Tampa Bay Downs: Scott off to fast start

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Trainer Joan Scott has earned a reputation as an outstanding developer of young talent, and her record with maidens throughout her career has been impressive, as she wins with 17 percent of her first-time starters and 18 percent of her maiden special weight runners.

But getting horses to the winner’s circle for the first time is one thing, and keeping them in top form is quite another. On Dec. 22, Scott demonstrated that she also is adept at keeping good horses competitive by sending out Ruler of Love to beat a solid field of optional claimers by 3 3/4 lengths in a race at a mile and 40 yards. That performance came despite the fact that Ruler of Love was making the 10th start of a busy 3-year-old campaign, with most of those starts coming against top-quality company.

Ruler of Love had earned $290,030 in 2013 heading into his most recent start even though he was winless for the year. He was second in both the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby and Grade 2 Super Derby, losing both times to Departing, but looked like a fresh horse on Dec. 22.

Then, last Thursday, Scott sent out Electro Peg, a 3-year-old filly, for a front-running, four-length romp in an optional claimer going one mile and 40 yards. That win gave Scott six victories for the meeting from just 11 starts, a sizzling 54 percent winning percentage. She also sent out the promising youngster Babe’s Ruler for a maiden special weight win on Dec. 22, indicating that Scott’s barn is running on all cylinders.

“We wanted to run Ruler of Love one more time,” Scott said. “Now, he’s going to get 30 to 45 days off to freshen up. He deserved a break, and he’s a Florida-bred, so we may well bring him back later and point for Florida Cup Day [on April 5].

“As for Electro Peg, we had had trouble getting her in on the turf, and she’d been training good on the dirt, so we decided to put her on the main track. Her performance gives us more options for the future. The stable’s doing well now, and we have some youngsters we’re cautiously optimistic about, and it’s always great to get off to a good start.”

Wide-open jockeys race

When Fernando De La Cruz fractured his right wrist in a spill during last Friday’s final race, that changed the picture in the jockeys’ standings. That De La Cruz was riding a lot of live horses was illustrated Saturday, when three horses he had been named on won with replacement riders.

With De La Cruz expected to miss four to six weeks, look for a lively battle for the top spot in the riders’ race, with Ronnie Allen Jr., Daniel Centeno, Angel Serpa, and Antonio Gallardo all in contention.

Delacour sweeps stakes preps

The preps for the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes and the Lightning City Stakes had to be moved to the main track when rain hit the area Sunday, but the switch in surfaces did not seem to bother Final Escrow and Ageless, as the Arnaud Delacour trainees notched impressive victories.

The Delacour stable was quiet for a time this season, but it runs a classy operation with a European flair to its training methods, and this season, it is winning at a 34 percent clip. Since 2007, Delacour and wife Leigh’s runners have a 19 percent winning percentage at Tampa.