Wright perfect so far at Tampa meet

Veteran trainer Michael Wright hasn’t taken a false step yet this meet, going 4 for 4 since shipping his stable from Woodbine to Tampa.

Wright has not had a starter yet in 2022, nor does he have an entry for Wednesday or Friday. His winners all came in December – Nantucket Red, Decimator, Distinctly Blue, and Call Her Joey. The native of England has trained since the late 1960s, shortly after his family moved to Canada, when he was 14.

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“I’ve been fortunate,” Wright told Tampa publicity last week. “I’ve always liked the game and I like to be here in the mornings.”

Grunder (the horse) returns

Grunder, a 4-year-old gelding named for former longtime Tampa race caller Richard Grunder, will make his second start of the meet in the third race Wednesday for Ocala-based owner-trainer Chad Stewart.

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Grunder retired last year after 37 years in the Tampa booth. His unique announcing style lent itself to what some fans call “Grunderisms,” which the new caller, Jason Beem, said he is reluctant to use.

“That’s Richard’s legacy,” said Beem. “The last time this horse ran, I had like six things written down to maybe throw in if they happened, but the opportunity didn’t come up.”

Grunder currently is living in the Oldsmar area.

◗ Another four-day race week at Tampa starts Wednesday with a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern. One allowance (race 5) middles the card, with seven older fillies and mares going a mile on the turf for a $27,000 purse. A 4-year-old British-bred filly named In Italian will ship over from Payson Park as a heavy favorite for Chad Brown.

Cloudy skies and high temperatures in the low 70s are in the Oldsmar forecast for Wednesday.