Speed horses rule opening weekend at Tampa Bay Downs

OLDSMAR, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Downs 2014-15 season got off to a good start on Saturday, its earliest opening in recent history, as the 10-race card featured full fields and competitive racing, and it attracted good handle.

More than 4,000 fans were on hand for the return of live racing to the Suncoast, and, if the first day was any indication, handicappers would do well to concentrate on horses with speed and the ability to race on or near the lead right from the start when making their selections in the days to come. A quick review of the seven races that were contested on the main track revealed that each of the winners in those races was either on the lead from the start or very close up. After a half-mile, only one winner, Omegatron, was more than two lengths off the lead, and he was only 2 3/4 lengths from the front.

There wasn’t any pronounced inside or outside bias, and actually horses in the middle of the strip seemed to fare the best in the main-track sprints, but the accent was certainly on speed. It will be interesting to see if that speed bias continues as the meet progresses.

The turf course also was friendly to speed types as well as horses racing inside. Nightcap winner Brother Pat wired his field and the other two turf victors, Awesome Attack and Indygo F M A, stalked the pace inside before moving to the middle of the course for the stretch run.

Awesome Attack’s winning performance included a quick 23.92-second middle quarter-mile and a final furlong of 11.97 seconds, and he may well be able to handle tougher company next. Efren Loza Jr. saddled the winner. Loza, who won 6 of 11 starts at the 2013-14 meet, is winning at an overall 35 percent rate in 2014, and with more stalls this season, he bears watching.