Tampa Bay Downs

Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) wasn't an expensive yearling, but he announced his Classic aspirations impressively last weekend in an early Gl Kentucky Derby prep. He won the 1 1/16-mile Glll Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday, but sold for only $6,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling sale. He was resold by New Hope AB LLC for $20,000 at the OBS April sale as a 2-year-old to trainer Patrick Biancone, who knows a quality staying pedigree when he sees one. Of course, Biancone trained the great All...

5th-Tampa Bay Downs, $20,000, Msw, 2-12, 3yo, 1mT, 1:36.47, fm. DOMESTIC SPENDING (GB) (g, 3, Kingman {GB}--Urban Castle {SW-Eng}, by Street Cry {Ire}) firmed into odds-on favoritism in the final minutes of wagering before easing out to a relatively generous even-money and turned in a promising career debut. Ridden for some gate speed by Antonio Gallardo, the 300,000gns Tattersalls October graduate settled in the second flight of horses about four away from the rail down the backstretch. Asked to loop horses four deep at the quarter pole, Domestic Spending came...

With all eyes on unbeaten Independence Hall (Constitution) in Saturday's GIII Sam F. Davis S., Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) came rolling down the Tampa Bay stretch to upset the 3-5 favorite by a widening 2 1/2 lengths. It was 11 1/4 lengths back to third-place finisher Ajaaweed (Curlin). Sole Volante, campaigned in partnership by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Andie Biancone and Limelight Stables Corp., won his first two starts on grass, including an impressive come-from-behind win in the Pulpit S. at Gulfstream Nov. 30. He ran on nicely to finish third...

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Last Week - Decent start in week one, tabbing two of three winners--Max Player (+$905) and Thousand Words (+$290). Unfortunately, the most impressive winner of the trio by far--Tiz the Law in the Holy Bull--was the...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency EXPENSIVE SPEIGHTSTOWN DEBUTS AT TAMPA 4th-TAM, $27K, Msw, 3yo, 1m 40yds, 1:46p.m. WinStar and China Horse Club signed the $750,000 ticket on EXTRAORDINARY (Speightstown) at Keeneland September and breeder Stonestreet Stables stayed in as a partner on the colt, who debuts in this spot for Rodolphe Brisset. The chestnut is out of four-time graded winner and MGISP millionaire Fiftyshadesofhay (Pulpit), a $1.3-million purchase by Stonestreet at the 2014 KEENOV sale. Let's Go Stable and Repole Stables also send out a Stonestreet homebred for his career...

Eclipse finalist Got Stormy (Get Stormy), a multiple Grade I winner in 2019 who blossomed from a nice minor stakes horse into a bonafide star turf filly, will look to follow in the footsteps of Mark Casse champions Tepin (Bernstein) and World Approval (Northern Afleet) when getting her 5-year-old campaign underway as a prohibitive favorite at Tampa Bay Downs in Saturday's GIII Endeavour S. A winner of two listed stakes and a Grade III in the summer of 2018, the chestnut was stepped up to Grade I company for the...

Undefeated and impressive in all three of his career starts thus far, Independence Hall (Constitution) has earned respect as one of the top early choices for the GI Kentucky Derby. Saturday, fans will get a much clearer picture of whether that stature is justified, as the Mike Trombetta trainee heads south to take on a quality field in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs. Sent off as a 7-5 favorite debuting in a seven-furlong event on the GI Pennsylvania Derby undercard at Parx, the dark bay...

America's Day at the Races, presented by America's Best Racing, Runhappy and Claiborne Farm and produced by NYRA, returns to FS2 Feb. 8 with a 3 1/2-hour show from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. It will cover live stakes action from Aqueduct, Oaklawn, Santa Anita and four stakes from Tampa Bay, including the GIII Sam F. Davis S. Other featured races include the Jimmy Winkfield S. at Aqueduct, the King Cotton S. at Oaklawn and the GII Las Virgenes S. America's Day at the Races will air on most Saturdays...

Independence Hall (Constitution) tuned up for Saturday's 1 1/16-mile GIII Sam F. Davis S. with a  four-furlong drill in :48.60 (10/82) at Tampa Bay Downs Sunday. "He kicked on nice. I'm very happy with the breeze," trainer Michael Trombetta said. "The way he started off [an opening eighth of a mile in about :13 seconds], you wouldn't have thought he'd breeze in :48 and change. The 'ask' was somewhere in the :48-49 range and out in the 1:01 range, and he galloped out in 1:00 4/5. So if you're choosier...

The Green family's DJ Stable has privately acquired multiple stakes winner Ceci Valentina (Prospective) from owner/breeder Amalio Ruiz-Lozano and transferred the sophomore filly to trainer Joe Orseno. A winner of the FTBOA Florida Sire Susan's Girl S. at Gulfstream last August and the Juvenile Fillies Sprint S. at Gulfstream Park West in November, the dark bay was last seen finishing fourth beaten just a half-length in Tampa's Gasparilla S. over seven panels Jan. 18. "We just moved her to our barn this morning and want to see how she does...

Kahlid Abdul Rahim's Bitcoin Passion (Ire) (American Pharoah) was backed down to 2-1 favoritism amongst a well-bred field at Tampa Sunday off a series of five-panel drills at Payson Park, and the money proved prescient as he overcame some greenness in a powerhouse performance worthy of 'TDN Rising Star'-dom. Hopping up at the start, the chestnut found a midpack spot along the rail early behind splits of :23.71 and :48.45. He came off the inside heading into the second bend, but leading local rider Antonio Gallardo hadn't yet given him...