Tampa Bay Downs

As the field turned for home in Saturday's Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs, Dreaming of Snow (Jess's Dream), trained by Gerald Bennett, had the lead, but it sure looked like she'd never hold on. It wasn't just that she was 38-1 and had been pressed most of the way, it was who was chasing her, monsters from the stables of super trainers Mark Casse and Todd Pletcher in Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) and Julia Shining (Curlin). Could a horse from the barn of a 78-year-old claiming trainer who had...

Asked to negotiate two turns for the first time from a high draw, Centennial Farms' Litigate (Blame) sustained a long, wide run and dug in gamely to stake his claims on this year's Triple Crown trail with a victory in Saturday's GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs. Groveland (Street Sense) made good progress up the rail to be second ahead of Classic Car Wash (Noble Bird) in third. Bobbling ever so slightly as a steady rain began to fall across the Oldsmar oval, the $370,000 Keeneland September...

Since breaking her maiden at Colonial Downs last September, Dreaming of Snow has been a Florida girl, contesting three straight at Tampa Bay Downs including an 8 1/2-length win against optional claimers two starts back Dec. 17. Fourth in the Gasparilla S. Jan. 14 behind a pair ofrivals she faced Saturday, the $60,000 OBS March grad was let go as an unconvincing 38-1 shot against newly crowned Eclipse champion Wonder Wheel and GII Demoiselle S. winner Julia Shining. Undeterred by the falling rain and hustled to the front after brief...

5th-Tampa Bay Downs, $25,000, Msw, 2-11, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:10.99, ft, head. TITA MIMOSA (IRE) (f, 3, Uncle Mo--Needmore Flattery {MSW, $732,103}, by Flatter), the half-sister to Taiba (Gun Runner), MGISW, $1,956,200, broke as the 7-2 second choice in her afternoon bow and immediately charged to the front outside of Sweet Melady (Maclean's Music) to take a narrow advantage. Dueling up the backstretch with 24-1 shot Rosario's Prayer (Sky Kingdom), Tita Mimosa continued to fight that rival around the turn and into the lane. The pair took turns on the...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, 1mT, 1:46p.m. ET Coolmore's JUST SO (Justify) will lead the field to post for his debut off a steady stream of works in South Florida for trainer Chad Brown. He is a son of MGISW Turbulent Descent, who also raced in the Coolmore colors before selling in foal to War Front for $2.45 million at KEENOV in 2014. His third dam is the MGIW Gorgeous (Slew o'Gold), the dam of MGSW winner Stunning (Nureyev). The Stuart S. Janney III homebred Windsor...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 01/22/2023 Licensee: Randy Rennon, owner Penalty:...

Tampa Bay Downs is mourning the loss of 19-year-old exercise rider Daniel Quintero who died as a result of a training accident Saturday morning, the track is reporting. The entire community expresses its condolences to his family members and friends. Tampa Bay Downs will observe a moment of silence at 12:20 p.m. E.T. in Quintero's honor. Further details will be released.

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-FG, $65k, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:30 p.m. ET EVERGRANDE (Uncle Mo) cost Don Adam's Courtlandt Farms $1.1 million at Keeneland September in 2021, the priciest of the operation's 12 purchases (for $7.55 million) over the course of the opening week of the sale. Produced by a winning Forestry mare, the Apr. 6 foal is bred on the exact cross as champion and GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and hails from the deeper female family of Grade I-winning juvenile Greenwood Lake (Meadowlake). A then-yearling full-brother...

In partnership with the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Tampa Bay Downs will present a screening of the documentary film Mill Reef: A Legacy of Heart on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the racetrack in Tampa, Fla. The event is free to attend and open to the public, but advance registration will be required. Beverages and light fare will be available. To register, click here. Mill Reef: A Legacy of Heart chronicles the legendary racehorse Mill Reef, who was...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 12/31/2022 Licensee: Kazushi Kimura, jockey Penalty:...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 9th-TAM, $27K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 4:33 p.m. Facing a full field of 13 from the inside gate, JUST THE SKY (Justify), a homebred for Eurowest Bloodstock with her freshman sire's (by Scat Daddy) connections John Gunther also involved, stretches out over the grass for trainer Chad Brown. Out of a half-sister to MGSW & MGISP Honorable Duty (Distorted Humor), Just the Sky traces back to broodmare of the year Toussaud (El Gran Senor), herself the dam of MGISW & late sire Emire Maker...

Madeline Rowland's journey to becoming a jockey reached the next level last Sunday when she scored her first win on the NYRA circuit over the Aqueduct main track. Still just a teenager and already over the million-dollar mark in earnings, Rowland knew early on that her future was in horses. "I always grew up around horses," she said. "My dad trained steeplechase horses before he passed and my mom galloped for a little bit and helped my dad train. When I was 12 or 13, I started pony racing and...