SUPER SAVER HEADLINES TAMPA BAY DERBY

Penelope P. Miller
Tampa Bay Downs

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Saturday, March 13 is Festival Day at Tampa Bay Downs, featuring the Grade III $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby, the Grade III $175,000 Florida Oaks, the Grade III $150,000 Hillsborough Stakes and the $75,000 Turf Dash.

Headlining the field for the Tampa Bay Derby is Super Saver, a three-year-old Maria’s Mon colt bred by owner WinStar Farm and conditioned by Todd Pletcher. Super Saver won the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Gold Cup by five lengths in his last start at the 1 1/16 miles Tampa Bay Derby distance. He will have the services of jockey Ramon Dominguez, who is approaching his 4,000th win.

Also entered in the Uptowncharlybrown, a Limehouse colt under the care of trainer Alan Seewald for owners Fantasy Lane Stable.  Uptowncharlybrown won his first two starts by a combined 15 lengths; in his third and most recent start, Uptowncharlybrown was a fast-closing third in February’s Grade III Sam F. Davis Stakes. Jockey Daniel Centeno, who has piloted the colt in all of his races, will have the return call to ride, and the colt will be adding blinkers for the first time in the Tampa Bay Derby.

Odysseus comes into the Tampa Bay Derby following a very impressive allowance win here by fifteen lengths in his last start, running the 1 1/16 miles just ticks off of the then-track record. The Malibu Moon colt carries the colors of Satish Sanan’s Padua Stables and is trained by Tom Albertrani, and will have the services of his regular rider Rajiv Maragh.

The Grade III $175,000 Florida Oaks, a 1 1/16 mile main track test for fillies three years old, features She Be Wild, who in her last start of 2009 captured the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. The millionaire daughter of Oflee Wild, who is owned by Nancy Mazzoni, trained by Wayne Catalano, has won four of her six career starts and has finished out of the money only once in her career. This will be her second race after a layoff and She Be Wild will have the services of jockey Jose Lezcano, a former member of the Tampa Bay Downs rider colony, as her reinsman.

Diva Delite has taken the Oldsmar oval by storm for the 2010 season, both the $65,000 Gasparilla Stakes here in January as well as the $75,000 Suncoast Stakes here on Festival Preview Day, going 1 mile 40 yards over the main track for owners Barbara Vivian and Dominic Vittese and trainer David Vivian. In her 14 lifetime starts, Diva Delite has finished out of the money only once, and is so far undefeated for her three race 2010 campaign. Jockey Rosemary Homeister, Jr., who guided the Repent filly to her last two victories, has been named to ride Dive Delite.

Cuff Me comes into the Florida Oaks with a three-for-four win record. She won the first three races of her career by a combined 21 ½ lengths, and third in her last start in the Grade III Old Hat at Gulfstream by only 3 ¾ lengths. The Officer filly is owned by Michael Dubb, Grant Stuart and Bethlehem Stable, trained by Anthony Dutrow, and will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux.

The Grade III Hillsborough Stakes has attracted the attention of eleven older fillies and mares; among them Mushka, a millionaire five-year-old Empire Maker mare under the care of William Mott for owner Brushwood Stable. Mushka was second in the 2009 edition of the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, and missed last year’s edition of the Hillsborough Stakes by only 2 ½ lengths. Mushka will have the services of jockey Kent Desormeaux, who has piloted her in her last four starts.

Lady Shakespeare, a four-year-old Theatrical mare, has finished in the money in seven of her nine career starts. The Roger Attfield trainee was most recently second in the Mashua’s River Stakes at Gulfstream Park by only a head in her last start, and looks for her first Graded stakes win in the Hillsborough Stakes.

Also scheduled to go postward in the Hillsborough Stakes is Cure For Sale, a six-year-old Arentina-bred daughter of Not For Sale owned by Meritage Holdings and trained by Raja Malek. Cure For Sale was second in February’s Grade III Endeavour Stakes here; in her 18 lifetime starts, she has finished in the money 10 times.

The $75,000 Turf Dash, a five-furlong sprint for older horses running on the lawn, has drawn an interesting headliner with Musket Man. The four-year-old Yonaguska colt was the victor in last year’s Tampa Bay Derby, and third in the 2009 runnings of both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He will be trying the grass for the first time in the Turf Dash for owners Eric Fein and Vic Carlson and trainer Derek Ryan.

Turfiste, a four-year-old  Military colt under the care of trainer Tim Glyshaw for owner Walts David Stable, comes into the Turf Dash after missing the Colonel Power Stakes on February 10 at the Fairgrounds by only 5 ¾ lengths. In September of 2009, Turfiste was third in the Grade III Kentucky Cup Sprint at Turfway Park.

Hold the Salt, an eight-year-old gelded son of Salt Lake owned and trained by James Dodgen,  is a turf specialist, having finished in the money in 10 of his 13 attempts on the lawn. Of his three starts at the five furlong distance on the Tampa turf, Hold the Salt has won twice.