Tampa Bay Downs

Favored at 9-5 while making her return to stakes company in Saturday's Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs, Breeze Easy's Curlin's Catch (Curlin) split horses decisively at the entrance to the home stretch and powered clear to score by daylight. Beaten for speed in a scratched-down field of seven, the Ontario-bred raced slightly worse than midfield through the opening stages with a couple of rivals behind. Ridden quietly down the backstretch, she caught the eye when rallying between rivals three furlongs out, took an inside path into the lane and...

Albaugh Family Stables' Smiley Sobotka (Brody's Cause), last seen finishing second behind Keepmeinmind (Laoban) in the Nov. 28 GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., makes his sophomore debut in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs Saturday. The chestnut colt tuned up for his return to the races with a four-furlong drill in :46.81 (2/118) at Gulfstream Park last Saturday. Michael Shanley's Nova Rags (Union Rags) makes a return trip to Tampa following his win in the seven-furlong Pasco S. last time out Jan. 16. The...

6th-Tampa Bay Downs, $21,500, Msw, 1-31, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:37.04, fm, 5 3/4 lengths. GOLDEN PLUME (f, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}--Nebraska Tornado {MG1SW-Fr, G1SP-Eng, $655,044}, by Storm Cat) sat the trip and kicked away in the stretch for a promising first appearance. Pounded down to 3-5 favoritism, the homebred grabbed a spot in third at the fence as a longshot sped far clear. She advanced willingly and in hand as the frontrunner started to tire heading for home, seized the lead at the top of the lane with no resistance...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency BROWN UNVEILS PRICEY KINGMAN COLT 5th-TAM, $22.5K, Msw, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m,T 2:44p.m. Chad Brown unveils another expensive European import for Peter Brant in ST. JOE LOUIS (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a 500,000gns TATOCT acquisition. His second dam is SW Miss Pinkerton (GB) (Danehill), who is the dam of GSW Precious Ramotswe (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). This is also the family of European Highweight and MG1SW Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}). TJCIS PPs   JUDDMONTE BLUEBLOOD DEBUTS AT TAMPA 6th-TAM, $22.5K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 3:15p.m. Juddmonte...

Tampa Bay Downs horsemen and horsewomen will benefit from another increase in purse money beginning Wednesday. The approximate 10% boost will provide a $1,000 increase for all maiden special weight, allowance, claiming and starter races. Peter Berube, the track's Vice President-General Manager, said a double-digit gain in simulcast wagering has more than offset a decline in on-track wagering, making the second increase of the 2020-2021 meeting possible. The track had raised purses by approximately 10% Dec. 16. Tampa Bay Downs is averaging $4.1-million in daily handle on its product, a...

Owner/trainer Kerri Raven, based at Tampa Bay Downs this winter with a string of 10 horses, went to the OBS Winter Mixed Sale Tuesday with the expectation of possibly buying a horse out of the auction's racing age section. The Ontario native returned to Tampa Wednesday with three horses, including the $150,000 session topper Bear Brian (Tiznow) (hip 368). "I just came up to see the horses of racing age, but I didn't really have a plan," Raven said on the road back to Tampa Wednesday afternoon. "We brought the...

Tampa Bay Downs is offering limited general admission for its upcoming Festival Preview Day 41 Presented by Lambholm South. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Florida track will limit the number of spectators on the day to 2,500. Tickets are available online at www.tampabaydowns.com. To be held Feb. 6, the Festival Preview Day card will feature the GIII Sam F. Davis S. and the Suncoast S. Horsemen, box-seat holders and season-ticket holders do not need to purchase tickets, but will need to present their passes at the gate.

BLACK MAGIC WOMAN, 1-7-21 winner at Gulfstream. Dam: DAZZLING SONG. BLACK MAGIC WOMAN is a 1968 song which became a world-famous hit in a 1970 Santana arrangement, even if it was a Fleetwood Mac number originally. 6th-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 1-7, 4yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:36.42, ft, 3 3/4 lengths. BLACK MAGIC WOMAN (f, 4, Uncle Mo--Dazzling Song, by Unbridled's Song). Lifetime Record: 4-1-0-2, $41,360. O-Bass Stables, LLC; B-Ramona S. Bass, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. HYPOTHETICAL, 1-7-21 winner at Meydan. Dam: PEUT ETRE, French for 'perhaps', 'probably' (literally: 'it may be,'...

7th-Tampa Bay Downs, $21,600, Msw, 1-8, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:35.57, fm, 7 1/4 lengths. PRINCIPLED STAND (GB) (c, 4, Kingman {GB}--Toujours L'Amour {GB} {SW-Eng}, by Authorized {Ire}), given a 7-2 chance in this unveiling, was away alertly from the far outside post and went straight to the lead. Zipping through a :22.833 first quarter, the dark bay clocked a half-mile in :47.59 and turned for home on a clear lead. Principled Stand powered away with ease in the lane to don cap and gown by 7 1/4 lengths over Growl Tiger...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency SIX-FIGURE MEDAG COLT MAKES FIRST START AT TAMPA 3rd-TAM, $27.5K, Msw, 2yo, 1m 40yds, 1:12 p.m. Godolphin's NEW DAWN (Medaglia d'Oro), a $600,000 KEESEP buy, will face the starter for the first time Saturday at Tampa. She is out of SW Wait Til Dawn (Giant's Causeway), who is a full-sister to GSW Excited, who in turn is the dam of SW & MGSP Thrilled (Uncle Mo). This is also the family of MGISW Spain (Thunder Gulch). TJCIS PPs   PLETCHER UNVEILS PRICEY 'CHROME' COLT 5th-AQU,...

6th-Tampa Bay Downs, $20,000, Msw, 12-9, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.24, ft, 13 1/4 lengths. WITSEL (c, 2, Nyquist--Bailzee {SP, $152,580}, by Grand Slam), sent off at 5-1 to become the 16th career winner for his GI Kentucky Derby-winning sire (by Uncle Mo), showed good early foot to settle just behind pace setter Thrown For A Loupe (Gemologist), who showed the way through a :22.62 quarter. Scraping the paint while 8-5 choice Equuleus (Maclean's Music) loomed three wide as the leading charged for the quarter-mile pole, Witzel gained the advantage turning for...

Tampa Bay Downs will increase purses for all non-stakes purses by approximately 10% beginning Dec. 16. The increase will be $1,500 for maiden special weight and allowance races and $1,000 for claiming and starter races. "Thanks to the efforts of former [Tampa Bay Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association] President Bob Jeffries and the approval of their board, we were able to build a substantial cushion in the purse account before the current meeting," Tampa Vice President and General Manager Peter Berube said. "Our export [simulcast] business has been strong since...