Thealligatorhunter can make no mistakes

While most of Thealligatorhunter’s success in his 27-race career has come against Minnesota-breds, one of his best performances came sprinting on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs in March 2023. His connections will look for a repeat of that effort Wednesday in a third-level/optional $62,500 claiming feature that helps kick off the final week of racing at the Oldsmar, Fla. track.

There are three programs left at Tampa, which closes following Saturday’s card.

Thealligatorhunter, a 6-year-old gelding by Overanalyze, has compiled 11 wins from 27 starts in a career that began in July 2020. He has twice sprinted at Tampa, winning this same condition at odds of 18-1 in his second start off a layoff in March 2023. Most recently, he finished fourth, beaten just 1 1/2 lengths, in the Turf Dash on Feb. 24. In that race, Thealligatorhunter was late to change his leads but once he did made a late bid.

The Alligatorhunter, trained and partly owned by Tim Padilla, has the speed to be a factor from the outset under Alonso Quinonez.

Nic’s Bro returns from an 11-month layoff while making his first start for owner/trainer Hernan Parra. Previously trained by the recently retired Ralph Nicks, Nic’s Bro twice finished second sprinting on turf against Florida-breds in the winter of 2023. He hasn’t run since winning an optional-claiming race on dirt in May 2023.

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One of Parra’s two wins at this meet came with Benvolio last week in his first start for Parra following a trainer change and a 148-day layoff.

Fayathaan, a 6-year-old Irish-bred, went winless in six starts on the Southern California circuit last year and returns from a July layoff for trainer Renaldo Richards and owner Paula Capestro, who was the previous trainer of this horse. Fayathaan does have an eye-catching work tab for his return to the races.

Richards also sends out Wora, who is 0 for 6 since winning a sprint on Gulfstream Park’s synthetic surface in November 2022.

Classicstateofmind, Galaxy Music, Two Steppin Kluki, Feast, and Impacto complete the field.

Book’em Danno back to work

Book’em Danno, beaten a head by Forever Young in the Saudi Derby on Feb. 24, returned to the work tab Sunday, breezing a half-mile in 49 seconds over Tampa’s main track.

Trainer Derek Ryan said he wanted to get a work in before Book’em Danno left Tampa this week for Monmouth Park, where he will be based at least for the early part of the summer. Ryan said he is targeting the Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens on June 8 at Saratoga for Book’em Danno’s next start.

Ryan said he has the Woody Stephens and the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens on Aug. 28 for Book’em Danno’s agenda.

“Maybe somewhere along the line we’ll try the turf because he’s bred for it,” Ryan said.

Book’em Danno is a New Jersey-bred son of Bucchero who has won 4 of 6 starts, including the Smoke Glacken at Monmouth and the Futurity, a scheduled turf race rained off to the dirt at Aqueduct. He began his 3-year-old season with a 12 1/2-length victory in the Pasco Stakes at Tampa in January before his trip to Saudi Arabia.

Summer dates no longer required

Tampa Bay Downs will no longer be required to race two days in the summer in order to continue to control its revenue from year-round simulcasting, according to Margo Flynn, vice president/marketing for Tampa Bay Downs.

A bill eliminating that stipulation for both Tampa and Gulfstream Park was signed Saturday by Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to Flynn.

Since 2013, Tampa Bay Downs was required to race June 30 and July 1 – the dates that end one fiscal year and start another – to maintain its status as a year-round meeting, which enabled the track to control its simulcasting revenue. Tampa usually runs its regular meet from late November to early May.

Tampa Bay typically closes its stable area a week after the meet concludes, so racing those two dates required horses to ship in and for Tampa to assemble a gate crew and other personnel.

“It was certainly a burden for everyone concerned and quite frankly a safety concern as well,” Flynn said.

Gulfstream, which does conduct year-round racing, also was required to race those dates as well, even if either one fell on a scheduled dark day.

Flynn said the 2024-25 Tampa Bay meet will begin Nov. 20.

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O’Connell, Camacho meet leaders

Trainer Kathleen O’Connell has sewn up the training title as she enters the final three days of racing with 52 wins, 18 more than Gerald Bennett, who had been leading trainer the last eight Tampa meets.

Gregg Sacco and Jose D’Angelo enter the week tied for third in wins with 31.

Samy Camacho will most certainly be leading jockey as he enters the week with 84 wins, 12 more than Antonio Gallardo.

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