Chess Master leads gate to wire in Tampa Turf Dash repeat
Chess Master and Train to Artemus emerged decisive winners when twin turf-sprint stakes were run amid perfect weather Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.
Chess Master led throughout in winning the $98,750 Tampa Turf Dash, the last of 10 races, while some 60 minutes earlier, Train to Artemus rallied for a popular score in the female counterpart, the $83,000 Lightning City.
Big fields of older horses went five furlongs over firm going. Base purses for both started at $75,000, with additional bonuses available to Florida-breds.
Tampa now will go three weeks before the next group of stakes is held March 11, Tampa Bay Derby Day.
Tampa Turf Dash
Chess Master opened daylight not long after the break and never looked back in winning the Turf Dash for a second straight year, romping by 4 3/4 lengths under Antonio Gallardo in a snappy 54.78 seconds. He returned $15.80 as third choice in a field of 11.
Kerri Raven is the owner, trainer, and exercise rider of Chess Master, a 7-year-old Florida-bred by Overdriven. Raven claimed the bay gelding for $32,000 in January 2021, and he now has collected 13 wins from 40 starts and earned $354,425. His 2022 victory in this race resulted in a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure.
Full Disclosure and Fluid Situation were among those giving closest chase to the winner from the far turn to the wire before finishing a neck apart in second and third, respectively.
Lightning City
Train to Artemus, bet down to odds-on favoritism in a field of 12 fillies and mares, got a dream rail trip from post 1 when rallying for a convincing two-length score under Paco Lopez. Tracy Ann’s Legacy was second at 19-1, a neck before 63-1 shot Sassy Beast in third.
Sassy Beast led to the quarter pole, from where Lopez kept his mount close to the fence when pouncing to the lead. She steadily edged away from there, returning $3.80 after finishing in 55.54.
Train to Artemus, by Tapizar, was claimed by Kelly Breen for $35,000 in August at Saratoga for M and W Stables. The Kentucky-bred 5-year-old mare was making her stakes debut when upping her overall record to seven wins from 12 tries, including a 4-for-5 mark since the claim.
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