Damon’s Mound is a six-time stakes winner, two of those wins coming against Florida-bred competition. Sunday, Damon’s Mound gets to face statebreds again in the $110,000 NYRA Bets Sprint, one of six stakes restricted to Florida-breds on Florida Cup Day at Tampa Bay Downs. Damon’s Mound, a 6-year-old son of Girvin trained by Bill Mott for Michele and Cliff Love, could top the $1 million mark in earnings with a victory. Damon’s Mound won the Sunshine Sprint for a second consecutive year at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 17. He was sent off the odds-on choice in the Gulfstream Park Sprint, where a slow start and a wide trip may have compromised him when he finished second to Jack’s Promise. “He was messing around in the gate a little bit,” Mott said. “An older horse like that, they can get a little anxious at times.” Last year, he ended his 5-year-old campaign with a stalking victory in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler at Aqueduct. :: Celebrating 100 Years of racing at Tampa Bay Downs! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “He’s a trooper. He’s had some setbacks over his career, but he keeps trying,” Mott said. “He’s always had some foot issues. We have to deal with that, but he’s been pretty good since his last race.” Flood Zone, last year’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes winner, came off a six-month layoff to win a seven-furlong allowance at Tampa on Feb. 28 for Brad Cox. Sunday, he will break from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr. Trainer Gerald Bennett sends out the pair of El Principito and Chrome Ghost. The latter finished second in this race last year and is a four-time winner at Tampa. El Principito has done better when able to race on Lasix, medication not permitted in stakes races. In his last four starts, Classic of Course has raced long on dirt, long on synthetic, long on turf, and short on turf. Sunday, he will sprint on dirt, something he did well earlier in his career, winning his debut at 4 1/2 furlongs and finishing a close second in the Proud Man Stakes. Trainer Patrick Biancone said he is cutting Classic of Course back in distance “trying to find a place where he’s more competitive.” Turf Classic Trainer Michael Trombetta and Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation seek a third straight victory in the $110,000 Turf Classic when they try Uncle’s Gold in this year’s running of the 1 1/8-mile turf race for older males. Uncle’s Gold is a full brother to Crystal Quest, who won this race last year, as well as the Sophomore Turf the previous year. Both are by Uncle Mo out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Giant Crystal. Forever Souper won this race in 2024 for Trombetta and Live Oak. Uncle’s Gold is winless in four starts on turf, but did go 2 for 2 on synthetic and defeated Florida-breds the only time he ran in that company. He will likely have to run down Tank, who could be the primary speed in this spot under Irad Ortiz Jr. Tank won the Sophomore Turf as part of a three-race winning streak at Tampa last year. Sophomore Turf Mr Mo’s Magic seeks his third win of the meet for trainer Lynn Rarick when he runs in the $110,000 Sophomore Turf Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. Mr Mo’s Magic made a big early run only to flatten out when facing tougher company in the Columbia Stakes at Tampa on March 7. The son of Uncle Chuck had won his previous two turf starts at Tampa. Mr Mo’s Magic may need more pace than appears to be signed up on paper. My Favorite Bird has the tactical speed that makes him a major factor breaking from the rail in this spot. Cruisin Chuck meets Florida-breds for the first time after winning an open maiden race at Fair Grounds on March 7. Prior to that win, he finished third in the Texas Turf Mile over yielding ground at Sam Houston. Distaff Turf Souper Zonda and Rugelach, the one-two finishers in the Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream on Jan. 10, renew acquaintances in Sunday’s $110,000 Distaff Turf at 1 1/16 miles. Rugelach set the pace in the one-mile Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf only be to run down by Souper Zonda. Rugelach came back in an allowance at Tampa only to finish second to the undefeated Accent. That was the fourth consecutive second-place finish for Rugelach, who is trained by Sam Wilensky. Souper Zonda, trained by Mark Casse, came out of the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf to try the Grade 3 Honey Fox where she attended the pace and faded to seventh. Sophomore Maykomotion was a sharp maiden winner breaking from the rail under John Velazquez going seven furlongs on the March 7 card at Tampa Bay Downs. He returns three weeks later in the $110,000 Sophomore Stakes for 3-year-olds, a seven-furlong race where again he will break from the rail under Velazquez. “Johnny knows him, I’ll let him figure out what to do,” trainer George Weaver said. “He’s a forward horse. I’d imagine he’d be up there. I don’t think he needs the lead or anything but we’re not going to overthink it.” Maykomotion will face a more seasoned opponent in Rockies Balboa, who returns to statebred company after running last in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. Two starts back, he won a Florida-bred allowance by five lengths going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park. Sophomore Fillies Tessellate, winner of the Gasparilla Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Tampa on Jan. 10, returns to the Oldsmar track for Sunday’s $110,000 Sophomore Fillies Stakes at seven furlongs. Tessellate is one of two fillies trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has entered in this race but as of Friday he wasn’t sure if Nasti Z, who was entered in Saturday’s Gulfstream Park Oaks, would run in Tampa. Tessellate should appreciate the class drop after finishing a well-beaten sixth in the Grade 3 Forward Gal on Jan. 31. “She made a big run to the quarter pole like she had a shot. She was on the inside the whole way and that was when the inside was a big disadvantage,” Joseph said of Tessellate’s Forward Gal try. “She went from moving well to being completely empty. Obviously, this is a drop in class, which should help too. She’s in good order, she should run well.” Unfaithful Rose, in from Turfway Park for Ethan West, and La Chismosa, a winner of three of four starts at Tampa, are other contenders. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.