'Brody' Returns in Loaded Derby Prep

Last term's GI Breeders' Futurity winner Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway) makes his highly anticipated return to the races Saturday in a competitive renewal of the GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. Graduating at second asking over the Churchill main last September after a failed turf debut, the Albaugh Family Stable runner came flying late to deny Exaggerator (Curlin) in a muddy renewal of Keeneland's Breeders' Futurity Oct. 3. Producing a strong late rally to finish a game third behind undefeated champion Nyquist (Uncle Mo) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Oct. 31, the bay has been working well towards this return, including a half-mile breeze at Tampa in :48.40 Mar. 6. With several speedy rivals signed on here, the race should set up perfectly for this colt's late-running style.

“Tampa Bay Downs is a good racetrack, and we shipped him a little early because it's a little different than the places he's been training and I thought it would be good for him to get some miles over it before he runs,” trainer Dale Romans told the Tampa notes team. “Hopefully he will come running Saturday, get past all of them and have a nice gallop-out, to Kentucky [for the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 9].”

Todd Pletcher has two strong chances to score his third win in this event in the past four years, having won the 2013 edition with Verrazano (More Than Ready) and the 2015 renewal with Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway). Repole Stable homebred Outwork (Uncle Mo) jumps up the class ladder here for the seven-time Eclipse winner. The first runner and first winner for last year's top freshman sire at Keeneland Apr. 23, the bay was subsequently sidelined and returned a winner sprinting over this strip Feb. 13. Hall of Famer John Velazquez gets off GIII Sam F. Davis S. winner Destin (Giant's Causeway) to retain the mount on Outwork. Eclipse winner Javier Castellano takes over the controls on Twin Creeks Racing Stable's Destin, a full-brother to GISW Creative Cause. Fourth in the GIII LeComte S. Jan. 16, the gray was much improved when scoring a 2 1/4-length victory over the reopposing Rafting (Tapit) and Morning Fire (Friesian Fire) in the local prep for this test Feb. 13.

Jacks or Better Farm's speedy Awesome Banner (Awesome of Course) is the expected pacesetter here. A track-record setting debut winner at Gulfstream June 5, the Stanley Gold pupil easily out-footed his rivals in both the GIII Hutcheson S. Jan. 2 and GII Swale S. Jan. 30. He finished a well-beaten fifth behind the undefeated Mohaymen (Tapit) when attempting two turns for the first time in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Feb. 27. Swale runner-up Economic Model (Flatter) gets his first try routing here for trainer Chad Brown. The Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence colorbearer gave his conditioner enough confidence in his first-out success at Saratoga Aug. 8 to send him directly to the Swale off that lengthy layoff.

Two other runners of interest here, Riker (Include) and Tale of S'avall (Tale of Ekati), are both returning off of long layoffs. Winner of his first four starts over the Woodbine synthetic, including the GIII Grey S., Riker suffered his first defeat when sixth in his attempt on dirt in the Breeders' Cup. Privately purchased from Tucci Stable by Gary Barber and Team Valor, the dark bay was transferred from Nicholas Gonzalez to Mark Casse and make his first start for those new connections here. Tabbed a “TDN Rising Star” off an impressive victory in his Saratoga unveiling, Charles Fipke homebred Tale of S'avall tired to fifth after setting the early pace in a sloppy renewal of the GI Champagne S. Oct. 3.