Tampa Bay Derby will be Grunder's 36th in the announcer's booth

When Richard Grunder calls the upcoming Tampa Bay Derby, it will mark the 36th straight year he has been high atop the Tampa Bay Downs grandstand in the announcer’s booth.

And even at age 67, he is hoping to call quite a few more.

“I still feel good and I still love the sport,” said Grunder, a Runyonesque character whose current tenure is believed to be the longest among race-callers at a major American track. Indeed, with a number of tracks having replaced their veteran announcers in recent times, Grunder is one of the mainstays in a fickle business.

Tampa has been owned since 1986 by Stella Thayer. Grunder became the announcer in late 1984, calling his first Tampa Bay Derby in 1985, when Regal Remark prevailed under Jeff Fell.

“It’s been a very stable ownership at Tampa,” Grunder said in a recent phone interview. “They’re very committed to the racing product here.”

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The Tampa Bay Derby is one of five stakes set for March 7.

Still mulling options for Independence Hall

Independence Hall had his first breeze since finishing second as the odds-on favorite in the Feb. 8 Sam F. Davis when going a half-mile in 50 seconds on Saturday over a fast Tampa surface.

Trainer Mike Trombetta said Sunday that Independence Hall is not committed to the Tampa Bay Derby, “but I’m not saying we won’t run there. The horse is doing great. I hate to be so vague about what’s next, but we just want to look at all the potential options out there because there are so many. He could run once before the [Kentucky] Derby or he could run twice.”

Nominations closed last weekend for the Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby. Sole Volante, the Sam Davis winner, is among those expected, with Florent Geroux picking up the ride for the injured Luca Panici.

Independence Hall also will need a new jockey wherever he runs next as his regular rider, Jose Ortiz, has been sidelined with a wrist fracture.

Sole Volante, trained by Patrick Biancone, is scheduled to breeze Wednesday over the turf at the Palm Meadows training center.

Pair of turf records fall

The Tampa record book had to be revised a couple of times Saturday following outstanding performances over the turf course.

Faction Cat set a course record for five furlongs in winning the $93,750 Turf Dash in 53.97 seconds, and Jean Elizabeth set a stakes record when going the same distance in 55.09 seconds in the $82,500 Lightning City.

Faction Cat started his career 1 for 21 but now has won seven of his last 12. Jean Elizabeth was winning her seventh straight race, all stakes, in upping her career mark to a remarkable 14 for 20. Both winners were ridden by Albin Jimenez, who was in from riding the previous night at Turfway Park, where he is the leading jockey.

◗ Twocubanbrothersu can tip past the $500,000 earnings mark if he can register his 27th career victory in the Wednesday feature at Tampa as another four-day race week gets under way at 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

Twocubanbrothersu, a 10-year-old gelding, will be making his 70th career start and his 43rd with John Rigattieri as his trainer. He’ll face six other older horses in the fifth of nine races, a $23,500 allowance at a mile and 40 yards.