Ring’ Sparkes and Shines at Tampa

Saturday, Tampa Bay
TAMPA BAY DERBY-GII, $350,000, TAM, 3-8, 3yo, 
1 1/16m, 1:43 3/5, ft. 
1–#@RING WEEKEND, 116, g, 3, by Tapit 
     1st Dam: Free the Magic (MSP), by 
Cryptoclearance 
     2nd Dam: Pompoes (Den), by Belmont 
     3rd Dam: Wilhelmina, by Pall Mall (GB) 
($310,000 yrl ’12 KEESEP). O-St Elias Stable & West 
Point Thoroughbreds; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds 
Ltd (KY); T-H Graham Motion; J-Daniel Centeno. 
$210,000. Lifetime Record: 6-2-1-2, $255,660. 
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* 
2–Vinceremos, 120, c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Kettle’s 
Sister, by More Than Ready. ($140,000 yrl ’12 
KEESEP; $340,000 2yo ‘13 KEEAPR). O-WinStar 
Farm LLC & Twin Creeks Racing Stables LLC; 
B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $70,000. 
3–Surfing U S A, 116, c, 3, Roman Ruler–Cape Hope, 
by Cape Town. ($150,000 yrl ’12 FTKJUL). 
O-Stonestreet Stables & George Bolton; B-Lochlow 
Farm (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $35,000. 
Margins: 3, 3/4, 1. Odds: 14.00, 4.80, 6.40. 
Also Ran: Conquest Titan, Matador, Cousin Stephen, Hy Kodiak Warrior, East Hall, Coltimus Prime, Tuscan Getaway. 
Click for the brisnet.com chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO. 
    West Point Thoroughbred’s Ring Weekend (Tapit) marched home a three length winner in Saturday’s 
GII Tampa Bay Derby to highlight a big day for the Graham Motion barn. The 14-1 chance upset the field in gate-to-wire fashion in just his second career victory. Sent hard from the rail by jockey Daniel Centeno, Ring Weekend lead through splits of :23 3/5 and :46 3/5 and amassed about a six-length advantage heading into the turn. Although he ran a bit greenly in the stretch, he hit the line well ahead of GIII Sam F. Davis winner Vinceremos (Pioneerof the Nile). 
    “Coming out of the inside post I had to get him to start well,” said pilot Daniel Centeno. “But when I got to the first turn, it was like he got mad at me for not letting him run. He wasn’t rank, he was just full of himself and I had to give him his head. I knew I was clear of the field and I didn’t want to get run down and I was able to get him to relax and save something for the stretch. He was looking around getting into the stretch and I was getting concerned, but when he switched leads he just took off again.” 
    Conditioner Graham Motion, whose barn also tallied the GIII Hillsborough S. with Could Scapes (Smart Strike) and completed the GIII Florida Oaks trifecta with Interrupted (Broken Vow), said “I wouldn’t say my confidence was high, but I really thought he was legit. I took him to Saratoga to try to break his maiden, that’s how much I liked him. I think gelding him got his mind on the game. I just left the ride to Daniel, I knew he could take advantage of the post position because the inside was good today and to just make sure he broke well and put him where he is comfortable. I think the others kind of left him alone because they possibly didn’t consider him a legit horse and he got away with it. When the jockey looks behind him that much, you feel like he has a lot left. I could never have anticipated him winning like that.” 
Ring Weekend began his career inconspicuously, but has found his groove as of late. The chestnut was fifth in his debut in an off-the-turfer at the Spa in August. He was third another rained-off maiden special weight at Churchill Sept. 21 and routing over the Keeneland synthetic Oct. 20. Ring Weekend was put on the bench for a few months, but returned to finished second after battling with Diving Oath (Broken Vow) over the Gulfstream turf Jan. 18. He finally got off the mark last time out at Gulfstream Feb. 8. Share this result.