BY BROCK SHERIDAN
In 20 runnings of the Turf Dash at Tampa Bay Downs, Florida-breds have dominated the race, winning 14 times starting with Whenthedoveflies taking the inaugural edition in 2005.
Florida breeders are again well represented in Saturday’s $100,000 Turf Dash with seven Florida-breds among the dozen 4-year-olds and older entered in the five-furlong test on the grass.
Rezasrolex leads the Sunshine State contingent as the 5-year-old gelded son of Bucchero makes his stakes debut while attempting his ninth straight win and twelfth in his last 14 starts.
Trained by Joe Orseno for Robert Cotran, Rezasrolex dispatched fellow Turf Dash entrants Dark Vintage (Ire) and Florida-bred Esperon last out, winning by a length-and-a-half in a second condition, $32,000 optional claiming going five furlongs on the turf.
Claimed for $16,000 by Orseno out of a winning effort in his third lifetime start in December of 2023, Rezasrolex has won 11 of 14 races since, amassing $282,220 of his career earnings of $316,818 while racing in the red and black colors of Cotran. He has won 13 of 17 career starts with two seconds.
He started his current winning streak in June of 2024, taking a $25,000 optional claiming, $16,000 starter allowance on synthetic at Gulfstream Park. He won his next six races on the all-weather course at Gulfstream before Orseno switched him to the grass for his last two wins.
Rezasrolex is out of Sister Charlie, by Indian Charlie and was bred in Florida by Scott Herbertson.
Edgard Zayas, who has ridden Rezasrolex in nine of his last 10 races, will again be aboard and they break from post three. Rezasrolex is 6-1 on the morning line.
Champion Equine’s Esperon also looks for his first stakes victory and first win over the Tampa Bay Downs grass. He tries to avenge that last out loss to Rezasrolex and Dark Vintage (Ire) and get his first trip to the winner’s circle since a two-length score in a first condition allowance race on the Colonial Downs turf in July.
Trained by J. David Braddy, Esperon has won three with three seconds and seven thirds in 23 starts while earning $229,740. Bred in Florida by Frank Michael, Esperon is by Chitu out of Satan’s Mistress, by Songandaprayer.
Esperon is 5-1 on the morning line and will be ridden by Marcos Meneses.
Florida-bred Speed Figures has won three of his last five with two seconds and is 6-1 on the morning line for trainer Kelly Breen, who owns the 5-year-old gelding with Kenwood Racing.
Claimed for $22,000 by Breen after winning at five-and-a-half furlongs on the Monmouth Park grass, Speed Figures repeated at the same distance there in his next race, winning a $40,000 optional claiming, $25,000 starter allowance. He was then the runner-up twice in two second tier, $40,000 optional claiming races sprinting on the turf at Monmouth and Laurel Park before returning to Florida to take an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming going five furlongs on the Gulfstream turf last out on January 4.
Speed Figures is by Souper Speedy out of Sweet Fortune, by Candy Ride (Arg) and was bred by Live Oak Plantation. He has won six with three seconds in 15 starts with earnings of $239,415.
Jose Ferrer has the call on Speed Figures and they have post 11.
Tropic Lightning Racing’s Rouki returns to defend his title in the Turf Dash but has not won in four starts since.
Trained by Gerald Bennett, Rouki enters off a sixth-place finish behind Florida-bred winner Uncashed in a conditioned, $100,000 optional claiming going six furlongs on the main track on January 21.
Rouki is by Solera Farm stallion Rogueish out of Kizuna, by Harlington and was bred in Florida by Bonnie J. Thompson and Edward A. Seltzer. The 4-year-old gelding has earned $202,880 in a career that sports five wins from 14 starts.
Samy Camacho will ride Rouki from the inside post and they are 20-1 in the program.
Florida-bred Asher’s Edge makes his second start of the year after finishing fourth, less than two lengths off winner Litigation, in the $155,000 Gulfstream Turf Sprint going five furlongs on Jan. 24.
Trainer David Fawkes conditioned Asher’s Edge to victory last year in the $75,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint in September at Gulfstream, a race was moved off the grass to the synthetic course due to weather. Only once in 17 races has Asher’s Edge not finished in the top four, that in an eighth-place finish in the $70,000 Warrior’s Reward overnight handicap won by Florida-bred stablemate Reef Runner going five furlongs on the Gulfstream turf on August 3.
Asher’s Edge is by Competitive Edge out of Donelle, by Roman Ruler and is a homebred for J J Brevan Stable. He has four wins, three seconds and four thirds with lifetime revenues of $233,432.
Sonny Leon has the call on Asher’s Edge from post seven and they are 12-1 on the morning line.
Florida-bred And Uwish is 15-1 in the program after finishing fifth in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint in his last race.
He finished last year with a second to Reef Runner in the $125,000 Janus Stakes going five furlongs on the Gulfstream grass, defeating Turf Dash-entrant Coppola, who was third; and Asher’s Edge in fourth. He also outran Asher’s Edge when second to Florida-bred Full Disclosure in the $70,000 Chasing Artie overnight handicap in November and won the $70,000 Successful Native overnight handicap in July, both on the Gulfstream synthetic.
And Uwish is trained by Joe Orseno, who co-owns the 5-year-old gelded son of Mshawish with breeders Adam and Suzette Parker. He is out of Elective, by Grand Slam and has earned $187,810 while taking three of 11 lifetime starts with four seconds.
Orseno has given the riding engagement to Israel Rodriguez. And Uwish has post 10 and is 15-1 in the program.
Rounding out the field are My Boy Prince with Samuel Marin up, Works for Me will be ridden by Jesus Castanon, Alonso Quinonez has the call on Dark Vintage, Pablo Morales is the jockey for Can’t Deny It, and Daniel Centeno will guide Coppola.
Return to the February 13 issue of Wire to Wire
