Poppy's Pride dominates Inaugural Stakes
Poppy's Pride recorded his third consecutive stakes win with a front-running score in the $100,000 Inaugural Stakes, the co-feature on a Saturday card at Tampa Bay Downs dedicated to 2-year-old racing.
Poppy's Pride ($4.40), who was sent away favored with Tampa leading rider Samy Camacho in the irons for trainer Michael Yates, broke well from the rail position and had already opened three lengths on his foes through an opening quarter in 21.89 seconds. Gatsby drew within a half-length of the leader at the quarter pole as the half-mile went in 44.70. Poppy's Pride easily shook off Gatsby and kicked clear again in the lane, winning by 2 3/4 lengths and finishing the six furlongs in 1:10.05.
Al Heybay rallied from fifth in the field of six to be second, a half-length ahead of Thealligatorhunter. The latter was third by a head over the fading Gatsby.
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A Florida-bred gelding by standout young state sire Khozan, Poppy’s Pride has never been worse than third in six starts. He defeated open company in the seven-furlong Armed Forces Stakes on Sept. 26 at Gulfstream and statebreds in the 6 1/2-furlong Juvenile Sprint Stakes on Nov. 14 at Gulfstream West. The Inaugural was his second stakes victory over open company.
“This race was a little sooner than what we anticipated, running him back," Yates said. “But he came out of that race so well and was doing so well, it just made sense to do it. I thought he ran a great race today. He was used a little harder than normal early and had to dig in, but he kept on running. He’s a real horse."
Later on the card, Feeling Mischief ($8) posted a two-length victory in the co-featured $100,000 Sandpiper Stakes for fillies.
Feeling Mischief and Jesus Castanon stalked the pace in second, and had aim on pacesetter Briella, who took a 1 1/2-length lead into the stretch through the half-mile in 44.74. Feeling Mischief surpassed that foe in the stretch and easily held sway over the rallying Gulf Coast. She stopped the clock in a stakes-record 1:09.76 for the six furlongs.
Gulf Coast was second by 1 1/4 lengths over Little Nesso. It was another two lengths back to Briella in fourth.
Feeling Mischief, a daughter of leading sire Into Mischief trained by Michael Campbell, was making her stakes debut in the Sandpiper. She has now won twice from three career starts.