Penelope Miller
Tampa Bay Downs

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Eleven fillies and mares are set to go postward in Saturday’s running of the $65,000 Minaret Stakes, a six furlong main track test for fillies and mares four years old and up.

Headlining the Minaret is Gemswick Park, a Graded stakes winner of over $230,000 who missed winning the Ruling Angel Stakes at Woodbine Race Track by only two lengths in her last start. The four-year-old Speightstown filly is coming off of a two month layoff; however, she captured the Grade 3 Old Hat Stakes this January after a similar break.

Lady Alexander finished second by a neck in her last start in the Garland of Roses Stakes at Aqueduct; the multiple stakes winning Exchange Rate filly recorded a bullet workout over the Oldsmar oval surface on Dec. 30, and has finished in the money in eight out of her ten lifetime starts. Rock Candy will make her second start of the Tampa Bay Downs season in the Minaret. The William Farish homebred captured two stakes races here in her three-year-old campaign and comes off of a fast-closing third-place finish in the Minaret Prep on Dec. 12. The Mineshaft filly has never finished out of the money over the Tampa Bay Downs main track and looks to be a factor in the Minaret Stakes.

Tampa Bay Downs’s staff and management would like to wish everyone a safe and happy New Year. Racing resumes Saturday, Jan. 2 with an eleven race card.