BY TAMMY A. GANTT
Nine-time leading Tampa Bay Downs trainer Gerald Bennett has a strong hand for the Pelican sprint on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs with three entrants, including his three-time stakes-winning four-year-old Florida-bred colt Naughty Rascal, who won last season’s Pasco Stakes via disqualification; six-year-old Florida-bred gelding Chrome Ghost, winner of his last two starts; and five-year-old stakes-placed Florida-bred gelding El Principito.
Owned by Mr Pug LLC and J.P.G. 2 LLC, Naughty Rascal was bred by Edward Seltzer, Beverly Anderson, Helen Barbazon and Joseph Barbazon. A 2022 son of Rogueish out of Baby Doll by Smarty Jones, Naughty Rascal finished second on Jan. 21 at Tampa Bay Down in an allowance claimer going six furlongs. In a close finish, he was a half-length behind winner Uncashed and nosed out third-place finisher Beeline at the wire. He won once previously over the Tampa surface and comes into the race with a record of four wins, two seconds and one third in nine starts with earnings of $243,265.
A son of Into Mischief, Florida sire Rogueish stands at Seltzer’s Solera Farm in Williston.
A homebred of J J Brevan Stable LLC, Chrome Ghost loves the Tampa surface having finished out of the money only once in seven starts when running over the Oldsmar oval. He posted four firsts, one second and one third at the Florida track and a record of six wins, one second and four thirds in 20 starts overall earning $239,535.
Coming off two wins, the gelding won at Tampa on Dec. 26 in an allowance optional claimer while earning a career high Equibase speed figure of 101 and won at Gulfstream Park on Nov. 14.
Running exclusively in Florida in his 28 starts, stakes-placed El Principito races at Tampa during its season and then moves to Gulfstream the rest of the year racking up five wins, seven seconds and two thirds and earning $245,483 in the process.
He was bred by Vanna K Baker and Hannah Smith’s Southwind Stables Inc, based out of Winter Park and is owned by Mary and Gerald Bennett’s Winning Stables, Inc. and Todd R. Bittiger.
El Principito finished third on Dec. 26 at Tampa where he trailed the field in fourth then improved to third in late stretch. He posted a 107 Equibase speed figure on Nov. 28 in his last win, an allowance optional claimer at Tampa where he rallied from almost last to first in the stretch to hold off the second place finisher Life is Precious in the six furlong race.
Return to the February 6 issue of Wire to Wire
