RACE 4: ROYAL CURRENCY (#6)
Aqueduct | Race 5 | Post Time 3:26 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs | Not already a TimeformUS member? Sign up
Tampa Bay Downs sits at the center of this weekend’s American racing action, and their Tampa Bay Derby card, top to bottom, holds ample appeal.
Weather could be a factor. There’s going to be rain through late Saturday morning, that seems certain, but what it means for the turf and dirt tracks isn’t certain at all. By the time the featured Tampa Bay Derby comes round late in the card the dirt might mainly be dried.
SEE THROUGH IT
Trainer: Brian Koriner
Last race: March 5, race 1
Finish: 5th by 3 3/4
Beyer: 84
Front-running turf sprinter dueled early in salty N1X on hill, hung tough to inside eighth pole, faltered. Decent effort vs. tough rivals, follow on class drop/easier pace scenario.
MAURITIUS
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Last race: March 5, race 2
Each week in this space, the top Beyer performances by maiden winners will be featured and analyzed. Click here for a complete archive.
Taiba
March 5, 2nd race Santa Anita, MdSpWt68k
Beyer: 103
6f 1:09.97 – 1st by 7 1/2 lengths
ch. c. 3, Gun Runner – Needmore Flattery, by Flatter
Auctions: Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling 2020 – $140,000; Fasig-Tipton Florida March select 2-year-old in training 2021 – $1.7 million
ARCADIA, Calif. – The coast-to-coast journal is full again, with notes and observations from California to Arizona to Florida and New York.
Laying down the Law
You have to love veterans like Law Abidin Citizen, the 8-year-old favored in the Phoenix Gold Cup on Friday at Turf Paradise.
“He’s getting some age on him, but he’s an old pro and doing well,” trainer Mark Glatt said.
Daily Racing Form has served as the most trusted source of news and information about the sport since 1894, and moving forward we have decided to provide a free daily playbook – something that both hardcore horseplayers and casual observers can reference to get informed of each day’s action.
$125,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, 1 1/16 miles (Tapeta), Turfway Park, March 5, 2022
(10 Derby qualifying points for first, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth)
Winner: Tiz the Bomb, by Hit It a Bomb
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Jockey: Alex Achard
Owner: Magdalena Racing
Beyer Speed Figure: 82
Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes; one mile; Aqueduct; March 5, 2022
(50 Derby qualifying points for first, 20 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth)
Winner: Morello, by Classic Empire
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Jose Lezcano
Owner: Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Craig Taylor, and Diamond T Racing
Beyer Speed Figure: 96