Day by Day's Beyer Figures point her out in sprint

The show goes on at Tampa Bay Downs, where a no-spectator policy already in place at most American tracks went into effect for the first time Wednesday. The second such program will get under way Friday at 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with a $21,200 starter-optional sprint being the most prominent of eight races.

Day by Day, shipping across the Florida peninsula from her Gulfstream Park base, figures as a solid favorite in that race-5 feature, having earned superior Beyer Speed Figures of 86 and 88 since being claimed in December by Jorge Delgado on behalf of Drawing Away Stable. First or second in 17 of 30 career starts, the 6-year-old Florida-bred is one of seven fillies and mares entered in the 6 1/2-furlong main-track race.

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Roberto Alvarado Jr. will be aboard Day by Day when she breaks from post 5. Alvarado, who has ridden sparingly at Tampa and Gulfstream in recent months, has collected more than 2,700 wins since his first victory in the United States in 1992.

Perhaps the top threat to Day by Day is Caught Up in You (post 7, Dean Butler), who outran her 77-1 odds in a big way last month by earning a career-high 78 Beyer when third behind heavily favored Lady’s Island in the Minaret Stakes. Bobby Raymond trains the 4-year-old filly for John Marceda.

Other possibilities include Suzie’ssteppinout (post 1, Ronnie Allen Jr.), whose five starts at this 2019-20 meet all have been solid, and Clearwater (post 2, Angel Suarez), the only entrant in for an optional $25,000 tag. Sweet Daddio, Russian Roulette, and Sweetly Maid round out the cast.

The modest eight-race card is otherwise made up of claiming races. Sunny skies and a high temperature of 85 are in the forecast.

◗ Tampa horsemen, as with their brethren elsewhere, are concerned with how the coronavirus crisis will affect their futures, both short and long term. It’s getting to be the time of year when many trainers are preparing to return their stables north to Chicago, Kentucky, Delaware, New Jersey, and elsewhere. But given all the uncertainty, most are staying put at Tampa until further notice.

◗ The next big date at the meet is March 29, when six Florida Cup events will be run, each worth $110,000. The meet runs through June 30, although the final date on a regular basis is May 3. Tampa runs a sole date on June 30 to meet legal requirements tied to simulcasting law.