Tampa Bay: Allie's Event going strong at 10

It turns out that an old horse can learn new tricks – in this case, winning on dirt.

Lori Smock, the breeder, owner, and trainer of Allie’s Event, considered scratching the 10-year-old Wild Event gelding from the ninth race at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday when the second-level optional $32,000 claimer was moved from the turf to the main track. But she remembered the horse’s only previous start on dirt, a second-place finish to the stakes winner Old Time Hockey in March 2014, and decided to let him run.

Smock was rewarded for that decision when Allie’s Event ($9) and jockey Fernando De La Cruz got up in the final strides to win by a half-length over Spark Kit. It was the second straight victory for Allie’s Event, who won a grass race at this level under De La Cruz on Jan. 9. De La Cruz also was aboard when Allie’s Event won his career debut at Turfway Park in September 2008.

Allie’s Event, a veteran of 57 starts, has battled foot problems and other injuries over the years but has won 13 races and earned $465,572.

“He’s not going to go forever,” Smock said of her decision to run him Saturday. “When the griddle is hot, you had better go with it.”

Smock said she’d like to start Allie’s Event one more time before he runs in the $75,000 Tampa Turf Classic, a 1 1/8-mile grass race for Florida-breds here April 9. Allie’s Event has run in the Tampa Turf Classic four times, finishing second in 2010, seventh in 2012, fourth in 2014, and third last year. Old Time Hockey has won the last two editions.