Tampa Bay Downs: Lavallee Twist to gun it from outside Wednesday

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Lavallee Twist, who ran the fastest mile of the meeting while smoking his field last time out, takes on graded stakes winner Clear Attempt from the powerful Bill Mott stable in a field of eight optional-claiming turf runners for Wednesday’s one-mile headliner.

Lavallee Twist, from the barn of Kathy Guciardo, had been off since September when he came off the bench running in an optional claimer on grass Dec. 21. He knocked out blistering fractions of 46.20 seconds for a half-mile and 1:09.51 for six furlongs en route to a final clocking of 1:33.93 while leading from start to finish for his seventh career win.

Lavallee Twist looks like the chief speed of the field again Wednesday and can be expected to go to the lead from his outside post under apprentice Octavio Vergara Jr.

Clear Attempt, a 6-year-old who has made only 12 starts, will have blinkers added by Mott as he attempts to improve off a ninth-place finish in the $100,000 Three Coins Up Stakes on turf at Aqueduct last out.

That Nov. 10 race was the first in more than a year for Clear Attempt, who had won the Grade 3 Poker Stakes in July 2012. The horse has had numerous gaps between races but has hit the board in eight of his starts, so when his connections can get him to the races, he usually gives an honest effort.

Daniel Centeno will handle Clear Attempt.

Super Chunky, beaten a half-length when third in the $100,000 Japan Racing Association Stakes last out, also returns from a short layoff for trainer Kenneth Cox and deserves a long look Wednesday.

A stakes-placed and versatile type who also races well over synthetic surfaces, Super Chunky led in that 1 1/16-mile race at Laurel Park and came on again late at odds of 26-1. He ran second in the Grade 3 Highlander Stakes at Woodbine in July and has been first or second in 18 of his 40 starts.

Mellow Fellow, who slipped through along the inside to upset a strong allowance field in his local debut on turf last out, should be close up from the start from his rail post under leading rider Ronnie Allen Jr. and can’t be taken lightly.

Mellow Fellow has come back to train smartly since that winning effort Dec. 4, and if able to get another ground-saving trip, he could be poised to strike inside when the field turns for home.