Irad Ortiz to ride Win Win Win in Tampa Bay Derby

Win Win Win will have Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard next Saturday when the speedy colt stretches out around two turns for the first time in the Grade 2, $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

Win Win Win set the Tampa track record of 1:20.89 in winning the seven-furlong Pasco Stakes on Jan. 19, after which trainer Mike Trombetta set his sights on the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Derby. Win Win Win, a Live Oak Stud homebred by Hat Trick, has won three of four starts, all with Julian Pimentel aboard and none beyond seven furlongs.

“Obviously there’s a lot of new stuff going on here with the two turns and all,” said Trombetta. “Absolutely no knock on Julian, but we got Irad just because. Everybody knows how that goes.”

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Ortiz, the reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey and the current leading rider at Gulfstream Park, will be joined by his brother Jose and a host of other top out-of-town jockeys for a 12-race Festival Day card anchored by the Tampa Bay Derby. Among the others with confirmed mounts are Luis Saez, Florent Geroux, Joe Bravo, Julien Leparoux, and Chris Landeros.

Win Win Win is scheduled for a final pre-race breeze Sunday at Tampa, said Trombetta. The colt already has had four workouts since the Pasco, the latest a bullet five-furlong drill in 59.20 seconds from the gate last Sunday.

As of Friday afternoon, Win Win Win was one of at least 10 3-year-olds expected for the Tampa Bay Derby, which offers 85 qualifying points (50-20-10-5) toward the May 4 Kentucky Derby. The others confirmed are Admire, Current, Dream Maker, Lord Dragon, Sir Winston, Tacitus, The Right Path, Well Defined, and Zenden. Entries for all Saturday races will be drawn Wednesday.

Well Defined, a wire-to-wire winner of the Feb. 9 Sam F. Davis, was scheduled to have his final pre-race breeze for trainer Kathleen O’Connell this weekend at Gulfstream Park West.

Among the nominees who won’t be running in the Tampa Derby is Avie’s Flatter, the standout Canadian colt trained by Josie Carroll.

“He’s not quite ready,” said Carroll.

The 39th Tampa Bay Derby is one of five Festival Day stakes. The others are the Grade 3, $200,000 Florida Oaks for 3-year-old turf fillies; the Grade 2, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes for fillies and mares on turf; the $100,000 Challenger for older horses at 1 1/16 miles; and the $75,000 Columbia for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf.

Among the notable names expected for those secondary features are Rymska and Hawksmoor for the Hillsborough, and Flameaway for the Challenger. Rymska is one of several horses that trainer Chad Brown is planning to send for Festival Day.

Listed purses for the three richest stakes of the day include bonuses restricted to Florida-breds.

Imperial Hint back in training

Imperial Hint has returned to training at Tampa and is scheduled to breeze next week. He continues to recover from a minor foot bruise diagnosed after a third-place finish in his 6-year-old debut, the Feb. 16 Pelican.

Trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. is still hoping to make the March 30 Dubai Golden Shaheen with Imperial Hint, a Florida-bred gelding who has won 12 of 20 starts and earned nearly $1.6 million.

◗ A $22,500 first-level allowance sprint for fillies and mares anchors a 10-race Sunday card that starts at 12:43 p.m. Eastern. Gerald Bennett, who continues to dominate the local trainer standings, sends out Rattlesnakerose, who’ll be gunning for her third straight win.