Ocean Knight among 12 for Sam F. Davis Stakes

A field of 12 3-year-olds has been entered for the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

Ocean Knight, an impressive winner of his lone start, figures as one of the favorites in the 1 1/16-mile race. He is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. Also among the favorites will be the Ocala, Fla.-based Catalina Red, the winner of the Inaugural and Pasco stakes for trainer Chad Stewart.

Ocean Knight and the uncoupled Todd Pletcher duo of Royal Son and G Five are among seven entered from the Gulfstream-Gulfstream Park West circuit in Miami.

From the rail, this is the field for the 35th running of the Davis: Catalina Red, Royal Son, Ami’s Flatter, Crittenden, Divining Rod, Bandages, Brother Bobo, G Five, My Johnny Be Good, Coomer, Ocean Knight, and Bears Personality.

:: SAM F. DAVIS: Get PPs, watch Saturday’s card live

The Sam Davis is carded as the 11th of 12 Saturday races, with post time set for 5:20 p.m. Eastern. The race can be watched live on DRF .com and on TVG.

Ocean Knight, purchased last March for $320,000 by Stonestreet Stables, earned a field-high 93 Beyer Speed Figure in easily winning his career debut, a six-furlong race on the Aqueduct inner surface Dec. 13. The son of Curlin shows four workouts at the Palm Meadows training center in the interim.

Catalina Red, by Munnings, failed to win three times in the maiden ranks before breaking through with a 7 1/4-length score and an 89 Beyer in the six-furlong Inaugural on Dec. 6 at Tampa. He then got another 89 Beyer for his neck victory in the seven-furlong Pasco three weeks later at Tampa.

For the second straight year, the Davis is not a Kentucky Derby points race, even though it was a points race in 2013, the first year for the system now used by Churchill Downs to determine the Derby field if the race overfills.

Last year, the entire field of eight in the Davis came from the Miami area. Pletcher ran one-two with Vinceremos and Harpoon.

Fields also have been drawn for two other Saturday stakes at Tampa. Those races are the Grade 3, $150,000 Endeavour (race 10) for filly-mare turfers and the $100,000 Suncoast (race 9) for 3-year-old fillies.