Classic Causeway might return in Challenger Stakes
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Classic Causeway, who swept the Sam F. Davis and Tampa Derby last year, could make his 4-year-old debut Saturday in the $100,000 Challenger going 1 1/16 miles on the main track.
“We entered, but we might keep him at Fair Grounds and run instead next weekend in the Essex at Oaklawn,” said Kenny McPeek, who won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on turf with Classic Causeway not long after assuming his training following an 11th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby for Brian Lynch.
“If it looks like a good spot for us, we’ll go ahead and ship Friday. Either way, we’ll try dirt to start off the year and go back to the grass if that’s what we think we need to do.”
◗ Daily purses at Tampa will undergo a slight downward revision later this month, with “$1,000 of open money per overnight race shifting over to the Florida-bred bonuses,” Tampa general manager Peter Berube said.
“Handle this meet is down almost 15 percent, which essentially mirrors much of the industry so far this year except for maybe a couple of tracks,” he said. “Here at Tampa we’ve had fewer races and lower field size.”
◗ Angel Rodriguez, the second-leading rider last summer at Monmouth Park, rejoined the Tampa jockey colony last week after competing the last few months at Oaklawn Park. Rodriguez will ride here through meet’s end, May 7, before returning to Monmouth, agent Steve Worsley said.
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