Firenze Fire in Florida Cup spotlight

The stakes schedule for the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Downs meet closes Sunday when six races that make up the 17th annual Florida Cup will be run amid bright sunshine at the Oldsmar, Fla., track.

Firenze Fire, a multiple graded winner of more than $1.1 million, is foremost among those set for action on a 12-race card that starts at 12:25 p.m. Eastern. Trained by Jason Servis for Mr Amore Stable, Firenze Fire will be making his 4-year-old debut as a heavy favorite in the Sprint.

All six Florida Cup races are restricted to eligible Florida-breds and are worth $115,000 apiece.

Turf Classic (race 5, 2:25)

Most of the seven older horses in this 1 1/16-mile turf race will be shipping in from the Atlantic Coast, with one notable exception: Big Changes, a two-back winner of the Sunshine Millions Turf in his Gulfstream Park debut, will be in from New Orleans on a circuitous return to Kentucky for trainer Brad Cox. A winner in 10 of 25 starts, the 7-year-old gelding will be looking to rebound from a subpar effort in the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Handicap.

His main challengers in what shapes up as a competitive race are Kroy, a speedy gray gelding carrying the Midwest Thoroughbred colors, and Our Way, who’s had eight works since late January at the Palm Meadows training center. Trained by Jim Bond, he is returning from a layoff of more than 14 months.

Sophomore Sprint (race 7, 3:37)

Winning Drive, trained by Servis for Gary and Mary West, is in for an interesting test when he makes his stakes debut in the seven-furlong race, which attracted eight 3-year-olds. An easy winner versus lesser company at Gulfstream in his last two starts, he’ll be ridden by Antonio Gallardo, who has a slew of live mounts in the Florida Cup series.

Other contenders include Gran Paraiso, who earned a field-high Beyer Speed Figure of 80 at Gulf in his most recent start; Jackson, a fast-closing second in the Texas Glitter last month over the Gulf turf; and Great Success, a sharp debut winner earlier this month at Gulf for trainer Gustavo Delgado.

Sophomore Turf (race 8, 4:07)

Mike Trombetta wasn’t sure how Global Access would fare at 38-1 in the Columbia Stakes on the March 9 Tampa Bay Derby undercard, but he got the answer he wanted when the Live Oak homebred led to deep stretch before settling for third that day. Now facing statebreds, Global Access will draw far more tote action as a major player in a field of eight 3-year-olds in this 1 1/16-mile turf race.

Max K.O. and Souper Jaguar, both shipping in from Palm Meadows, look like the main opposition.

Sprint (race 9, 4:40)

Typically unhurried morning works for Firenze Fire precede his eagerly awaited re-entry into the racing wars, as the winner of the Champagne, Jerome, Dwyer, and Gallant Bob surely will be an odds-on choice in a field of eight older horses in this six-furlong race.

“After the race he’ll get on a plane for New York, where we’ll map out his next couple of starts,” said Servis, with the June 8 Metropolitan Mile at Belmont Park being one of the more logical targets.

Firenze Fire will have Antonio Gallardo aboard when he breaks from the outside post in a lineup that has Extravagant Kid and Quijote as possible upsetters.

Sophomore Fillies (race 10, 5:11)

This seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies might be the most inscrutable of the Florida Cup events, with Wildwood’s Beauty, Midtown Rose, and Eyeinthesky likely to settle in as lukewarm favorites in a cast of 10.

Wildwood’s Beauty, trained by Scott Becker, has never been worse than second in four career starts and stands to benefit from a slight stretch-out following a narrow defeat at Gulf in her latest.

Distaff Turf (race 11, 5:40)

A couple of contenders from powerhouse stables, Supercommittee (Chad Brown) and Picara (Todd Pletcher), are among the top names in this 1 1/16-mile turf race, which drew 10 fillies and mares. Both have been active this winter at Gulfstream and have demonstrated the potential to prevail at this level, given the right trip.

Pletcher also sends out Treasure for Gold, who’s among a group of fringe players that also includes Bitacora, Midnight Soiree, and Crown and Sugar, a local filly who gets Gallardo amid a four-race win streak.