Three-year-olds at Tampa Bay Downs are getting warmed up for the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) trails as the track hosts a pair of seven-furlong, $150,000 stakes Jan. 11 for sophomores.
Although no qualifying points are on the line Saturday, the Pasco Stakes serves as prep for Tampa's Road to the Kentucky Derby races, which begin Feb. 8 with the Sam F. Davis Stakes.
Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing's Owen Almighty returns to racing after developing a gastrointestinal infection that kept him from Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) consideration. Before that health issue, the son of Speightstown established himself as one of the top 2-year-olds on the Kentucky circuit, winning the Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes and finishing second in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs Sept. 14.
Among his competition is Mr Pug and J.P.G. 2's Naughty Rascal, a two-time Gulfstream Park stakes winner trained by Gerald Bennett. The field of six also includes last-out maiden winners Cockeyed and Rookie Card.
Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, January 11, 2025, Race 4Entries: Pasco S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Juan Colorado (KY) Cipriano Gil 118 Abraham Gardea 30/1 2 2Very Bold (KY) Jesus Lopez Castanon 118 Eoin G. Harty 12/1 3 3Cockeyed (KY) Antonio A. Gallardo 118 Teresa M. Pompay 20/1 4 4Rookie Card (FL) Junior Alvarado 118 Danny Gargan 3/1 5 5Naughty Rascal (FL) Edwin Gonzalez 124 Gerald S. Bennett 5/2 6 6Owen Almighty (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 124 Brian A. Lynch 4/5
Flying Dutchmen and Lynch also have a leading contender for the Gasparilla Stakes in Mrs Worldwide, a daughter of Global Campaign who won her second consecutive stakes Dec. 7 in Tampa Bay's Sandpiper Stakes. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. gets the call on both her and Owen Almighty.
Two-time stakes winner Win N Your In also makes her first start away from Gulfstream Park while cutting back to one turn, and impressive maiden winner Lynn's Milky Way enters off her 11-length debut romp at Gulfstream Park Nov. 22.
Entries: Gasparilla S.
Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, January 11, 2025, Race 5
- STK
- 7f
- Dirt
- $150,000
- 3 yo Fillies
- 2:28 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Tessitura (KY) | Willie Martinez | 118 | Eoin G. Harty | 30/1 |
| 2 | 2Dancing Magic (KY) | Junior Alvarado | 118 | Michael B. Campbell | 3/1 |
| 3 | 3Lynn's Milky Way (KY) | Jose C. Ferrer | 118 | Luis M. Ramirez | 6/1 |
| 4 | 4Vuela Paloma (FL) | Daniel Centeno | 118 | Gerald S. Bennett | 8/1 |
| 5 | 5Another Cleeshay (NY) | Rosario Montanez | 118 | Gary C. Contessa | 10/1 |
| 6 | 6Mrs Worldwide (FL) | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 124 | Brian A. Lynch | 5/2 |
| 7 | 7Win N Your In (FL) | Miguel Angel Vasquez | 124 | Carlos A. David | 2/1 |
