Brother to Honor Code goes in maiden race at Tampa

A modest nine-race card is on tap for Wednesday at Tampa, with the entire slate being comprised of maiden or claiming races. The lone maiden-special (race 2) drew a field of six, with Moonshine Steve, Contraflow, and Centrifuge likely to vie for favoritism. First post is 12:42 p.m. Eastern.

Centrifuge, a 3-year-old son of Tapit, was produced by Serena’s Cat, making him a half-brother to Honor Code, a multiple Grade 1 winner who is making a name for himself as a sire. The colt is based at the Palm Meadows training center with Rudy Brisset.

Tampa continues to allow fans to attend the races while employing health protocols amid the ongoing pandemic.

◗ Buoyed by a three-win Saturday, trainer Gerald Bennett has further entrenched himself in his familiar position atop the local standings with 11 wins. Bennett has been the leading trainer at Tampa every year since the 2015-16 meet.

Among jockeys, Samy Camacho starts the week with a 16-12 edge over Antonio Gallardo.

◗ Starting this week, Tampa is adding Sundays to the racing schedule, making for four-day weeks through a meet that ends May 2. The first variation comes next week, when the track will host racing on Thursday (Christmas Eve) before going dark Friday (Christmas).