Maiden colts take their rivalry to turf

Dr Parker and Hall Rich Legacy faced each other on the dirt at Tampa Bay Downs in their last race. On Monday at Tampa, they face each other again but on turf.

The two juvenile colts run for a $20,000 purse in a maiden special weight going five furlongs on turf, race 3 on the Monday program at Tampa. The maiden race is immediately followed by an optional-claiming race for fillies and mares, with the speedy Princess Livia the 2-1 morning-line favorite.

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Florida-bred Hall Rich Legacy, who is trained by Seymour Bennett, got away slowly and was outrun while finishing sixth in his debut, which came going 4 1/2 furlongs on April 17 at Gulfstream. Three weeks later, Dr Parker debuted for trainer Tim Hamm going that same early-season distance at Gulfstream, and he also was sixth after being bumped at the start.

The two colts got a bit of additional distance as they met going five furlongs on May 29 at Tampa Bay, and both raced evenly while turning in improved performances. Dr Parker was second, 9 1/4 lengths behind the victorious Fury Kap, who ran the five furlongs in 58.32 seconds. Hall Rich Legacy was another five lengths back in third.

Wilmer Garcia was aboard Hall Rich Legacy for the first time that day and remains in the irons Monday. Jose Garcia picks up the mount on Dr Parker.

Both of these colts have some turf class in their immediate pedigrees. Dr Parker’s dam, the Bernardini mare White Hart Lane, is a half-sister to the stakes-winning turf sprinter Artest. Hall Rich Legacy, by Canadian champion sprinter Field Commission, a multi-surface standout, is a half-brother to Sea Level Drive, Grade 3-placed on the turf.

Cake and Eat It To was sixth behind Dr Parker and Hall Rich Legacy in the May 29 maiden at Tampa, and he faces them again Monday. The other entrant in this field with experience is Handsome Effort, who was fifth, beaten just two necks for third, going five furlongs on the Gulfstream turf on May 31.

Rounding out the field are the debut starters Texas Storm, by Grade 1-winning turf runner and sire Get Stormy; Formal Treasure, by the Galileo horse Treasure Beach; and Silver Sun, by turf graded stakes winner Silver Tree.