who bounced alertly from gate seven, but was almost immediately...