Cee 'n O, My Brown Eyed Guy clash in sprint feature

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Cee ‘n O, fresh from a nine-plus-length romp at Gulfstream Park in his second start for the powerful Jamie Ness barn, takes on multiple stakes winner My Brown Eyed Guy in Saturday’s $25,000 feature at Tampa Bay Downs.

The first-level optional $75,000 claimer drew a field of seven 3-year-olds going 6 1/2 furlongs.

Cee ‘n O won at first asking at Ellis Park last summer and then was shipped to Arlington Park, where he finished third in the Arlington Futurity at a mile. After tiring badly in a pair of races at Churchill Downs, Cee ‘n O was shipped to Gulfstream Park, where he came off a two-month layoff to lead throughout a $25,000 claiming sprint at six furlongs on a sloppy strip.

Claimed out of that race, Cee ‘n O made his first start for Ness in an optional $25,000 starter-allowance sprint and chased repeat winner Take Time to Pray to finish second as the favorite.

Most recently, Cee ‘n O came back at the same level and led from start to finish in a six-furlong sprint, drawing off through the stretch to win by 9 1/4 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 101.

My Brown Eyed Guy lost his debut by a nose and then ran off a three-race win streak at Calder, including the $75,000 Dr. Fager Stakes at six furlongs and the $125,000 Affirmed Stakes at seven furlongs.

After finishing last in his only try around two turns in the $300,000 In Reality Stakes, My Brown Eyed Guy had a troubled trip when fifth in the Juvenile Sprint for statebreds at Gulfstream and then stopped after disputing the pace for a half-mile in the Sophomore Sprint on Florida Cup Day at Tampa Bay Downs.

This will mark My Brown Eyed Guy’s first start running for a claiming tag, and he can be expected to dispute the pace from the outset.

Other contenders include Trident Hero, who came off a short layoff displaying a different running style that carried him to victory at this same level last time out; Pallium Prize, who was a close second in the same race; and Where’s That Cat, who makes his first start for trainer Gerald Bennett while shooting for his third straight win locally.