Bennett, Ness battle for Tampa Bay training title

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Imagine two intense rivals battling head and head to the finish. That is the essence of horse racing, and as the Tampa Bay Downs race meeting heads into its final three weeks, a pair of very intense competitors are battling for the top spot in the race for leading trainer.

Gerald Bennett is in the midst of his best-ever Tampa Bay meeting, and coming into last weekend’s action, he had won 36 races, tied with Jamie Ness.

But Ness, who has either won or shared the training title here eight times, has lurked just off the lead through much of the meet. Last Saturday, he sent out a pair of winners to take the lead for the first time this meeting.

Bennett sent out a winner on Sunday’s card, while Ness added another one as well. Moving into the final three weeks of action, Ness holds a two-win lead.

It should be a lot of fun to watch these two popular and successful horsemen fight it out for the title, and the race could go down to the final weekend.