With bigger races to come, Dona Bruja gets off on the right foot in Endeavour

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Ignacio Correas entered the Tampa winner’s circle Saturday with a glint in his eyes. The 58-year-old trainer hardly could have been happier with the way his stable star Dona Bruja dominated the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes. La Coronel, a Grade 1 winner, finished four lengths back in second.

“She’s an amazing mare,” Correas said of Dona Bruja.

The Grade 2 Hillsborough on March 10 is a next-out option for Dona Bruja, but Correas said he is inclined to bypass that race in favor of the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on April 14 at Keeneland.

“We’re working backward from the bigger races later in the year,” he said. “We definitely want to go back to the Beverly D., and we will consider nominating her to the Breeders’ Cup.”

:: The Road to the Kentucky Derby Player's Package

◗ Aside from all the stakes action, a number of impressive performances were turned in Saturday. Rafting (89 Beyer Speed Figure) won for the second time in as many starts following a layoff of nearly two years for Graham Motion, while 3-year-olds Cilantro (75) and Madison’s Luna (80) were flashy maiden winners for Pletcher and Phil Bauer, respectively.

All-sources handle Saturday was $9,504,283, second-highest ever for a Festival Preview card. The track record is $12,250,487, set on Tampa Bay Derby Day 2016.

◗ A carryover of $33,687 in the late pick five (races 5-9) awaits fans when action resumes here Wednesday with a nine-race card that starts at 12:23 p.m. Eastern. Also, there is racing here the next two Thursdays (Feb. 15 and 22).