Credit' Heads Full Field in Florida Oaks

While the main event on today's Tampa Bay Downs card showcases 3-year-old males on the dirt, the GIII Florida Oaks features a full field of 14 sophomore fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the turf two races earlier. With Gulfstream Park's Herecomesthebride S. rained off the lawn one week ago, the Oaks benefitted from a number of last minute entries–namely the 3-1 morning line favorite, Consumer Credit (More Than Ready). Owned by Klaravich Stables Inc. and William H. Lawrence, the Chad Brown trainee has demonstrated an electrifying turn of foot in reeling off three consecutive open-length scores on the grass, including a recent win in Gulfstream's one-mile GIII Sweetest Chant S. Jan. 24. Previously victorious in the Wait a While S. at Gulfstream Park West Nov. 29, the dark bay defeated a number of today's rivals in her two stakes triumphs. Consumer Credit additionally faces a number of intriguing new shooters, including Mrs. McDougal (Medaglia d'Oro), a first-out maiden winner who also hails from the Brown barn. The $450,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase returned instant dividends for owners Mr. and Mrs. William K.Warren Jr., rallying to annex a special weight event over today's same trip and surface at Gulfstream Feb. 4. The bay will break from post 14 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the irons. Dixiana Farms LLC's Tiger Ride (Candy Ride {Arg} has arguably been flying under the radar, but also sports an unblemished two-for-two record on the turf. A winner at first asking at Keeneland Oct. 25, the homebred was a narrowly beaten third going one mile on the dirt at Churchill Downs Nov. 29. The Kellyn Gorder trainee powered clear to an easy score in her trip-and-track sophomore debut here Feb. 4, and shows a series of sharp local works in the interim. Brereton C. Jones and Timothy C. Thornton's Include Betty (Include) registered a pair of dramatic last-to-first victories over the main track earlier at this meet, most recently taking the Suncoast S. over an extended mile Jan. 31. The chestnut makes her first start on the turf this afternoon for trainer Tom Proctor. A trio of fillies left in the wake of Consumer Credit in South Florida will get another crack at the favorite in today's event. Quality Rocks (Rock Hard Ten) was second by one length in the Sweetest Chant, her first start of 2015. Conditioned by Bill Mott, the dark bay won last term's Arlington-Washington Lassie S. and was runner-up in the GIII Jessamine S. prior to finishing her 2-year-old campaign with a 10th-place effort in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Oct. 31 at Santa Anita. Savino A. Capilupi's Nicky's Brown Miss (Big Brown) was third and fifth behind Consumer Credit in the Wait a While and Sweetest Chant, respectively, and recently improved to second in a optional claimer over this same trip at Gulfstream Feb. 6. Second in the Wait a While, Lismore (Tiznow) crossed the wire first in another one-mile optional claimer at the Hallandale Beach oval Feb. 16, but was subsequently disqualified and placed second after her rider struck a foe with his whip. Overall, the grey owns one win and three second-place finishes from her four career starts on grass.