BY BROCK SHERIDAN
After having center stage last Sunday for the 23rd edition of the Florida Cup, Florida-breds kept the spotlight at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday, winning seven of 10 races.
It was the second time in four weeks that Florida-breds have dominated a Saturday program at the Oldsmar, Florida oval after winning seven of nine races on March 14.
Majestic Lucia started the big day for Sunshine State-breds with a neck victory in Race 2, a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming for 3-year-old fillies going a mile-and-40-yards. The $48,600 purse included $21,000 funded by the Florida Owners Awards program and the Tampa Bay Downs/HBPA/Florida Fund backed by $1.5 million in state support.
Trained by Victor Barboza Jr., Majestic Lucia has now won two of three career starts including an eighth-and-a-quarter-length romp against $50,000 optional claiming maidens going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park on February 27.
With Cipriano Gil up, Majestic Lucia advanced while in tight around the second turn and engaged new leader Chatelot at the top of the stretch. Those two went head-and-head to wire with Majestic Lucia prevailing to win by a neck. Chatelot was second with Permian Basin two-and-a-quarter lengths farther back in third.
Majestic Lucia finished in 1:40.37 on the fast track and paid $4.80 to win.
She earned $35,600 to push her career revenues to $65,390 for owners Elena Racing Stable and Carga Inc. She is by McKinzie out of Starship Leia, by Lucky Pulpit and was bred in Florida by Monarch Farms Inc.
Florida-breds won races 4 and 5, both conditioned $5,000 claiming races for 4-year-olds and older at a mile-and-40-yards.
The fourth race went to Fort Charles as jockey Cipriano Gil won his second race on the day. Gil came from sixth of 10 and more than six-and-a-half-lengths back on Fort Charles to get up late to win by a neck in 1:42.85. Denying was second with American Speed third.
Fort Charles is trained by Michael Simone for Paterpop Racing. Fort Charles is a 5-year-old gelding by Khozan bred in Florida by Passion Stables Inc.
Tiz a Beast, a 6-year-old gelded son of The Big Beast, won the fifth race by two-and-a-quarter lengths with Samuel Marin aboard. Royal Luck (Chi) was second with Downtown Connector third.
Tiz a Beast is trained by Jennifer Pragallo for TCBR Stable LLC and was bred in Florida by Big Shot Stable LLC.
Florida-bred D Dolly’s Girl ran away with the Race 6, winning a $16,000 maiden claiming for 3-year-olds fillies by four-and-a-half lengths with Rocco Bowen in the irons. She’s Lit was second and Diamondinthedark finished third.
Trained by owner and breeder Douglas Jones, D Dolly’s Girl covered a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the firm turf in 1:44.71 at 6-1 to pay $15.40 to win. D Dolly’s Girl is by Battalion Runner out of Dominant Dolly, by Graeme Hall.
Smart Striker was last around the clubhouse turn and eight lengths behind down the back stretch but began to move on the rail around far turn. He found a seam at the top of the stretch and defeated fellow Florida-bred Spanish Noble by a neck to win the eighth race, a $16,000 claiming for 4-year-olds and older going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass. The purse was $29,900. Sweet Hazely was third.
Ridden by Wesley Ho for trainer David VanWinkle, Smart Striker was an upset winner at 12-1, paying $27.40 to win.
Multiple stakes-placed, the 6-year-old gelding by Connect is owned by Thunder Stride Racing and won for the seventh time in 41 starts, pushing his career earnings to $216,279. Smart Striker is out of You Wish and was bred in Florida by Tim and Crystal O’Donohue’s Castle Gate Farm.
Florida-bred Awesome Pic drew off in the stretch to win the ninth race of her career, a six-furlong, $8,000 starter allowance for fillies and mares with an optional claiming price of $12,500. With jockey Sonny Leon up for trainer Enrique Hernandez, Awesome Pic raced with Long Gone Sally around the turn then drew off the stretch to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
Bred in Florida by Richard George, 6-year-old Awesome Pic is by Ocala Stud’s Awesome Slew out of Shirley’s Pic, by Overdriven. She is owned by Carlos Diaz and finished the distance in 1:10.35. Rip Riding Away was second with Sountrack third.
Awesome Pic now has earnings of $257,550 in 40 lifetime starts.
Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation, who won two of the six Florida Cup races Sunday with Uncle’s Gold in the $100,000 AAA Feed & Tack Turf Classic and Souper Zonda in the $100,000 Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf, won the lid-closer Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs with Souper Attentive.
The 5-year-old gelding by Kitten’s Joy out of Giant Cats Eye, by Giant’s Causeway pressed the pace early in Saturday’s tenth race before drawing off to win by nearly two lengths with Sonny Leon winning his third race of the day. Real Savvy was second while Wine Collector finished in the show spot.
Souper Attentive was the best of nine 4-year-olds and older which had never won three races and were running for a claiming price of $25,000.
Trained by Mark Casse, Souper Attentive has now won three of 19 starts while earning $128,455.
Return to the April 4 issue of Wire to Wire
