Nobles wins with first starter since 2013
Indian Buzz, winner of the first race Sunday at Tampa at a $17.80 mutuel, marked the first starter for trainer Reynaldo Nobles since December 2013. Nobles is best known for his success with Deputy Minister in the early 1980s and Dehere in the early 1990s.
Nobles has trained off and on, including a stint from 2011-13 that followed a hiatus dating to 2004, while also intermittently working for years in security at the Palm Meadows training center on the Atlantic Coast.
Nobles trained Deputy Minister as an older horse, after he was the Canadian Horse of the Year as a 2-year-old of 1981, and he later trained Dehere, by Deputy Minister, when the colt was the North American champion 2-year-old of 1993.
◗ A nine-race Wednesday card starts another four-day week at Tampa at 12:15 p.m. Eastern, with the featured sixth going at 2:48. It’s a $26,000, first-level allowance matching six 3-year-olds at six furlongs, with as much as $8,000 available in Florida-bred bonuses.
◗ Samy Camacho went on a tear by riding nine winners last week, including a four-win day Friday, to give himself breathing room atop the local jockey standings. Camacho leads Pablo Morales by a 38-27 margin at a meet that began Nov. 24.