Candy Man Rocket among 12 expected for Tampa Bay Derby

A capacity field of 12 3-year-olds is expected when entries are taken Wednesday for the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, to be run Saturday for the 41st time at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

Candy Man Rocket, winner of the Feb. 6 Sam F. Davis at Tampa, figures as a lukewarm favorite in the $350,000 Tampa Derby, a 1 1/16-mile race that offers Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 50-20-10-5 scale. It’s one of three Derby preps set for a busy Saturday across the country, along with the Gotham at Aqueduct and the San Felipe at Santa Anita.

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Candy Man Rocket, trained by Bill Mott, will have Junior Alvarado back aboard in the Tampa Derby. Owned by Frank Fletcher, the Candy Ride colt was making his first start around two turns in the Sam Davis, speeding clear in upper stretch of the 1 1/16-mile race en route to a one-length score over his Mott stablemate Nova Rags.

Candy Man Rocket had his final pre-race breeze Sunday at Mott’s winter base of Payson Park, going a half-mile in 48.60 seconds.

“He looked as smooth as silk,” Mott told Tampa publicity afterward. “He is a good work horse anyway, but I like the way he did it.”

Mott said Saturday at Gulfstream Park that he has yet to decide on the next Derby prep for Nova Rags, with the March 13 Rebel at Oaklawn Park being among the considerations. Mott is a two-time winner of the Tampa Derby, with Zede (1997) and Tacitus (2019). His lone Kentucky Derby victory came in 2019 with Country House via disqualification.

Other confirmed prospects for the Tampa Derby include Helium, an unbeaten Mark Casse-trained colt making his first start since mid-October; the Todd Pletcher duo of Promise Keeper and Unbridled Honor, both last-out maiden winners; the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained pair of Moonlite Strike and Super Strong; and Hidden Stash and Boca Boy, the respective 3-4 finishers in the Davis.

Also, Hello Hot Rod, winner of the seven-furlong Jimmy Winkfield at Aqueduct for trainer Brittany Russell; Sittin On Go, a disappointment in three starts since winning the Grade 3 Iroquois last September for Dale Romans; King of Dreams, a last-out maiden winner whose trainer, Juan Avila, won the Tampa Derby last year with King Guillermo at 49-1; and longshot My Liberty for trainer Maria Mejia.

Field size is limited to 12. Because it is a Kentucky Derby points qualifier, there is no Lasix usage permitted for the Tampa Derby, the only such ban for upcoming races at Tampa.

Boca Boy is eligible for a $50,000 win-only bonus because he is a Florida-bred, the only one in the expected field.

The Tampa Derby anchors what is always the biggest racing date of the year at Tampa. Four other Festival Day stakes will be run on a 12-race card – the Grade 2 Hillsborough, the Grade 3 Florida Oaks, the Grade 3 Challenger, and the Columbia.

Magic Attitude and New York Girl are among the filly-mare turf runners expected for the Hillsborough. Graham Motion holds a strong hand for the Florida Oaks, also on turf, with unbeaten 3-year-old fillies Oyster Box and Mia Martina expected to square off against the Pletcher-trained Jouster.

Unlike most other American tracks, Tampa has permitted admission to a limited number of ontrack spectators since the 2020-21 meet began Nov. 25. Fans must adhere to strict health protocols, including social distancing and mandatory face coverings. The track will admit as many as 2,500 fans Saturday with a $15 general admission.

◗ A carryover in the 50-cent late pick five should entice more than the normal amount of attention to a nine-race Wednesday card at Tampa. A string of upsets in the late pick five Sunday left $45,742 for the Wednesday sequence (races 5-9), comprising maiden or claiming races. An additional $250,000 or more can be reasonably expected in new wagers.

First post is 12:15 p.m. Eastern, with the late pick five starting at 2:15.

◗ No winning favorites in the last six races Sunday led to the 20-cent Ultimate 6 jackpot wager being swept for $119,339. The winners’ odds were 2-1, 4-1, 7-1, 13-1, 20-1, and 6-1.

◗ Jamie Begg, a former Mark Casse assistant who worked closely with such standouts as Catch a Glimpse, Sir Winston, and Got Stormy, saddled the first winner of his training career Sunday when Stuy Town Baby ($14) won a restricted $16,000 claiming race by a length with Hector Diaz Jr. up. Stuy Town Baby, a 4-year-old filly owned by CTR Stables, was the seventh starter for Begg, a third-generation horseman from Canada.