Longshot Watch Me Go beat Crimson Knight, an even longer shot, by about a head to win the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, both horses checking in several lengths in front of heavily favored Brethren, who finished third.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - “He was the Derby favorite going in and he’s the Derby favorite coming out!”
That’s pretty much how trainer Todd Pletcher summed up Uncle Mo’s 3-year-old debut, an easy 3 3/4-length victory over a game but overmatched Rattlesnake Bridge in Saturday’s inaugural edition of Gulfstream Park’s $100,000 Timely Writer.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - Jockey Daniel Centeno, leading rider at Tampa Bay Downs, will be sidelined through the remainder of the meet as a result of injuries sustained when he was unseated from his mount shortly after the start of Friday's fourth race.
Centeno, who held a commanding lead in the jockey's race with 78 wins coming into Friday's program, was aboard Alajwad Dancer, a 4-year-old first time starter, in a five-furlong maiden claiming sprint when the horse broke slowly, then raced greenly after the break, swerving to the inside then back to the outside.
Uncle Mo, last year’s juvenile champion, kicked off his 3-year-old campaign in style with an approximate four-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Timely Writer Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Fascinatin’ Rhythm was no match for either Five Diamonds or Sweet Goodbye when they met two months ago in the six-furlong What a Summer. But after turning in one of the fastest races of her career in last month’s Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Handicap, followed by a bullet four-furlong workout last week, the 6-year-old Fascinatin’ Rhythm was in peak form for Saturday’s $75,000 Conniver Stakes at Laurel Park.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The Gulfstream Park stall office reported Saturday that Gourmet Dinner, runner-up in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes here on Feb. 26 and a possible candidate for the Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 3, shipped off the grounds early Friday evening with the destination on the transit slip listed as Ocala, Fla.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The Factor and Sway Away, who finished one-two in last month’s San Vicente Stakes, kept on similar itineraries Saturday morning here at Santa Anita when they turned in final workouts in preparation for scheduled starts in the Rebel Stakes for 3-year-olds next Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.– Trainer Eddie Kenneally worked his Derby candidate Santiva an easy five furlongs in 1:02 at Palm Meadows on Saturday, then confirmed his intention to point the Grade 2 winner for the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland rather than the $1 million Louisiana Derby as originally planned.
As a 3-year-old, Despite the Odds was good enough to win the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park, finish second in a pair of two-turn stakes at Monmouth Park, and place fourth despite a troubled trip in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga.
Not much has gone right for Despite the Odds since then, but the now 5-year-old seems to be rounding back into form for the second start of his current form cycle in Tuesday’s $75,000 Bensalem Stakes at Parx Racing.
