The graded-placed Owen Almighty , disqualified from victory within the Jan. 11 Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs because of interference, goals for his first route success within the 1 1/16-mile Sam F. Davis Stakes Feb. 8 at Tampa.
Amongst his 9 opponents are Poster , winner of the 2024 Remsen Stakes (G2) and unbeaten in three begins; Mucho Macho Man Stakes runner-up Treaty of Rome ; fast debut winner John Hancock ; and two horses who confronted Owen Almighty within the Pasco, led by Naughty Rascal , who was elevated from second to first with Owen Almighty’s disqualification by stewards to fifth. Naughty Rascal is a three-time stakes winner.
The Sam F. Davis, value a base of $200,000 with an extra $50,000 for Florida-breds, was downgraded this 12 months from grade 3 to listed standing, however it stays a chosen cease on the Highway to the Kentucky Derby. It awards Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying factors on a 20-10-6-4-2 foundation to its first 5 finishers. Moreover, it may advance horses towards Tampa’s richest race for 3-year-olds, the $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G3) March 8.
Owen Almighty at present has 5 qualifying factors, having completed second within the one-mile Iroquois Stakes (G3) final fall at Churchill Downs in his begin that preceded the seven-furlong Pasco. Earlier than the Iroquois, he had received the Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes and a maiden race at Churchill Downs, each sprints.
The Sam. F. Davis will likely be his longest race, over a center distance coach Brian Lynch believes the colt can deal with.
“I do not know that he will get a mile and 1 / 4,” he mentioned, referring to the traditional Derby distance, “However I feel he’ll get two turns.”
Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing’s Owen Almighty is a son of the late Speightstown, recognized for passing alongside velocity to his progeny, and the colt is out of the Bayern mare Tempers Rising , second within the 1 1/16-mile Honest Grounds Oaks (G2) in 2020.
Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard when Owen Almighty was demoted to fifth by stewards within the Pasco, returns within the irons. Owen Almighty will add blinkers.
Ortiz teamed with Lynch to win the 2022 Sam F. Davis with Traditional Causeway .
Godolphin’s Poster , a son of Munnings , cuts again distance from 1 1/8 miles after lasting for a nostril victory over Aviator Gui within the Dec. 7 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. That race, his first begin on grime, adopted two earlier turf wins, each at a mile, in Kentucky. He has educated in Kentucky for a lot of the winter.
Like different horses stabled at Turfway Park, he missed some coaching because of snow and bitter chilly in Kentucky in early to mid-January. The Eoin Harty trainee labored twice there late within the month earlier than heading south to Tampa and breezing 5 furlongs in 1:01 3/5 over the native floor Feb. 2.
Antonio Gallardo is up.
Flavien Prat, who had ridden Poster within the Remsen, is as a substitute aboard the Structure colt John Hancock for coach Brad Cox.
Harty additionally runs Calumet Farm’s Very Daring , the official second-place finisher from the Pasco. Jesus Castanon rides.
No Sam F. Davis competitor has received the Kentucky Derby. Its prime finisher was 2006 Sam F. Davis winner Bluegrass Cat, who ran second in that spring’s Run for the Roses.
The Sam F. Davis is one among 4 grime stakes races Saturday at Tampa.
Entries: Sam F. Davis S.
Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, February 08, 2025, Race 11
- STK
- 1 1/16m
- Dust
- $250,000
- 3 yo
- 5:14 PM (native)