It’s hardly a surprise to see the name Gerald Bennett atop the trainer standings at Tampa Bay Downs, a track at which the octogenarian has won nine training titles during what is now a 50-year training career. And while the 100th Tampa Bay Downs racing season is still very much in its infancy, Bennett believes there is more success on the horizon. Bennett has won four races during the first five days of the 90-day meet and on Wednesday he’ll send out U Lite Up My Life in the featured second-level allowance/optional $32,000 claiming feature for fillies and mares going seven furlongs on the main track. U Lite Up My Life, a 4-year-old daughter of City of Light, has won three of her last four dirt starts at Tampa, dating back to a win for maiden $40,000 claiming in February 2024. U Lite Up My Life went 2 for 2 at the 2024-25 Tampa meet, including a six-length win in a first-level allowance/optional $16,000 claiming event in March. On Oct. 25, U Lite Up My Life came off a four-month layoff to finish second in a $25,000 claiming race at Gulfstream Park. U Lite Up My Life was off a little slow in that race and was only beaten a neck by Girvin Girl. Bennett said the layoff from June to October was precipitated by foot problems. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Wednesday’s race will be U Lite Up My Life’s first start at seven furlongs. “I think she just has got to let the speed go and sit a little bit,” Bennett said. “She’s had two really good works here. She should be tough in that spot.” Jockey Jose Batista was aboard for that March 2 win and on Wednesday will be reunited with U Lite Up My Life for the first time since that race. Poiema looms the horse to catch and beat in the Wednesday feature. Claimed by owner/trainer Jose Castro for $25,000 in March, Poiema won a starter allowance at Gulfstream in June before finishing last of eight in the Sheer Drama Stakes, also at Gulfstream in August. This drop in class should suit Poeima, though she is only 1 for 9 at seven furlongs, the win coming in April 2023 at Gulfstream Park. Gallop d’Hermes is 0 for 8 in 2025 but has been facing significantly tougher. Trainer Dante Zanelli is adding blinkers Wednesday. Dancing Magic, who won the Gasparilla Stakes for 3-year-old fillies here in January, takes a much-needed class drop as her form as tailed off since that win. Bennett flush with sprinters One of Bennett’s four winners at this meet came last Friday with El Principito, a 4-year-old by Accelerate who rallied from last to win a third-level allowance/optional $100,000 claimer by three-quarters of a length over his Bennett-trained stablemate Life Is Precious. Those two horses, as well as Chrome Ghost and the comebacking Rouki give Bennett a nice group of sprinters he hopes to find proper spots for this winter. El Principito won last Friday running as a gelding for the first time. Bennett said an undescended testicle was bothering El Principito and made him tentative in the starting gate. “When we were going to load him in the gate, he was always hesitant – not a bad actor – but that was on his mind,” Bennett said. “After we gelded him, I took him to the gate to let him know nothing is going to bother him – that was at Palm Meadows – and I knew he was good and ready when he ran the other day.” El Principito earned an 87 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory. Bennett said he would look around for races for El Principito, who could ultimately wind up in the $125,000 Pelican Stakes at Tampa in February. El Principito also has run well at Gulfstream Park, which hosts the Grade 3, $150,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes on Dec. 27. Bennett said he would likely look for a spot similar to last Friday’s race for Life Is Precious who has never finished worse than third in 10 starts at Tampa. Chrome Ghost is coming off an allowance/optional $62,500 claiming victory on Nov. 14 at Gulfstream Park for which he earned a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure. On Nov. 19, Secret Empire won an optional claimer by 1 1/2 lengths for his third win at Tampa. “It was a good race,” Bennett said. “Normally, if he’s getting all that dirt in his face, he’d back out of there real quick. Now, he’s getting it together. If he stays sound for me, he’s going to have a pretty good meet here. He likes this track.” Bennett said Rouki, who has won on dirt, turf, and synthetic, had his second workout Sunday following throat surgery earlier in the fall. Rouki’s biggest victory came in last February’s Turf Dash, which came three weeks after an allowance win on dirt. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.