Vino Rosso worth a special trip for Velazquez

Racing history has taken note of what Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez did earlier this year when he commuted from Gulfstream to Tampa for just one mount. The special trip was to ride Always Dreaming, who won a Jan. 25 maiden race by 11 1/2 lengths en route to becoming a Kentucky Derby winner for trainer Todd Pletcher and an ownership group that included the St. Elias Stable of Vinnie Viola.

On Friday, Velazquez will be back at Tampa for just one mount – Vino Rosso, a 2 3/4-length winner of his career debut last month at Aqueduct. Vino Rosso will be a huge favorite in a $27,500 first-level allowance, to be run at a mile and 40 yards.

Pletcher also is the trainer of Vino Rosso, a chestnut Curlin colt owned by St. Elias and the Repole Stable. Vino Rosso will face five other 2-year-olds in the third of 10 races. First post is 12:25 p.m. Eastern, with the third race going at 1:22.

◗ Mike Stidham won with six of his first 13 starters to take an early lead atop the trainer standings at the five-month Tampa meet. With his main base at Fair Grounds, Stidham has sent about 30 horses to Tampa in the care of assistant Ben Trask.

◗ Tampa will be dark Dec. 24, Dec. 25, and Jan. 1, but a Dec. 31 card marks the start of Sundays being added to the racing calendar through the end of the meet, May 6 (except when dark April 1 for Easter).

◗ The next stakes events at Tampa are $75,000 turf sprints for older horses on Dec. 30 – the Turf Dash for 3-year-olds and up and the Lightning City for fillies and mares.