The Critical Way holds off Imprimis in Turf Dash; Lightning City to Miss Auramet

A Tampa Bay Downs rarity – a pair of $100,000 turf sprints run on a weekday – really spiced up a nine-race Wednesday card at the Oldsmar, Fla., track.

The Turf Dash and Lightning City, both for older horses going five furlongs over a firm course, were won by The Critical Way and Miss Auramet, respectively, with both going in identical times of 55.30 seconds.

Both stakes were held over from Saturday because of weather and course-condition considerations.

Turf Dash

Always on the engine, The Critical Way and jockey Samy Camacho never let heavily favored Imprimis get close enough to seriously threaten in the Turf Dash.

Winning for the seventh time in 22 career starts, The Critical Way paid $7.60 as second choice in a field of eight older horses. Imprimis, the even-money choice, raced a few lengths off the pace before closing belatedly to be a half-length behind the winner in an overall solid effort that should set him up well for the April 3 Shakertown at Keeneland.

The Critical Way, a 7-year-old Pennsylvania-bred, is owned by Monster Racing Stables and based locally with trainer Jose Delgado. The gelding was coming off a close-up third behind Imprimis in the most recent race for both, the Jan. 1 Janus at Gulfstream Park.

Lightning City

Getting an ideal stalking trip under Roberto Alvarado Jr., Miss Auramet reeled in a pair of tiring leaders leaving the furlong pole when finishing a half-length clear of a furious late run from Ode to Joy to win the Lightning City, the filly-mare counterpart to the Turf Dash.

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Based across the state at Gulfstream with trainer Eddie Plesa Jr., Miss Auramet returned $18 with her eighth victory from 19 lifetime starts. The 5-year-old Florida-bred mare is owned by David Melin, Leon Ellman, and Laurie Plesa, the trainer’s wife.

Payntdembluesaway, the 9-5 favorite in a full field of 12, dueled much of the way outside of The Goddess Lyssa before Miss Auramet swooped past with a well-timed run.

Soup and Sandwich aces two-turn test

Earlier on a busy card, Antonio Gallardo was aboard Soup and Sandwich ($2.40) when the gray colt was an easy 2 3/4-length winner of a first-level allowance, finishing a mile and 40 yards in 1:39.65 over a fast main track when facing just two rivals. The 3-year-old Live Oak Plantation homebred is now unchallenged in two career starts and likely will try a Kentucky Derby qualifier in his next one, said trainer Mark Casse.

“Antonio was really excited about him,” said Casse, who was on hand at Tampa from his Ocala base. “We’re having that discussion now about what we’ll do next with the horse. It was nice to get a two-turn race into him.”