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Cat Call: The Puma A Maiden No More In Tampa Bay Derby Win

| 5:54 pm

By Stefanie Grimm

After hitting the board behind the likes of ‘TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard’ Chief Wallabee (Constitution) on debut and most recently, Renegade (Gun Runner) in the Sam F. Davis Stakes Feb. 7, The Puma (Essential Quality) finally got his day Saturday and earned Derby points to boot with a gutsy win in the GIII ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby.

Given just a 7-1 shot here despite that third over course and distance in the Sam F. Davis, the son from the first crop of Essential Quality broke towards the outside and lacked the early foot to keep up with the pacemakers closer to the rail on the short run into the first turn. Hung out several paths as rail-runner Redland Rebels (Uncle Chuck) was content to lead, The Puma had to settle nearly last with only 99-1 outsider Roger That Dana (Awesome Slew) behind him through the opening quarter in :23.07.

But clearly Javier Castellano, back aboard Saturday after piloting The Puma in his Gulfstream debut Jan. 10, knew what he had under him as he kept the chestnut in the clear up the backstretch and pressed the button just past the half-mile pole to begin a sustained drive to the front.

It was a four-wide calvary charge with less than a quarter-mile to run with Redland Rebels the first to blink on the fence, leaving ‘TDN Rising Stars’ Canaletto (Into Mischief) and Further Ado (Gun Runner) to battle it out with The Puma who came widest of them all.

Canaletto, making just his second start off an impressive eight-length maiden win Jan. 25, was caught in a tight spot between horses and got outrun in the final sixteenth. That left just Further Ado to contest for the win but that runner, coming off a four-month layoff dating back to his win in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in late November, came up a bit short as The Puma had enough late momentum to push past for the win.

Good for 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, The Puma now sits firmly in second with 56 total points on a leaderboard currently topped by Paladin (Gun Runner) with 60.

Pedigree Note:
The Puma, a $150,000 OBS April graduate, is the first graded stakes winner from the first crop of young stallion and two-time Grade I winner Essential Quality.

He is the first foal out of Eve of War, who ran third in the GIII Monmouth Oaks before selling to Hidden Brook Farm for $135,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Mixed Sale as a 4-year-old in 2021. She failed to meet her reserve when last through the ring in 2022 at Keeneland November for $245,000 and has since produced a 2-year-old Charlatan colt named Turon, a yearling Nyquist colt and a newly-reported son of Practical Joke born this year.

 

Saturday, Tampa Bay Downs
ESMARK TAMPA BAY DERBY-GIII, $350,000, Tampa Bay Downs, 3-7, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.23, ft.
1–THE PUMA, 122, c, 3, by Essential Quality
                1st Dam: Eve of War (GSP), by Declaration of War
                2nd Dam: Special Thanks, by Broken Vow
                3rd Dam: Bedanken, by Geri
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($95,000 RNA Ylg ’24 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo ’25 OBSAPR). O-OGMA Investments LLC, JR Ranch and High Step Racing LLC; B-Hidden Brook Farm & Brian Kahn (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado; J-Javier Castellano. $210,000. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-1, $244,280. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Further Ado, 122, c, 3, Gun Runner–Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa. ‘TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard’. ($275,000 Ylg ’24 KEESEP; $550,000 2yo ’25 OBSAPR). O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-John C. Oxley (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $70,000.
3–Canaletto, 122, c, 3, Into Mischief–Distorted Music, by Distorted Humor. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ‘TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard’. ($650,000 Ylg ’24 FTKFEB; $1,000,000 Ylg ’24 FTSAUG). O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter M. Brant and Brook T. Smith; B-Lothenbach Stables Inc (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $35,000.
Margins: 3/4, HD, 2. Odds: 7.40, 2.00, 1.50.
Also Ran: Redland Rebels, Talkin, Powershift, Thunder Buck, Hulkamania, Roger That Dana.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.