Chess Master's victory in Tampa Turf Dash tops two-win weekend for Kerri Raven
Kerri Raven is the owner, trainer, exercise rider, and chief bottle washer for Chess Master, whose 4 3/4-length romp Saturday in the $98,750 Tampa Turf Dash scarcely could have been more dominant.
“Oh my god, he just crushed them,” Raven said. “I’m going to watch this replay a lot.”
The gate-to-wire score under Antonio Gallardo graded out to a 100 Beyer Speed Figure, matching the number he earned in winning the 2022 Tampa Turf Dash. As a Florida-bred eligible for additional bonuses, the 7-year-old gelding earned $60,000.
Chess Master had been part of a wild finish in his prior start, a Jan. 19 turf-sprint allowance at Gulfstream in which he was sixth, beaten less than a length for the win. The Turf Dash was the polar opposite, as Chess Master sped straight to the front all by himself. He paid $15.80 to win.
An hour earlier Saturday, Train to Artemus earned an 85 Beyer as a rail-skimming winner of the $83,000 Lightning City, the female counterpart to the Turf Dash. The Lightning City was the 995th career win for trainer Kelly Breen.
The next group of stakes at Tampa is set for March 11, Tampa Bay Derby Day.
Castanon returns a winner
Raven capped a sensational weekend when Kitchen Fire ($16.40) won the seventh race Sunday, a starter-allowance sprint, by two lengths. The mount was the first for jockey Jesus Castanon since he took six weeks to recover from an ankle fracture suffered in a Jan. 8 post-parade accident.
“I was pretty pumped up,” Castanon said.
Going back to a 3-for-3 day on Jan. 7, Castanon, 49, now has won with his last four mounts. Castanon, who has ridden in the United States since 1989 after leaving his native Mexico, is best known for winning the 2011 Preakness aboard Shackleford. He also was the winning jockey on Chess Master in the Turf Dash last year.
◗ Pablo Morales was happy to reach the 2,500-win mark when he booted home Roger McQueen in the second race last Wednesday at Tampa.
“As I was putting my goggles down, I was taking it all in,” Morales said. “I was thinking about the journey.”
Morales, a 34-year-old Peru native, won his first race in the United States in February 2005 at Gulfstream. He is second to Samy Camacho at the 2022-23 meet atop the rider standings.
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