The connections of Sibelius and Nakatomi are hoping Saturday’s $100,000 Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs is the start of a little rivalry in the male sprint division that leads both geldings to the Middle East. A year ago, Sibelius won the Pelican Stakes, which led him to Dubai where he posted an upset victory in the $2 million Golden Shaheen at Meydan. Sibelius won the Pelican after winning the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream. In December, Sibelius again won the Mr. Prospector, and trainer Jeremiah O’Dwyer hopes it’s the start of a trend that repeats itself for the next seven weeks. “He just has to prove that he’s peaking at the right time,” O’Dwyer said. “Obviously, you’d love to see him win the Pelican and if he can win that again and show us he’s in good form, we’ll go. We just need him to point us in the right direction.” In the Mr. Prospector, Sibelius showed he was headed in the right direction, winning by four lengths, running seven furlongs in 1:23.16 – just .12 of a second slower than his final time in the 2022 Mr. Prospector and with a 95 Beyer Speed Figure that was just one point less than last year. Sibelius, who will be ridden by Junior Alvarado, is well drawn in post 7 in Saturday’s eight-horse field. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Last October, Sibelius finished fifth in the Grade 2 Phoenix at Keeneland, a race in which Nakatomi finished second. Nakatomi came back to finish third, beaten only two lengths by Elite Power, in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. That day, Nakatomi was ridden by Luis Saez, who had him dueling for the early lead, a position to which he is not accustomed. Nakatomi got shuffled back to fourth, but once tipped outside he made another run to finish third, missing second to Gunite by a half-length. “He should have been second,” trainer Wesley Ward said. “Who knows what would have happened if he had sat there and made a run like he has his whole life.” Tyler Gaffalione, who has four wins from eight rides on Nakatomi, will ride him Saturday from post 2. Ward said Gaffalione has been up to Payson Park almost weekly this winter to breeze Nakatomi. Ward said that last summer, when Nakatomi went through auction ring, Mrs. Fitriani Hay bought half-interest in Nakatomi along with original owner Qatar Racing. Ward said the idea was to have a horse that could compete in the Golden Shaheen. “If the horse is good enough, we go to Dubai,” Ward said. “This is the prep I picked for Dubai.” There does appear to ample speed for Nakatomi to close into in the Pelican. Hurricane J, on the rail, Doctor Oscar in post 3, as well as Super Ocho and Mish all like to be forwardly placed. Super Ocho, who finished 11th in last year’s Golden Shaheen, is coming off an allowance win at Oaklawn Park in December. Last March, Little Vic won the Grade 3 Tom Fool at Aqueduct, a race in which Nakatomi was third. Little Vic went winless in four starts the rest of the year and comes into this off a five-month layoff. The 8-year-old Caramel Chip, drawn in post 8, is coming in off two wins for trainer Jose D’Angelo. In 2021, Caramel Chip won a $25,000 claimer over Tampa’s main track. Chi Town Lady heads Minaret One race prior to sending out Nakatomi in the Pelican, Ward will start Grade 1 winner Chi Town Lady in the $50,000 Minaret Stakes for female sprinters. Chi Town Lady, who won the Grade 1 Test in 2022, has not been out since running third behind Hot Fudge in an allowance race at Belmont last June. Ward explained that the filly got sore behind after that race and needed time to recover. The owner, Shane Ryan of Castleton Lyons, contemplated breeding Chi Town Lady but ultimately decided to try one more year of racing – pending how she runs Saturday. “This will be the telltale whether she is back up to where she once was or heading to the breeding shed,” Ward said. Chi Town Lady has been breezing in company with Nakatomi, including the morning both were timed in 46.80 seconds for a half-mile. “That particular work, it was tough to tell which one was better, if that’s any indication that she’s back,” Ward said. Chi Town Lady, like Nakatomi, drew post 2 but also would prefer to come from off the pace. Dreaming of Snow, the 38-1 upset winner of last year’s Suncoast, returns to Tampa after a fifth-place finish in the Rampart on Dec. 30 at Gulfstream for trainer Gerald Bennett. Dream Concert turns back to a one-turn race after finishing second in the Wayward Lass going 1 1/16 miles here Jan. 13. She is trained by Kathleen O’Connell as is Poeima, runner-up to Dream Concert in a Dec. 9 allowance at Tampa. Unifying, Lady Radler, Bazinga C, Flag Woman, and Holiday Decision complete the Minaret field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.