Dubyuhnell, Litigate top list of Sam F. Davis probables

A handful of Atlantic Coast shippers led by Dubyuhnell and Litigate are expected this Saturday for the Sam F. Davis Stakes, the first of two Kentucky Derby points qualifiers to be run this winter at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

Dubyuhnell, winner of the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct in his last start Dec. 3, is the likely favorite in the Grade 3, $200,000 Sam Davis, a 40-point race (20-8-6-4-2) toward the Kentucky Derby on May 6. Trained by Danny Gargan, the Good Magic colt will be ridden by Jose Ortiz in the 1 1/16-mile race.

The Sam Davis will share top billing Saturday at Tampa with the 3-year-old debut of Wonder Wheel, who will be a solid favorite for Mark Casse in the $100,000 Suncoast Stakes, one of three other stakes on the card. Wonder Wheel was a near-unanimous choice as the Eclipse Award winner for top 2-year-old filly of 2022.

Dubyuhnell is co-owned by his breeder, Stonestreet Stables, with West Paces Racing. The chestnut colt was sent through his final pre-race work Friday at Palm Beach Downs in Delray Beach, Fla. Gargan is based at the Palm Meadows training center, where training has been disrupted since Jan. 31 because of an emergency resurfacing of the main track.

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Among those expected to challenge Dubyuhnell are Litigate, the lone representative among eight nominees for Todd Pletcher, a six-time Davis winner; Classic Legacy, a sharp last-out maiden winner and a half-brother to Art Collector; and the Casse pair of Champions Dream and Classic Car Wash.

The shippers are expected to be joined by at least two locally based runners – Dreaming of Kona, the Aldana Spieth trainee who has gone unraced since being awarded victory in the Mucho Macho Man on Jan. 1 at Gulfstream Park on the disqualification of Legacy Isle, and Notah, a last-out maiden winner for John Terranova.

Julia Shining, a Stonestreet homebred and full sister to Malathaat trained by Pletcher, is the top challenger to Wonder Wheel in the mile and 40-yard Suncoast, a 40-point qualifier (20-8-6-4) toward the Kentucky Oaks on May 5. Julia Shining is 2 for 2, including a last-out victory in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct. Luis Saez will be in from Gulfstream to ride.

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Besides the Davis and Suncoast, a pair of six-furlong races for older horses, the $75,000 Pelican and $50,000 Minaret, also will be carded. All entries for Saturday will be drawn Wednesday. Purses listed here do not include additional bonuses restricted to Florida-breds.

The Davis comes four weeks ahead of the annual Tampa showcase, the Tampa Bay Derby on March 11, a 100-point qualifier (50-20-15-10-5). The Davis is one of three Derby preps set for this Saturday, along with the Withers at Aqueduct and El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate.

Emmanuel sets record

While Pletcher was enjoying a four-win Saturday at Gulfstream, he also was thrilled with the way Emmanuel performed off the bench in setting a turf-course record in winning the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes the same afternoon. Emmanuel, a 4-year-old More Than Ready colt, finished 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.25, lowering the 1999 record set by Legs Galore by .40 of a second.

Javier Castellano was in from Gulfstream to ride Emmanuel, a 4-year-old colt making his first start since he was virtually eased last August in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby.

“It was an excellent comeback,” Pletcher said. “He’d been training very well,” including a final pre-race work at Palm Beach Downs with stablemate Charge It, also a comeback winner Sunday at Gulfstream.

Emmanuel earned a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure, while Surprisingly earned an 88 Beyer in winning the Grade 3 Endeavour, the female counterpart to the Tampa Bay. Paco Lopez was aboard Surprisingly for Shug McGaughey and the Phipps Stable.

◗ Alizee, a 7-year-old mare trained by Jon Arnett, became the first four-time winner at the meet, which began Nov. 23, when she captured the second race Sunday under Hector Diaz Jr. Arnett, now in his third year at Tampa after wintering for more than 25 years in the far Southwest, claimed Alizee for Rodney Miller for $6,250 in late November and now has won 3 of 4 with her, all starter allowances.

◗ A 6 1/2-furlong starter-allowance with a $17,000 purse is among the offerings on a modest nine-race Wednesday card that kicks off another four-day race week at Tampa. Trappezoid, a 13-time winner, figures to vie for favoritism with Flipping Fish, Vinnie Van Go, and Strong Ending in a competitive field of eight older horses. First post is 12:28 p.m. Eastern.

◗ Samy Camacho, bidding for his fourth Tampa riding title in the last five seasons, told track publicity over the weekend that he is undecided whether he’ll move his tack to Gulfstream or Monmouth Park when the Tampa meet starts winding down. Camacho starts this week with a 51-32 lead over Pablo Morales atop the local rider standings.

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