Donut God Heads Inaugural; Half to Flightline Debuts

Juveniles will probably be within the highlight Dec. 7 at Tampa Bay Downs with 9 races comprised fully of 2-year-olds, together with the Inaugural stakes and Sandpiper Stakes, a pair of six-furlong contests value $125,000 apiece.

The stakes will not be the one intriguing races on this system.

Additionally Saturday, Flight of Fancy , a 2-year-old half sister to unbeaten 2022 Breeders’ Cup Traditional (G1) winner and Horse of the Yr Flightline  , will make her profession debut for Corridor of Fame coach Invoice Mott within the fourth race beneath the silks of her breeder and proprietor, Jane Lyon’s Summer time Wind Equine. A deep subject is entered within the six-furlong maiden race on the grime.

However the primary occasion of the day would look like the Inaugural, the place coach Brian Lynch runs the fast Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing’s Donut God , who gained his solely begin in quick time. Regardless of his restricted expertise, he was the ninth favourite amongst particular person betting decisions at 52-1 odds in the latest Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Lynch, who gained the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) in 2022 with Traditional Causeway , has been extremely impressed with Donut God for the reason that son of Into Mischief   arrived in his barn in early August.

“He is coming into (the Inaugural) with a repute. Time will inform, however he has all the time been an expert little horse,” Lynch mentioned. “He is been very precocious, quick from the gate and a fast learner. He is simply actual sensible.

“He isn’t actual massive, about 15 arms and three, however there’s loads of him. It is a aggressive subject and most of them have extra expertise than he does, however I believe he is as much as the duty.”

Main jockey Samy Camacho has the driving project on Donut God, who will break from publish 5. Camacho has gained three of the final 4 editions of the Inaugural, together with final 12 months on Patriot Spirit .

Second alternative for the Inaugural at 3-1 is Naughty Rascal , a colt owned by Mr Pug and J.P.G. 2, and skilled by Gerald Bennett, a nine-time coaching champion on the Oldsmar, Fla., oval. Naughty Rascal is 3-for-4 with two stakes victories, each at Gulfstream Park.

Naughty Rascal has labored 3 times at Tampa Bay Downs, together with a five-furlong bullet breeze Nov. 24 in 1:00 3/5.

Tapirs Valor  is third alternative on the morning line at 5-1. He was acquired privately by his present connections after breaking his maiden Oct. 18 at Keeneland in his second profession begin. He now begins for Runnymoore Racing and coach Tim Hamm.

The opposite Inaugural entrant with single-digit odds is the Gary Contessa-trained gelding Epitaph , set at 6-1.

This press launch has been edited for content material and elegance by BloodHorse Employees.