By Ben Massam
In the context of a blockbuster Saturday card at Tampa Bay Downs featuring the meet's marquis event and an appearance from a champion, it may be the GIII Florida Oaks that steals the show as the most competitive race on the card. 14 sophomore fillies are set to vie for the $200,000 pot, headlined by the 2016 debuts of graded stakes winners Family Meeting (Sky Mesa) and 'TDN Rising Star' Gamble's Ghost (Ghostzapper).
Glen Hill Farm's Family Meeting showed an immediate affinity for the lawn last autumn, annexing a maiden test over the soft turf at Laurel and shipping westward to make it two in a row with a victory in Del Mar's GIII Jimmy Durante S. Nov. 28. The dark bay wrapped up her 2-year-old season with a runner-up effort behind blowout winner Belvoir Bay (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) in the Blue Norther S. at Santa Anita Dec. 27, and has posted a steady series of stamina-building works over the local main track for trainer Tom Proctor.
Gamble's Ghost's greatest achievements last year came over Woodbine's all-weather track, but the homebred's one try over the turf was surely respectable–a second-place run behind eventual GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Catch a Glimpse (City Zip) in the Sept. 12 GII Natalma S. The Josie Carroll trainee went on to annex the GIII Mazarine S. Oct. 4 prior to closing her season out with a pace-compromised runner-up finish in the restricted Princess Elizabeth S. Nov. 1.
Two fillies who have the benefit of a prior start off the bench coming into the Oaks are Spinamiss (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}) and Conquest Bebop (Scat Daddy), second and seventh, respectively, in Gulfstream's Jan. 30 GIII Sweetest Chant S. The former was acquired by St. Elias Stable after a three-race juvenile campaign in Ireland, and captured her initial North American start for trainer Todd Pletcher Dec. 20 prior to her recent run in Hallandale. A first-out maiden winner at Woodbine last November, Conquest Bebop was fractious loading into the outside stall last time and should benefit from a move inward to the two hole Saturday.
The Chad Brown barn often plays a major role in the outcome of stakes in the female turf division, and the trainer will saddle Ava's Kitten (Kitten's Joy) for owner/breeders Ken and Sarah Ramsey. A third-out maiden graduate at Belmont Park, the chestnut was last seen capturing that venue's Chelsey Flower S. on Halloween.
Sovereign Stable's Enjoy Yourself (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) was a fast-closing third behind Ava's Kitten in the Chelsey Flower–her Stateside debut–and recently returned from a brief freshening with a convincing win in a one-mile allowance test over the local course Feb. 17. The bay was purchased privately from Riddle Me Ree Partnership following a first-out score at Gowran Park for trainer John Oxx in Ireland last August.
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