BY TAMMY A. GANTT
Eight sophomore distaffers including Florida-bred fillies Justamomentplease, Fly Life and Tremont Tammy face unbeaten Zany in the $125,000 Suncoast Stakes going a mile and 40-yards on the main track at Tampa Bay Downs on Festival Preview Day Saturday.
Heavy favorite Zany, the potential-laden daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, is trained by Todd Pletcher.
Zany ran two for two as a 2-year-old and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. The Repole Stable-owned filly broke her maiden by six and a half lengths Nov. 2 at Gulfstream Park, then went north to capture the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes Dec. 6 at Aqueduct at a demanding mile-and-an-eighth distance. She won by six and a half lengths in a time of 1:50.55.
She faces Justamomentplease bred by perennial top Florida breeder Marilyn Campbell’s Stonehedge LLC who raced the homebred to a third-place finish in her first start on Aug. 16 at Monmouth Park before the filly was claimed for $16,000 by trainer Ralph N. Baez for owner Alexis Ruiz-Beltran after winning a maiden claimer at Tampa on Jan. 2.
She won the six-furlong test on dirt by four and three-quarters lengths after shaking the field at the eighth pole. In her last workout from the gate on Jan. 29, she ranked three of 20 works, going four furlongs finishing in 48.80. The question mark is her lengthy time between races and works making her a 30-1 longshot in the race. The Khozan out of Look At Me Go by Parading filly will be ridden by Gaddiel A. Martinez.
Fly Life comes into the race off a seventh-place finish where she broke well running in second until the three-quarter pole where she was pressed two wide between horses going a mile on the turf on Jan. 8 at Tampa.
The Baoma Corp. bred daughter of Tunwoo out of Mine for Life by Distorted Humor previously had two fourth places finishes in late 2025. She broke her maiden on Sept. 12 at Gulfstream Park finishing a length and a quarter ahead of the second-place finisher covering six furlongs on dirt.
Trained and partially owned by Gerald S. Bennett, she was bought at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Oct. Yearling Sale out of the consignment of Beth Bayer in 2024 for $1,000 and was purchased by Jose Barrera.
She is currently owned by Bennett’s Winning Stables, Inc., Jim Georgeades’s J.P.G. 2 LLC, and Ron Pugliese’s Mr Pug LLC who followed a similar trail with Naughty Rascal last year who is entered in the $125,000 Pelican on the card.
Bridlewood Farm bred Tremont Tammy finished last in her last start on Dec. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs in the Sandpiper, however, she seems primed and ready to bounce back. Consistently working well since her last start, the Maclean’s Music by Southern Girl by Tapit filly posted the fastest work of the day at four furlongs in a time of 47.80 on Jan. 1 at Tampa. On Jan. 21, she worked 50.20 and on Jan. 29 she worked 49.20, ranking six of 20 in the day’s works at four furlongs.
She finished third in the black type Bison Strides Mile on Sept. 6 at Prairie Meadows. She broke her maiden on Aug. 17 at Prairie Meadows after a slow start to finish pulling away by four and a half lengths in a maiden special weight. She is owned by John Ballantyne’s NBS Stable and trained by Jon G. Arnett.
The Suncoast is a “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” points race, awarding 20, 10, 6, 4 and 2 qualifying points to the top five finishers.
Return to the February 6 issue of Wire to Wire
