Tampa Bay Downs

Trainer Todd Pletcher has accepted a seven-day suspension imposed by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit after a horse from his barn tested positive for betamethasone. "After learning of the allegation, Todd conducted an internal investigation and discovered he and his team followed all timelines and protocols as laid out by HISA," Pletcher's attorney Drew Mollica said. "Despite this fact, the test seems to show a trace amount was discovered in the system of the horse, and rather than litigate, Todd made the prudent choice to accept the penalty and...

6th-Tampa Bay Downs, $32,000, Msw, 3-1, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.16, ft, 3 1/4 lengths. VALENTINIAN (c, 3, Into Mischief--Rachel's Valentina {GISW, $738,800}, by Bernardini) came into this race as not only the most expensive, but arguably one of the best bred, and he ran to the billing as he broke his maiden at first-asking. Rating comfortably from off the pace, he stepped up to push the issue passing the five-sixteenths marker and was in control by the quarter pole. Kicking away when asked for more in the lane, he sailed...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Kingman's Ocean Mermaid at Tampa Bay Downs. Tampa Win Boosts Ocean Mermaid's Sale Charm Stonestreet Stables' Ocean Mermaid (GB) (Kingman {GB}) ran second in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes on debut in May of 2023 to subsequent G2 Queen Mary Stakes heroine Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), and graduated in her fifth lifetime start at Tampa Bay Downs for Josie Carroll this past week...

A Florida-based veterinarian has found herself in the crosshairs of a state law barring her from obtaining a license issued by the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) having already been employed by the agency within the prior two-year period--a rule that has some industry stakeholders scratching their heads at a time when many jurisdictions are already struggling to find enough regulatory and practicing veterinarians, including in Florida. "I have no job right now because I came down here to take that job and moved over to Tampa," said veterinarian Christine...

8th-SA, 60K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 7:02 p.m. Drawn side by side are a pair of Baffert stablemates led by $700,000 KEESEP grad VOLDEMORT (Good Magic) who counts MGISW and late leading sire Pioneerof the Nile (Empire Maker) as an extended family member. The Triple Crown-nominated colt comes in off an extended work tab including a last-out four furlong drill in :47 2/5 (11/87). He draws inside of Tiz Secure (Maximum Security), a Watson/Weitman homebred out of MGISW Tough Tiz's Sis who has already produced GSW/GISP Tiz Midnight, herself responsible for...

A power outage right before the sixth race Sunday afternoon forced Tampa Bay Downs to cancel the remainder of their card while Aqueduct pre-emptively abandoned the Monday fixture in advance of forecasted high winds. The first reported issues Sunday at Tampa Bay Downs occurred shortly before the start of the sixth race when the power went off as the horses were behind the gate. That contest was cancelled, according to a series of tweets from the official X account, about an hour later but the remaining races were still scheduled...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Hello Youmzain's Lying By Omission at Tampa Bay Downs. Hello Youmzain Filly Stars At Tampa It was a Chad Brown-trained one-two in the 10th race at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 8, with Lying By Omission (Ire) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) besting Portfolio Duration (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) (video). The €65,000 Arqana October yearling purchase was bred by Skymarc Farm. She was bought...

3rd-Tampa Bay Downs, $32,000, Msw, 2-14, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:22.97, ft, 4 lengths. FONDLY (f, 3, Upstart--Lifetime Memory, by Istan), who made her debut with Lasix and as a 7-1 shot here, tracked just behind the leaders from the rail up the backstretch. The filly looked like a loaded pistol heading into the far turn, but she nearly clipped the heels of pacesetter Sunset Express (Khozan), which forced her to steady. Unwilling to sign off, Fondly spun to the three path for the drive down the lane, collared the frontrunners...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Gearing up for a potential debut run at Saratoga last summer, She's a Gemma (f, 3, Nyquist--Florida Fabulous, by High Cotton) posted seven workouts for Hall of Famer Bill Mott at Belmont Park in the spring. "When she got to Belmont, (Mott) told us--and you don't get a whole lot out of him--that she was one of the nicest 2-year-olds in his barn there," said CJ Johnsen,...

3rd-TAM, $53K, Msw, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:50 p.m. ET. MEURSAULT (Tapit) is set for her first start under the care of trainer Chad Brown for Alpha Delta. A $700,000 Keeneland September buy, the filly is out of unraced Lasy W (War Front), who claims one other foal--a yearling filly by Quality Road. The first-time starter's second dam, GI Acorn Stakes heroine Zaftig (Gone West), is also responsible for MGSP Spinoff (Hard Spun). Joining Meursault at the barrier is homebred Smoothly (Nyquist). Godolphin also campaigned her dam Via Strata (Street Cry...

In his debut and in his lone start prior to showing up last week in a maiden special weight race at Aqueduct, Colloquial (Vekoma) showed that he was a horse with potential. Though he lost, by a nose, the winner was Mentee (City of Light), a full-brother to Eclipse Award winner Fierceness (City of Light). And the final time of :56.97 established a new track record at Aqueduct, eclipsing the mark set 61 years earlier. But few could have expected what Colloquial, who is trained by George Weaver, would do...

Reverting to front-running tactics for the first time since winning her maiden in impressive fashion at Saratoga last August, Tracy Farmer homebred La Cara made every pole a winning one in Saturday's Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, besting favored Her Laugh, who lost her race at the break but ran on courageously in the final stages. As opposed to Her Laugh, who was playing up in stall six and missed the kick by a good four lengths, La Cara hit the ground running and took the field into the...