After shipping in to win the Pasco on January 12, Dynamic Sky will return to
Tampa Bay Downs in pursuit of the Grade 3, $250,000
Sam F. Davis
Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile test is one of three graded events on Saturday’s
lucrative 12-race Festival Preview Day card and serves as a precursor to the
Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 9, with all roads subsequently leading to the
Kentucky Derby on May 4.
Dynamic Sky figured to be a solid favorite in his own right, but his price
will be even lower due to the fact that’s he coupled with promising maiden
winner Northern Lion. Both colts are owned by John Oxley and hail from the barn
of trainer Mark Casse. Oxley and Casse teamed to win both the Pasco and Grade 2
Tampa Bay Derby last year with Prospective, who also finished second in the Sam
F. Davis.
Dynamic Sky will seek his third stakes victory from six lifetime starts. He
won the Simcoe on Woodbine’s Polytrack last September and followed it with a
respectable runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity on Keeneland’s
Polytrack. The son of Sky Mesa concluded his two-year-old campaign with a sixth
in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. Luis Contreras, who has been up in
all five previous starts, retains the mount.
Northern Lion placed in his first two starts before breaking through with a
smart 5 1/2-length score over maiden special weight rivals at Gulfstream Park on
December 22. The speedy son of Lion Heart was making his first start at two
turns that afternoon and figures to add to the early pace with
regular rider Patrick Husbands.
Among Dynamic Sky’s opponents in the Davis will be a pair of familiar faces,
Speak Logistics and Divine Ambition.
Stakes winner Speak Logistics also shipped west for the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile and reported home one spot behind Dynamic Sky in seventh. He will make
his three-year-old debut Saturday for trainer Edward Plesa Jr., winner of last
week’s Grade 3 Holy Bull with exciting Kentucky Derby prospect Itsmyluckyday.
Leading Tampa Bay Downs jockey Angel Serpa will ride Speak Logistics.
Divine Ambition, who is trained by Darrin Miller, ran a strong third in the
Pasco in only his second career start. An easy debut winner at Turfway Park on
September 21, the bay colt finished only 2 1/4 lengths behind Dynamic Sky in his
first start against winners and will retain the services of jockey Willie
Martinez.
My Name Is Michael, who was last seen finishing second in the December 1
Display at Woodbine, has been transferred to the barn of Hall of Famer Bill Mott
and will launch his three-year-old season Saturday. Jockey Joel Rosario will be
in to ride the intriguing colt. Falling Sky exits a good-looking allowance score
at Gulfstream on December 15 and was flattered when the runner-up, Majestic
Hussar, came right back to win his next start impressively. Falling Sky is also
making his first start for a new conditioner, John Terranova, but he will keep
jockey Luis Saez in the saddle.
Festival Preview Day marks the first time in the 87-year history of Tampa Bay
Downs three graded stakes will be contested on one day. The Grade 3, $150,000
Florida
Oaks for three-year-old fillies and the Grade 3, $150,000
Endeavour
Stakes for older fillies and mares will both be run on the turf course. Each
race will feature 12 runners at 1 1/16 miles.
In the Florida Oaks, favoritism may fall to Kitten’s Dumplings, who won the
La Senorita Stakes on the turf at Retama Park two starts back. The sophomore
filly is trained by Michael Maker and will be ridden by Serpa. Other capable
entrants include the Tapicat, who exits maiden and allowance tallies on the turf
at Gulfstream for Mott; the Chad Brown-trained Wave Theory, who finished second
against a solid cast in the January 1 Ginger Brew; and unbeaten Rusty Slipper,
who has won both of her career starts on the Tampa turf for trainer Graham
Motion.
Brown sent out eventual female turf champion Zagora to win the 2012 Endeavour
and has entered both Dealbata and Pianist in this year’s edition. The Irish-bred
Dealbata has finished first or second in seven of her eight lifetime starts,
most recently taking second in the Grade 3 Nobel Damsel at Belmont last
September. Stakes winner Pianist will make her first start since a fourth as the
odds-on favorite in the November 21 Stardusk at Aqueduct.
Multiple Brazilian Group 1 heroine Old Tune is slated to make her U.S. bow
for Todd Pletcher in the Endeavour and Awesome Belle will look to extend her
four-race stakes winning streak for trainer Stanley Gold.
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