Kevin Rice hopes to stay hot with Carroll's Honor
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With eight wins in 48 starts, trainer Kevin Rice is enjoying his best Tampa Bay Downs meet yet, already doubling his win total from the 2023-24 campaign.
Rice will have a chance to add to his success on Wednesday when he sends out Carroll’s Honor in a starter allowance/optional $32,500 claiming race for 3-year-old fillies that could be considered the feature on Tampa’s nine-race card.
Carroll’s Honor, a Florida-bred daughter of Curlin’s Honor, won her debut in a $25,000 maiden-claiming race at Tampa, getting away cleanly from post 12 and ultimately stalking the pace before drawing clear to win by 4 1/4 lengths at odds of 12-1.
Rice admitted he may have gotten a bit ambitious when running Carroll’s Honor in the Sandpiper Stakes 17 days later. The filly raced on the front end until midstretch but ultimately faded to fourth, 5 1/2 lengths behind Mrs Worldwide. Dancing Magic, who finished third in the Sandpiper, three-quarters of a length in front of Carroll’s Honor, came back to win the Gasparilla Stakes at Tampa by two lengths.
“She was a little gutted after that stake. It was too quick back,” Rice said. “She tried hard, we gave her a little more time, let her catch her breath. She’s going to improve.”
On Wednesday, Carroll’s Honor breaks from the rail in a six-horse field in which there appears to be several fillies who want to be on or near the lead.
“We’re looking to let her roll from there,” Rice said. “Depends how she comes out of the gate, but I think the filly will be in front from the inside.”
Trainer Larry Rivelli is 2 for 3 this winter at Tampa and 5 for 10 overall for the last three meets. On Wednesday, he sends in Rogue Diamond from Fair Grounds.
Rogue Diamond, a Florida-bred daughter of Rogueish, has won two of three starts. She was a two-length winner of a Hawthorne maiden race in August before shipping to Gulfstream Park, where she finished a well-beaten sixth in the Susan’s Girl Stakes on Oct. 19.
Rogue Diamond came back to win a $15,000 claiming race for fillies by 12 1/4 lengths on Dec. 5 at Fair Grounds. Wednesday’s race will be Rogue Diamond’s fourth start at her fourth different track.
Comparing this field to that one at Fair Grounds, Rivelli said, “This is a much tougher race. She’s not really an allowance-type horse, I don’t think. She’ll be competitive in there, but I wouldn’t say she’s a cinch.”
Hazard Pay, trained by Tim Hamm, makes her first start on dirt after racing five times over the synthetic surface at Presque Isle Downs, winning a $25,000 maiden-claiming race in August. She comes out of a fifth-place finish at Presque Isle against tougher. Anhinga was third that day and is also in this field at Tampa.
Florida Flower and Igniting the Flame, separated by a neck when second and third in a $32,000 claimer on Jan. 17, complete the field.
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