BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. only had to give a shake of the reins to cue Tessellate to an easy four-and-a-half-length victory in the $98,000 Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Filles, one of six stakes for Florida-breds in the 23rd edition of the Florida Cup at Tampa Bay Downs Sunday. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Tessellate was the best of five 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs.
Flowko set the early fractions, clicking off the first quarter mile in :22.27 and the half mile in :45.40 as Tessellate raced comfortably in third two lengths back. The bay daughter of McKinzie rolled to front on her own at the top of the stretch then shot away from her rivals when Ortiz gave her a subtle prompt with a shake of the wrist a furlong out. Tessellate finished in 1:23.09 on the fast track with La Chismosa taking over second by a length ahead of Flowko in third. Emerald Ember was fourth with Questnbled’cisions last. Nasti Z and Unfaithful Rose were scratched.
“I waited a bit longer because there was nobody around me. Then I moved by the horses in front without using too much. Then I squeezed her a little bit and the horse took it away from there and ultimately gave me a good kick,” Ortiz said.
Tessellate paid $2.60 to win and earned $60,000 for Magic Cap Stables, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch, breeders Tim and Crystal O’Donohue’s Castle Gate Farm, BAG Racing Stables, John Reinhardt and Turf Express Racing.
She is undefeated in two seven-furlong starts, both in stakes, at Tampa Bay Downs having won the $120,000 Gasparilla by nearly three lengths on January 10. A winner of the $75,000 Juvenile Sprint going six-and-a-half furlongs at Gulfstream in November, Tessellate was most recently sixth in the Grade 3 Forward Gal won by On Time Girl at Gulfstream three weeks after the Gasparilla.
“That was a big effort from her. I thought she ran very well today, and obviously, she likes Tampa,” Joseph said. “Irad [Ortiz] gave her a good trip. She sat in the back and then she really quickened nicely at the end. It’s nice to get her another stake on her resume.”
Her career record reflects four wins in seven starts, six in stakes company, with a second and a third and earnings of $231,510. Joseph paid $170,000 for Tessellate as yearling at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She is the third foal out of the winning Trappe Shot mare Shotdowninflames, who Tim O’Donohue bought for $50,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and raced in the name of his Castel Gate Farm.
Shotdowninflames has five foals and two winners from three starters with Tessellate her only black-type performer. She has a 2-year-old filly, Whole Lotta Rosie, by Ocala Stud stallion Roadster that sold for $80,000 at last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale. Shotdowninflames also has a unnamed yearling full brother to Tessellate and was bred to Jack Christoper in 2025.
