Tampa Bay: Seanchai tries to follow up on sharp effort

OLDSMAR, Fla. – In her most recent race, Seanchai was beaten a nose in a Keeneland allowance while making her first start for trainer Tom Proctor. On Saturday, Seanchai tops an overflow field of 13 turf runners in the optional-claiming feature at Tampa Bay Downs.

Leading rider Fernando De La Cruz, who is winning at a phenomenal 39 percent rate at the meeting, will handle Seanchai, who will be making her second start since August.

Several of the entrants in Saturday’s one-mile race are coming off layoffs, including Seaside, who will be making her first start since January for trainer Jamie Ness. Another top challenger, Quinichette, who won a pair of races over the summer after being claimed for $25,000 by trainer Bernell Rhone, will be making her first start since September.

Seanchai came off a two-month break to finish second in a mile turf race at Keeneland. She stalked the pace into the stretch before unleashing a powerful late kick that fell just short. Seanchai had previously been trained by Todd Pletcher.

In February, Seanchai was a pace factor in the Grade 3 The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park before weakening to fourth behind Starformer. She also finished sixth in the Grade 3 Orchid Stakes at Gulfstream Park in March.

Seanchai has been training smartly since moving to Tampa, including a pair of bullet drills Nov. 21 and Dec. 4, and may have a slight class edge Saturday.

Seaside was second at this class level going a mile on the grass in December 2012, then went to the sidelines following a fifth-place finish last January. Most of the Ness runners who have come into this meeting off layoffs have been sharp and ready to run, and Seaside figures to be on or near the lead from the start under Antonio Gallardo.

Quinichette also has a good turn of early foot. She had two wins and a second at Canterbury last summer in her first three starts for the Rhone stable, then led into the stretch of the Minnesota HBPA Distaff Stakes before weakening to fourth in that 1 1/16-mile turf test.

In a race that features more than its share of speed, late-running Scenario Analysis could well come along to pick up the pieces. Scenario Analysis has a win and a second from seven starts this season and was fifth, beaten less than two lengths by now-retired millionaire earner Hooh Why, in the Distaff Stakes over the Tampa grass course in April.

Donna’s Fly Girl, who won back-to-back races this summer at Ellis Park, adds blinkers for trainer Gerald Aschinger whose runners had good success in turf races here last season.