Tricks to Doo romps in Inaugural Stakes, Almond Roca takes Sandpiper

Tricks to Doo recouped a fraction of his $600,000 purchase price when dominating the 33rd running of the $50,000 Inaugural Stakes, the last of four stakes held Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

Always prominent from his outside post in a field of seven 2-year-olds, Tricks to Doo was never threatened when finishing 7 1/4 lengths ahead of runner-up Arazi Like Move and getting six furlongs in 1:09.58 over a fast track. Daniel Centeno was aboard for trainer Arnaud Delacour.

The Lael Stables of Roy and Gretchen Jackson bought Tricks to Doo in March at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales. The son of Into Mischief has done little wrong in his three starts, having finished third in his Keeneland debut before easily winning a Laurel maiden race in late October.

Tricks to Doo returned $2.80 as a heavy favorite and earned $30,000.

A few races earlier, Almond Roca ($6) crushed seven other 2-year-old fillies when earning her first stakes victory in the 39th running of the $50,000 Sandpiper for trainer Graham Motion.

Confidently ridden by Pablo Morales, Almond Roca easily disposed of favored Toni Ann’s Miracle after turning for home and drew away without urging, prevailing by 9 1/4 lengths when finishing six furlongs in 1:10.01.

Almond Roca, a Kentucky-bred by Speightstown, is owned by the Chadds Ford Stable of Phyllis Wyeth. She was coming off a fifth-place finish in the ungraded Smart Halo last month at Laurel Park in her stakes debut.

Both the Inaugural and Sandpiper were billed as $100,000 races, but both included a $50,000 bonus to be paid to the winner only if he or she was a registered Florida-bred.

The Marion County and City of Ocala were held early on the Saturday card as $125,000 races for Florida-breds.