BY BROCK SHERIDAN
James M. Chicklo’s homebred Dream Concert will try two turns for the first time Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs as the Florida-bred filly is among six fillies and mares in the $50,000 Wayward Lass scheduled for a mile-and-one-sixteenth on the main track.
Dream Concert will be making her second consecutive start in stakes company at the Oldsmar oval after most recently finishing second, a neck shy of Florida-bred Bluefield in the $100,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes City of Ocala at seven furlongs on Dec. 9.
The City of Ocala stopped a two-race win streak for Dream Concert, who had won two upper level, $50,000 optional claiming races sprinting at Parx in September and October in her two previous starts. The daughter of Jess’s Dream has been consistent throughout her career with four wins and two seconds in nine starts, all coming last year.
Dream Concert is out of Spanish Concert by Concerto and has earned $140,670. Trainer Kathleen O’Connell will race her without blinkers for the first time since finishing sixth in the $104,000 Blue Sparkler won by Florida-bred Beauty of the Sea going five-and-a-half furlongs on the turf at Monmouth Park in July and keeps jockey Antonio Gallardo for the Wayward Lass.
Dream Concert is 6-1 on the morning line and has post four.
The morning line favorite at 7-5 is Opus Forty Two for trainer Arnaud Delacour and owner Mark B. Grier.
Second to Florida-bred Foggy Night in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks in July, the 4-year-old Opus Forty Two won the Gasparilla and a maiden special weight in three starts at Tampa Bay Downs last year.
More recently, the daughter of Mendelssohn was second to Hybrid in the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go on Nov. 11 and won a second level, $40,000 optional claiming on Sept. 29, both going a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Laurel Park.
Opus Forty Two has three wins and four seconds in 10 starts with earnings of $199,550.
Daniel Centeno will ride from post one.
The second choice in the program at 9-5 is Libban, a winner of her last three races for owner C2 Racing Stable LLC and Paul Braverman.
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. Libban broke her maiden at Gulfstream Park in July in her second career start the won a first condition, $100,000 optional claiming going a mile after being taken off the turf during the Belmont at Big meet on Oct. 22. She won an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming by four lengths going a mile at Gulfstream on Dec. 3 in her last race.
Libban has banked $127,030 in her four starts and will be ridden by Edgard Zayas from post two.
Rounding out the field are She’s My Warrior with Alonso Guinonez named to ride, Soul of an Angel with jockey Jose Morelos and Samy Camacho rides Magical Lute.
