What’s the best weapon to bring to a battle against a talented Musket Man? Maybe the answer is a six shooter.
Half a dozen Florida-breds will try to prevent Musket Man from getting closer to the million-dollar mark in career earnings in the $75,000 Turf Dash at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday. The five-furlong sprint drew a field of 10 3-year-olds and up, and Musket Man is the 5-2 morning-line favorite even though he’s never run on turf.
Musket Man won the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and the Illinois Derby (G2) last year before third-place finishes in the first two legs of the Triple Crown. He then sat out the rest of the year because of a bone bruise in his left front foot. The son of Yonaguska made his 4-year-old debut at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 6, capturing the seven-furlong, $52,000 Super Stakes by half a length.
Musket Man will have Ramon Dominguez aboard for the first time when he starts from the No. 5 post. The Turf Dash will be the shortest race of his career. Musket Man has won six of his nine starts for $923,600.
Representing Florida will be Titanic Win (15-1), bred by H & E Ranch; Dublin Lane (15-1), bred by CloverLeaf Farms II; Bullet From Abroad (8-1), bred by Karl M. Hohensee; Sneaking Uponyou (10-1), bred by the McLaughlin Family Limited Partnership; Twiceasbeautiful (20-1), bred by Linda S. Rosenblatt; and Cooper County (12-1), bred by White Cross Farm.
Titanic Win, an 8-year-old son of Luhuk, won a $32,000 optional claimer going five furlongs on the Tampa Bay Downs lawn on Feb. 17. The gelding has won eight of his 38 starts for $247,362.
Dublin Lane has made all six of his starts on Woodbine’s synthetic surface and hasn’t run since finishing last in a $62,000 optional claimer in June. The 4-year-old, gelded son of Alke has two wins from six starts and $76,488 in earnings.
Bullet From Abroad made his 6-year-old debut at Gulfstream in January, finishing a close-up fourth in a $50,000 claimer going five furlongs on grass. The gelding by Red Bullet has seven victories and $163,468 in winnings from 42 starts.
Sneaking Uponyou finished third in a $62,000 optional claimer at Tampa Bay Downs last month. The 4-year-old, gelded son of Snuck In won the $60,000 Pelican Stakes on the main track in Oldsmar in January and will be seeking his first win on turf in his third attempt. He’s won four of 13 starts for $119,359.
Twiceasbeautiful, the lone mare in the field, won the $50,000 Buckland Stakes sprinting on the Colonial Downs lawn last June. The 6-year-old daughter of Texas Glitter won her 2010 debut going five furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs in January in a $50,000 optional claimer. She’s won six of her 21 starts for $147,563.
Cooper County most recently was third in a $20,500 allowance on the Tampa grass last month. The 6-year-old, gelded son of R. Cooper has won six of his 35 starts for $234,978.
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