McCraken Begins Derby Trail at Tampa

Whitham Thoroughbreds' 'TDN Rising Star' McCraken (Ghostzapper) capped a perfect three-for-three juvenile campaign with a score in the Nov. 26 GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Downs, and the bay returned to the worktab less than three weeks later at trainer Ian Wilkes' winter base at Palm Meadows Training Center. McCraken has trained steadily over the past two months and kicks off his road to the GI Kentucky Derby in Saturday's GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs. The Davis is a newly minted Derby qualifying points race, with the winner receiving 10 points towards a spot in the starting gate. With that in mind, Wilkes said he hopes to use the race as a stepping stone towards his ultimate goal.

“As long as we get a good race and are moving forward, that's the important thing,” Wilkes said in an interview with the Tampa Bay Downs media team. “The Kentucky Derby is where I want to have him at 110 percent. Is he 110 percent now? No, but he's ready to run, he's doing well and I'm happy with him.”

The Davis will be McCraken's first start away from Churchill Downs, and if he proves to need the race, locally based No Dozing (Union Rags) may have the best shot to pull off an upset. Conditioned by Arnaud Delacour for Lael Stables, the homebred endured two wide-the-whole-way trips when fourth behind juvenile champion Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity Oct. 8 and second in the wake of 'Rising Star' Mo Town (Uncle Mo) in the GII Remsen S. Nov. 26. No Dozing has been working at Tampa on a weekly basis ahead of his sophomore debut and again must find a way to save ground after drawing post nine for the third consecutive race.

“I think it always helps [to race at your home track], not especially to work on the track, but to be familiar with the scenery,” Delacour said. “You're paddock-schooled, you're there every day and you don't have to ship, so there is a little bit of a stress factor that is more controllable.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Sam F. Davis six times, most recently capturing the 2016 renewal with subsequent GII Tampa Bay Derby winner and GI Belmont S. runner-up Destin (Giant's Causeway). Pletcher has two chances to add to that total Saturday, including unbeaten Dec. 10 Smooth Air S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Fact Finding (The Factor), who carries the colors of Stonestreet Stables and the Coolmore partners. The gray was entered in last Saturday's GII Lambholm South Holy Bull S. and subsequently scratched in favor of this spot.

Stablemate Tapwrit (Tapit) was acquired for $1.2 million by the partnership of Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Robert La Penta as a FTSAUG yearling, and took a step toward delivering on his potential with a win in the off-the-turf Pulpit S. Dec. 10 at Gulfstream. Although the colt completed the mile over a sloppy strip in a time three-fifths of a second slower than Fact Finding that day, both Pletcher trainees were awarded a Beyer Speed Figure of 78. Unlike Fact Finding, Tapwrit brings prior two-turn experience to the Davis, having annexed a one-mile maiden heat at Gulfstream Park West in November.

The presence of locally based Chance of Luck (Skipshot) and Breeders' Futurity third-place finisher Wild Shot (Trappe Shot) should ensure an honest pace in the race. The latter was last seen putting away his pace rivals and holding on to check in a good second behind McCraken in the Kentucky Jockey Club, while the former adds blinkers after notching a win in Tampa's six-panel Inaugural S. Dec. 3 prior to a runner-up effort in the seven-furlong Pasco S. Jan. 21. Six Gun Salute (Colonel John) was a non-threatening fifth in the Pasco and stretches back out to a route of ground for trainer Eoin Harty.

The Mark Casse stable will be represented by a pair of Ontario-breds in recent Mucho Macho Man S. runner-up State of Honor (To Honor and Serve) and two-time stakes winner King and His Court (Court Vision), who will make his first start over conventional dirt Saturday.