Big-time trainers lock horns in maiden turf finale

Not all of the top outfits have left Florida just yet.

The most interesting event on Wednesday’s nine-race Tampa Bay Downs card is the finale, where many high-profile connections are represented in a maiden turf race for 3-year-old fillies.

Chad Brown, who is the leading turf trainer at the meet with 20 wins from 67 starters (he is 25 for 87 overall), sends out the first-time starter Accent in this one-mile race. Of Brown’s 20 turf wins at the meet, 11 have come in maiden races, two with first-time starters. Accent, by Pinatubo, is out of the dam Dreamlike, making her a half-sister to the three-time Grade 1 winner Program Trading, himself a debut winner at Monmouth in 2023. Samy Camacho rode Program Trading in his debut at Monmouth Park and is named to ride Accent on Wednesday.

Trainer Shug McGaughey, who has gone 8 for 26 at Tampa this meet, sends out the first-time starter Martha Washington. A daughter of Constitution, Martha Washington is the first foal out of the American Pharoah dam Princesa Caroline, a debut winner at Belmont in 2019. McGaughey is 0 for 2 on turf at the meet with first-time starters, though Take Dat was beaten a neck at 7-1.

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Brad Cox sends out the English-bred So Sophia for Stonestreet Stables in this spot. She is by Showcasing out of the dam So Brave, who did not win on turf. Cox has sent out three winners from 12 starters at Tampa, including the debuting John Hancock, albeit on dirt.

Trainer Christophe Clement, who is 7 for 28 on turf at Tampa this meet, has the uncoupled entry of Don’t Jinx It and Merion Road entered in this spot. Don’t Jinx it finished third in a one-mile maiden race at Tampa in January before finishing fifth in a nine-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream.

Merion Road finished 10th of 12 in a maiden at Gulfstream, and Clement is taking her blinkers off Wednesday.

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