Two locals cream of melting pot in Tampa finale

Veteran campaigners converge from all corners of North America for a $21,000 optional-claiming race that is slotted as the finale of Friday’s eight-race card at Tampa Bay Downs. Entrants in this field were bred in this state of Florida as well as the country’s Thoroughbred epicenter in Kentucky, but also were bred in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Ontario, and British Columbia. Along their way here, the nine entrants have made their 270 combined career starts at 25 different racetracks, in 12 states and three Canadian provinces.

The best recent performances among the entrants belong to two geldings who have turned them in locally, Zorb and Town Classic. Zorb is making his first start since December, when he dropped out of open allowance company on the turf into an optional-claiming race going this same six furlongs on Tampa’s dirt. He dueled on the lead before drawing off to win by 4 3/4 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 87 – the best figure of his career and top last-out number in this field.

Zorb, who has two wins and a second on Tampa’s main track, is one of two horses in this field not running for the $32,000 claiming tag, along with Famous N Flashy. The gelding will have Mike Allen, aboard for his December victory, in the irons again for trainer David Fisher.

While Zorb is coming off a layoff, Town Classic, who will have Samy Camacho aboard, has strong recent form. The gelding won by 2 3/4 lengths on Feb. 9 at Tampa, earning a 93 Beyer. He was claimed out of that race for $16,000 by trainer Gerald Bennett and has returned to finish second in a pair of optional-claiming events in March at Tampa, earning a pair of 86 Beyers.

Several campaigners in this field have stakes experience in their various jurisdictions. British Columbia-bred Weekend Wizard has won or placed in eight stakes, with his highest-profile effort a second in the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby in 2018. He won the CTHS Sales Stakes in his most recent outing, last October at Century Downs.

Cake Pop is a three-time stakes winner in his native Ohio and also is stakes-placed against open company. Kitchen Fire was stakes-placed against his fellow Pennsylvania-breds as a juvenile.

While none of his best form is recent, the 10-year-old Divine Ambition, making his 71st career start, has shown an affinity for Tampa in the past against strong company. He finished third behind Dynamic Sky and Sky Commander in the Pasco Stakes as a 3-year-old. He later finished third to X Y Jet and Jaguar Poz in the 2018 Pelican Stakes.