Tampa Bay Downs

Peter Brant's Salimah (Ire) (El Kabeir), the first American starter for her Yeomanstown Stud-based sire and former 'TDN Rising Star', matched that feat with a highly impressive debut success Saturday afternoon at Tampa Bay Downs. As skinny as 4-5 in the latter stages of the wagering, the Peter Brant runner eased out all the way to 7-5 and was 13-10 when the gates flew. Off to a hesitant beginning beneath Samy Camacho, Salimah was allowed to find a rhythm and raced with just two of her rivals behind her as...

Trainer Michael Wright captured his sixth straight race at Tampa Bay Downs Sunday when More Chances (Hard Spun) won the third race at the Oldsmar oval. The streak also included a win with 15-1 outsider Nantucket Red (Get Stormy) in Saturday's Wayward Lass S. "When you put them in the right race, that's all that matters," Wright, who trained two-time Sovereign Award winner Scotzanna, said. Wright will try for seven in a row in Wednesday's eighth race with the 6-year-old gelding Victor's Destiny (Souper Speedy). In 1977, when the track...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-TAM, $31.5K, Alw/Opt. Clm ($75K), 3yo, 1m 40y, 1:09 p.m. ET WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's EMMANUEL (More Than Ready) ran away to a well-bet debut victory and 'TDN Rising Star' honors last month at Gulfstream and will get his first two-turn test in this salty Tampa allowance early on Friday's card. Bought for $350,000 at Keeneland September, the bay was backed down to 7-5 against nine rivals when unveiled over a mile Dec. 11, shook off some early pace pressure and cruised home a...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-TAM, $26.5K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m40yds, 1:08 p.m. ET    While their other four competitors are a combined 0-for-37, late-debuting newcomers Aussie Pride (Curlin) and Mint (Bodemeister) sport huge pedigrees and in one case, a massive price tag. The former, who carries the Godolphin blue for trainer Bill Mott, was the second topper at the 2019 Keeneland September sale at a gaudy $4.1 million. He's out of New Zealand champion sprinter Bounding (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), who is a half to G1 Investec Derby hero Anthony Van...

For the better part of two decades, Patricia Grimes and her husband Michael have bred and sold racehorses from their Classic Run Farm in Webster, Florida. Last spring, the couple decided to see what it felt like to race their own horses. They purchased a daughter of Frosted (hip 722) at the OBS April sale for $30,000 and named her Platinum Gem. The filly--just the second to carry the colors of Classic Run Farm--may have earned herself a start in stakes company after a pair of impressive victories at Tampa...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-TAM, $31,500, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:48 p.m. William Mack's GIANT'S FIRE (GUN RUNNER), a $510,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, makes his first trip to post for trainer John Terranova. The chestnut colt is out of an unraced half-sister to multiple Group 1 placed Mad About You (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}). Also debuting is Godolphin homebred Exacting (Ghostzapper), a son of multiple Grade I placed Centring (A.P. Indy), who will be saddled by Eoin Harty. Jonathan Thomas sends out firster Dubrovnik (Union Rags)--a $180,000 FTKSEL yearling purchase--for...

Matt Dinerman will announce the races at Grants Pass Downs for the final five days of the track's 2021 spring/summer meet. Dinerman, the voice of Golden Gate Fields, is filling in for Jason Beem, who begins his term as track announcer at Tampa Bay Downs this week. "I'm really excited to pinch-hit for Jason Beem at Grants Pass Downs," Dinerman said. "It's fun to call races at a new venue and equally enjoyable to meet new people who share the same passion in horse racing." One of the races Dinerman...

Jason Beem, who has called races at numerous Thoroughbred tracks since 2006, has been hired as the announcer at Tampa Bay Downs. He will begin on June 30, the first day of the track's two-day Summer Festival of Racing. The 41-year-old University of Washington graduate currently announces at Grants Pass Downs in Oregon and will begin his third season at Colonial Downs July 19. At Tampa Bay Downs, he replaces Richard Grunder, who retired on May 2 after 37 years and more than 37,000 races at the Oldsmar oval. "I...

Beginning with Wednesday's card, Tampa Bay Downs will increase purses by 10% due to continued gains in simulcast revenue. It marks the fourth time purses have been upped during the 2020-21 meeting, which opened Nov. 25 and will continue to May 2, with previous boosts occurring Dec. 16, Feb. 3, and Feb. 20. "The latest increase is a tribute to our horsemen who strive to deliver a quality product, the racing office for its efforts to provide competitive racing with full fields, and fans around the country who continue to...

Richard Grunder, the track announcer at Tampa Bay Downs for the past 37 years, is hanging up his binoculars after the May 2 card. Citing health concerns, the 68-year-old has chosen to retire after a lifetime spent in the sport. He is believed to have called in the vicinity of 37,000 races at Tampa Bay Downs and is currently the longest-tenured announcer at any racetrack in the country. "My goal a few years back was to try to go until I was 70, but I've got a medical situation I...

The GI Kentucky Derby-bound Helium (Ironicus) wasn't the only 3-year-old colt to impress on the GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby card Mar. 6. Untreated (Nyquist) put on a show earlier that day as well, graduating by a pole for Todd Pletcher at second asking with a flashy, come-from-behind maiden tally in his two-turn debut (video). He earned a very solid 86 Beyer Speed Figure. A well-beaten sixth as the 4-5 favorite behind next out GIII Sam F. Davis S. winner Candy Man Rocket (Candy Ride {Arg}) going six furlongs...

D J Stable LLC's Helium (Ironicus) overcame an impossibly wide trip and gamely fended off a late charge from the well-backed Hidden Stash (Constitution) to upset Saturday's GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby by three-quarters of a length while making his dirt and two-turn debuts. Perfect in two starts going seven furlongs over the Woodbine synthetic last year, including a 4 1/4-length success in the Display S. when last seen Oct. 18, the $55,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling graduate's worktab included a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 (1/8) at Palm...