Tampa Bay Downs: Action Andy shows his class in Pelican Stakes

Tom Cooley Photography

Action Andy won his third stakes in a row on Saturday, taking the Pelican under jockey Daniel Coa.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Action Andy continued his love affair with the Tampa Bay Downs main track on Saturday when he drew off after a half-mile and had little trouble holding sway late for a 2 1/4-length victory in the $60,000 Pelican Stakes.

Action Andy, under confident handling by Daniel Coa, contested the pace through a half-mile of 44.45 seconds, then shook off Black Belt into the stretch to open a 2 1/2-length lead a furlong out in the six-furlong race.

With Coa rapping his mount once and then showing him the whip through the final furlong, Action Andy cruised home with a little something left, covering the distance over a fast strip in 1:09.14.

Indiano rallied up the rail to take the place, with Black Belt a length and a half back in third.

The win was the sixth from eight lifetime starts over the Tampa main track for Action Andy and his seventh win from 11 starts in 2012. In his two starts prior to the Pelican Stakes, Action Andy had won the De Francis Dash and the Maryland Million Sprint, both at Laurel.

The $36,000 winner's share ran the Carlos Garcia trainee's 2012 earnings to $438,760. He returned $3.60 as the strong choice of the field of five.