BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Smith Ranch Stables’ Roger That Dana and Calypso Racing Stables 2022’s Redland Rebels will carry the Florida flag onto the Derby trail Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in the Grade 3, $400,000 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby, a mile-and-a-sixteenth contest for 3-year-olds looking to earn qualifying points for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. The Tampa Bay Derby offers 105 Kentucky Derby points to the top five finishers on a 50-25-15-10-5 schedule.
Both second in their last starts against stakes horses, Redland Rebels and Roger That Dana try for their initial points on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard. Last year Baeza was the last horse to make the Derby starting gate, scratching in with 37.5 points. Final qualifier Epic Ride scratched into the 2024 Derby field with 35 points. The 2026 Kentucky Derby will be run May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Roger That Dana makes his first start since finishing second, six-and-three-quarters lengths off winner Commandment, in the $155,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park on January 3. Commandment was a neck winner of the Grade 2 Coolmore Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Saturday, earning 50 points to rank in a four-way tie for second in the current Kentucky Derby standings.
Riding Roger That Dana for the first time in the Mucho Macho Man, jockey Renzo Rojas had the ridgling son of Ocala Stud’s Awesome Slew placed fifth of seven in the first half of the one-mile contest. He put him on the attack while racing four-wide in the second turn to earn a clear second, nearly seven lengths clear of Tampa Bay Derby-rival Thunder Chuck in third.
The Mucho Macho Man was his third career start after winning a maiden special weight for Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park on October 25 in his first start. In his only other start as a 2-year-old, the Luis M. Ramirez trainee was third in the $300,000 In Reality at Gulfstream on November 29, the mile-and-a-sixteenth leg in the male division of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes.
Roger That Dana is out of Take Me to Zuber, by Toccet and was bred in Florida by Ocala Stud.
An $85,000 purchase by Sean S. Perl Bloodstock at last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Sale where he was consigned by Ocala Stud, Roger That Dana has earned $103,200 in his three starts.
Rojas will again have the assignment on Roger That Dana and they have drawn post three.
Redland Rebels switches to the main track after making his last two starts on the Gulfstream Park turf.
The gelded son of Uncle Mo won his second career start and first on the grass against open special weight maidens going a mile on August 3 then made his stakes debut on January 31 in the $155,000 Kitten’s Joy on the turf. He led for the first eight furlongs in the mile-and-sixteenth test but lost by a neck after an extended bout with winner Thousandsticks.
Trained by Patrick Biancone, Redland Rebels has earned $87,000 in his three starts. He is out of Kombat Cat, by Wildcat Heir and was bred in Florida by Hickstead Farm.
Mark O’Brien paid $25,000 for Redland Rebels as an agent for Calypso Stables at the 2024 OBS October Yearling Sale where he was consigned by Richard Kent’s Kaizen Sales.
Redland Rebels gets jockey Junior Alvarado for the first time and they will depart post one.
Among the top contenders are Further Ado, a winner of his last two who makes his first start as a sophomore. Trained by Brad Cox for Spendthrift Farm, Further Ado won a mile-and-a-sixteenth maiden special weight at Keeneland in his third try in October then in last race, took the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at the same distance at Churchill Downs on November 29.
By Gun Runner and an earner of $320,703 in four starts, Further Ado will be ridden from post six by Irad Ortiz Jr.
Chad Brown will saddle Canaletto, an eight-length winner of a one-mile maiden special weight at Gulfstream on January 25 in his only start.
Canaletto will be ridden from the outside post nine by Flavien Prat.
Others set for the Tampa Bay Derby are Talkin with jockey Joel Rosario, Jareth Loveberry has the call on Hulkamania, Powershift will be ridden by John Velazquez, Samuel Marin will take the reins on Thunder Buck and The Puma with Javier Castellano up.
Return to the March 5 issue of Wire to Wire
