Tampa Bay Downs: Sam F. Davis, Suncoast a study in contrast

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Tampa Bay Downs’s traditional stage-setters for its top stakes of the meeting were run Saturday, and the results were as different as night and day. Three-year-olds ran in the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam Davis Stakes on Saturday, a prep for the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, and 3-year-old fillies in the $100,000 Suncoast, a prep for the Grade 3 Florida Oaks. Both the Tampa Bay Derby and Florida Oaks will be run March 8.

When the smoke cleared after a stretch battle in the Sam Davis, it was no surprise the two Todd Pletcher horses in the field ran one-two. What surprised the bettors was that unheralded Vinceremos, who went postward at 12-1, held off his heavily backed stablemate Harpoon by a nose in a blanket finish where the fourth-place finisher, Matador, was beaten just a length.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

As for the first two finishers, Vinceremos looked beat on the second turn of the 1 1/16-mile race, then spurted to daylight under Edgar Prado into midstretch. Vinceremos seemed to wait on his rivals and the field bunched up inside the final furlong, but he got his focus back late and held on. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 82.

Harpoon, who swung at least six wide turning for home, closed stoutly outside and was probably unlucky not to win it all, while Cousin Stephen was just three-quarters of a length back of Harpoon. Matador was simply a bit short in his first race since November and can be expected to be a fitter and tougher foe next out.

The big disappointment for the bettors in the Davis was Noble Cornerstone. Sent off as the co-favorite, Noble Cornerstone acted up badly in the gate, fell far back early, and was never in the hunt.

Please Explain romps

As competitive as the Davis was, the Suncoast was simply a one-horse race, as favored Please Explain skimmed the inner rail under Julien Leparoux and went from last to first for an authoritative six-length win. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 77.

It’s not often that a horse comes from last to first over the main track at Tampa, and after the way Please Explain finished, she looks headed for the Florida Oaks or some other graded stakes.

Tom Proctor trains Please Explain, who has now won two straight. She won a Gulfstream maiden race by 5 1/2 lengths on Dec. 19 with a 76 Beyer Speed Figure.

◗ Guys Reward also came from last to run down heavily favored Salto and upset the Grade 3, $150,000 Tampa Bay Stakes at 1 1/16 miles over a yielding turf course. Sent off at 14-1, Guys Reward was ridden by Abdiel Jaen.

◗ Joe Tess romped home by more than 11 lengths in the third race Saturday, an optional allowance race, covering the six furlongs over a racing strip that was drying out and far from lightning fast in 1:10.67. The $100,000 Super Stakes at seven furlongs here Feb. 22 would be a logical next spot for Joe Tess, who is owned by George Bolton and Stonestreet Stable. Trainer Derek Ryan, a former exercise rider, joked that he “came out of retirement” to get on Joe Tess and work with him in the morning.

◗ Trainer Kathleen O’Connell posted a triple last Wednesday and ended the racing week on Sunday in fourth place in the trainer standings with 12 wins at the meeting, one behind Dale and Gerald Bennett and one in front of Dennis Ward and Jason DeCosta. Jamie Ness leads all trainers with 18 wins.