Killybegs Captain wins Pelican Stakes; Imperial Hint runs third

Killybegs Captain pulled away from the heavily favored Imperial Hint in registering a 9-1 upset Saturday in the $75,000 Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

Ridden by Samy Camacho, Killybegs Captain was prominent throughout the six-furlong Pelican, opening daylight after turning for home and never being threatened thereafter in a 4 1/2-length score over the late-running Sweetontheladies.

Imperial Hint, the 1-5 favorite in a field of five, had no apparent excuse under Antonio Gallardo. Always in striking distance with good outside position, the standout Florida-bred weakened down the stretch to finish third, another half-length back.

Killybegs Captain, trained by John Terranova for Curragh Racing II LLC, returned $21.60 after finishing in 1:09.66 over a fast track. The gray 5-year-old Kentucky-bred horse was making his stakes debut and has now won five of 17 starts.

Imperial Hint, trained by Luis Carvajal Jr., was making his first start since finishing third as the favorite in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. It’s now uncertain whether he will join X Y Jet and the two-time BC Sprint winner, Roy H, as prospective starters from the U.S. for the six-furlong Dubai Golden Shaheen.

The $2 exacta (5-1) paid $156.40 and the $1 trifecta (5-1-6) returned $134.30.

Heavenly Score ($5.40) wins Minaret

About an hour later, Heavenly Score gave Terranova and Curragh Racing a stakes sweep when getting a cagey ride from Pablo Morales in the $50,000 Minaret for fillies and mares. The winner paid $5.40 as the favorite after finishing six furlongs in 1:10.63.

Racing nearest the rail after stalking the pace from her inside post, Heavenly Score found an opening after turning for home before edging clear to prevail by two lengths over Silly Factor, who edged Souper Echo for second in the field of eight.

Heavenly Score, a gray 5-year-old Arkansas-bred mare, was making her first start in more than six months. She, too, was winning a stakes for the first time and has won five of 15 overall starts.

The stakes double was the first for Terranova, who has trained since 1992, since Franny Freud and General Maximus won New York-bred races at Belmont Park in May 2010.

• The next big date at Tampa is Festival Day, March 9, when five stakes will be highlighted by the annual showcase, the Tampa Bay Derby.