Thealligatorhunter has made himself at home at Tampa Bay Downs, where he will start as one of the top contenders in the Pasco on Saturday. “He trains good over the track, seems like he likes it,” said Tim Padilla, who co-bred, co-owns, and trains Thealligatorhunter. The Pasco, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds, is one of three stakes on the program. The Gasparilla is led by the exciting 3-year-old filly Feeling Mischief, while older fillies and mares meet over a route of ground in the $50,000 Wayward Lass. The Pasco and Gasparilla – which both have a tiered purse structure that starts at $50,000 for open company and goes up to $125,000 for qualified Florida-breds – offer a first look at horses who could chase Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks points this meet at Tampa. The Pasco is a stepping-stone to the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis on Feb. 6 at Tampa. It’s drawn a field of eight, including Nova Rags, who exits a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Nashua in November at Aqueduct, and Newyearsblockparty, who is the lone two-time winner in the Pasco besides Thealligatorhunter. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2021: Point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Thealligatorhunter is a Minnesota-bred son of Overanalyze who won his debut July 21 at Canterbury against statebreds. In more recent times, he made his Tampa debut in the Inaugural over six furlongs. Thealligatorhunter was 30-1 and finished third by 3 1/4 lengths, earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 71. “I thought he ran a real nice race,” Padilla said. “He still hasn’t focused like he should. He kind of wanders during half of the race. One of these days, he’ll figure it out. I don’t want to put blinkers on him. I want him to develop on his own.” The added ground he picks up in the Pasco is welcome, Padilla said. “He acts like he wants to go farther and farther,” he said. “The distance is going to help him quite a bit.” Thealligatorhunter’s name comes from an inside joke with a friend, Padilla said. The trainer bred and owns the horse with Peter Mattson. Alonso Quinonez has the mount from post 6. :: Want to get your Past Performances for free? Click to learn more. “I think he’ll break good,” Padilla said of Thealligatorhunter. “I think he’ll be laying right behind the speed. But seven-eighths is a different kind of race. You never know what the pace is going to do.” Nova Rags was a debut winner at Belmont Park in October before making his second start in the Nashua. Samy Camacho has the mount from post 8 for owner-breeder Michael Shanley and trainer Bill Mott. Gasparilla Stakes Feeling Mischief will be looking for her second stakes win at the Tampa meet in the Gasparilla, which will be run over seven furlongs. She won the track’s Sandpiper in stakes-record time on Dec. 5, when she covered six furlongs in 1:09.76. “She’s a really fast horse,” trainer Mike Campbell said. And an exciting prospect for Campbell and owner George Mellon of Mellon Patch Inc. “She’s a terrific horse,” Campbell said of the daughter of the elite stallion Into Mischief. “I believe she’s good enough to get to the first Friday in May. “Everybody’s got to have a dream. And she has the capability, the scope, the mind, the soundness, the respiratory soundness, and the raw talent to go with what I believe will make a very good racehorse when she’s fully seasoned.” But right now, the focus is squarely on the Gasparilla. The stakes is designed as a stepping-stone to Tampa’s points race for the Kentucky Oaks, the $150,000 Suncoast on Feb. 6. “Every trainer knows it’s one race at a time,” Campbell said. Feeling Mischief will break from the widest post in gate 7 under Jesus Castanon. “She’s very rateable,” Campbell said. Feeling Mischief launched her career in August at Colonial Downs, winning a maiden special weight over five furlongs in a rapid 57.65 seconds. She earned a Beyer of 74 and eclipsed that number in the Sandpiper, earning a 75. Gulf Coast, runner-up in the Sandpiper, flattered Feeling Mischief earlier this month, when she came back and won the $75,000 Cash Run at Gulfstream Park. As for Feeling Mischief, she’s been working at her winter base of Tampa. Her rivals Saturday include Adios Trippi, who was third in the Cash Run on Jan. 1, and Big Rings, who in her last start was third in the $400,000 My Dear Girl division of the Florida Sire Stakes on Sept. 28 at Gulfstream. ◗ Lucky Stride and On the Town both land at Tampa for the 1 1/16-mile Wayward Lass after facing each other last out at Laurel. The pair ran a respective second and third in the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes on Nov. 28. The winner of the race, Eres Tu, came back in her next start to win the Grade 3 Allaire du Pont at Laurel.