Promising 3-year-olds Confessional and Renegade square off against seven other rivals in the Feb. 7 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The 1 1/16-mile, $250,000 contest is one of four stakes on the Saturday card at Tampa, co-highlighted by the $125,000 Suncoast Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, where 2025 Demoiselle Stakes (G2) winner Zany returns.
Making his second career start Jan. 2, Steve Landers Racing's Confessional was runner-up in an allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park to next-out Holy Bull Stakes (G3) winner Nearly, beaten 5 lengths. Now, the Brad Cox-trained Confessional is looking to stretch out past 7 furlongs for the first time in his short career. In his only other outing, he broke his maiden Oct. 16 at Keeneland by 3 lengths, also at 7 furlongs. He races with blinkers off in the Sam F. Davis.
Confessional is by two-time Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality , who Cox trained for Godolphin to win the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and 2021 Belmont Stakes (G1), among other races. Jockey Flavien Prat rides Confessional for the first time.
Among his competition is the Todd Pletcher-trained colt Renegade, who is still a maiden after three starts but is graded-placed. Following a distant third in his debut, Renegade crossed the wire first in a maiden special weight Oct. 17 at Aqueduct Racetrack by a head, but was placed second behind the highly regarded Paladin after the two horses were in close quarters in the final sixteenth of a mile and Renegade moved into Paladin's path. The two met again in the Dec. 6 Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct, where Renegade ran a wide second to Paladin.
Renegade, by seven-time leading sire Into Mischief , races for owners Robert and Lawana Low, who also bred the colt, and Repole Stable.
Pletcher, who has won the Sam F. Davis a record seven times, is also represented by Tampa maiden winner Epic Desire.
The Sam F. Davis is a designated prep on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and awards qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis to its top five finishers. It is the final race on an 11-race card at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Entries: Sam F. Davis S.
Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, February 7, 2026, Race 11
- STK
- 1 1/16m
- Dirt
- $250,000
- 3 yo
- 5:30 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Confessional (KY) | Flavien Prat | 122 | Brad H. Cox | 2/1 |
| 2 | 2Epic Desire (KY) | Samy Camacho | 122 | Todd A. Pletcher | 15/1 |
| 3 | 3The Puma (KY) | Javier Castellano | 122 | Gustavo Delgado | 6/1 |
| 4 | 4Game for It (KY) | Luis R. Rivera, Jr. | 122 | Chad Summers | 20/1 |
| 5 | 5Ocelli (KY) | Joseph D. Ramos | 122 | D. Whitworth Beckman | 12/1 |
| 6 | 6Renegade (KY) | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 122 | Todd A. Pletcher | 8/5 |
| 7 | 7Wayne's Law (FL) | Marcos Meneses | 122 | Amador Merei Sanchez | 30/1 |
| 8 | 8Max Capacity (KY) | Jevian Toledo | 122 | Richard P. Sillaman | 30/1 |
| 9 | 9Dr. Kapur (KY) | Samuel Marin | 122 | Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. | 5/1 |
Zany Highlights Suncoast
Earlier on the card in the Suncoast, Pletcher runs Repole Stable's heavily favored Zany, who makes her first start as a 3-year-old. She concluded her 2-year-old season with wins in both starts. She broke her maiden Nov. 2 at Gulfstream Park over 6 1/2 furlongs by 6 1/2 lengths. Then, the daughter of American Pharoah traveled to New York and stretched out for the 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle, defeating the opposition by 8 1/2 lengths and earning a 90 Equibase Speed Figure and an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.
Pletcher also entered Kadabra, who broke her maiden second time out May 3 at Aqueduct and was not seen again till a recent fifth in an allowance optional claiming race Jan. 3 at Gulfstream Park.
Cox starts 2025 Rags to Riches Stakes winner Life of Joy, a daughter of Gun Runner who last out was fourth as the post-time favorite in the Nov. 29 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. She adds blinkers for Saturday's race.
The Suncoast Stakes provides qualifying points toward the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs on the same scale as the Sam F. Davis. The eight-filly contest goes as the fifth race.
Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, February 7, 2026, Race 5Entries: Suncoast S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Tremont Tammy (FL) Sonny Leon 121 Jon G. Arnett 30/1 2 2Y'allreadyforthis (KY) Angel Morales 121 Abraham Gardea 30/1 3 3Zany (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 121 Todd A. Pletcher 2/5 4 4Kadabra (KY) Samy Camacho 121 Todd A. Pletcher 20/1 5 5Life of Joy (KY) Flavien Prat 121 Brad H. Cox 2/1 6 6Justamomentplease (FL) Gaddiel A. Martinez 121 Ralph N. Baez 30/1 7 7Fly Life (FL) Edwin Gonzalez 121 Gerald S. Bennett 30/1 8 8Lightscape (KY) Samuel Marin 121 Thomas F. Proctor 12/1
