Comical Gets Class Relief in Suncoast Stakes

After being tested in three consecutive grade 1 races on the West Coast, Comical will take on a field of eight other 3-year-old fillies in the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes Feb. 8 at Tampa Bay Downs.

The mile and 40 yard-test is a Road to the Kentucky Oaks event that offers points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers.

The Suncoast will be the first start for the Steve Asmussen-trained Comical since a seventh-place finish in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at 1 1/16 miles when she was trained by Doug O'Neill for a group headed by NHL player Erik Johnson's ERJ Racing. After the Breeders' Cup, the Into Mischief  filly was sent to The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's breeding stock sale in Kentucky, where she went unsold as part of the ELiTE consignment. The $575,000 RNA now races for WinStar Farms and Lindy Farms as well as Madaket Stables, which was part of the previous group.

Comical won her first two starts at 2, breaking her maiden by six lengths at Santa Anita Park and then taking the Schuylerville Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course. Back on the West Coast, however, she struggled in the six-furlong Sorrento Stakes (G2), finishing last of six.

Then, in the seven-furlong Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) Comical was able to get up for third from the back of the field and later stretched out to 1 1/16 miles in the Chandelier Stakes (G1), where she improved to finish a game second, a neck behind Bast, one of the divisional leaders who had previously romped in the Debutante.

Video: Chandelier S. (G1)

Comical is set to be ridden Joel Rosario from post 5.

Saturday's test also includes Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies ninth-place finisher Two Sixty, trained by Mark Casse for owner Gary Barber. The Florida-bred Uncaptured filly comes into the Suncoast Stakes off a score in the Jan. 18 Gasparilla Stakes at Tampa. Suncoast entrant We the Clouds placed third in that seven-furlong test.

With three wins in seven starts, Two Sixty also won the 1 1/16-mile FTBOA Florida Sire My Dear Girl Stakes in September by 6 1/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park.

Two Sixty will carry the co-top weight of 120 pounds with Tyler Gaffalione aboard from post 3. Godolphin's allowance optional claiming winner Embossed will also carry 120 pounds with Pablo Morales in the saddle.

Others with graded stakes experience include Blame Debbie and Motu. Trained by Graham Motion, Blame Debbie has only made three starts and last placed third in the Dec. 7 Demoiselle Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack. Kenny McPeek-trained Motu was runner-up in the Nov. 30 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs and has not started since. Fellow entrant Turtle Trax placed fifth in the Golden Rod last out.

Entries: Suncoast S.

Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, February 08, 2020, Race 9

• STK
• 1m 40y
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:29 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Lucrezia (KY)	Daniel Centeno	118	Arnaud Delacour	5/1
2	2We the Clouds (KY)	Angel Suarez	118	Timothy E. Hamm	8/1
3	3Two Sixty (FL)	Tyler Gaffalione	120	Mark E. Casse	6/1
4	4Motu (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Kenneth G. McPeek	7/2
5	5Comical (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	Steven M. Asmussen	3/1
6	6Miss Important (KY)	Willie Martinez	118	Kenneth G. McPeek	30/1
7	7Blame Debbie (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	H. Graham Motion	9/2
8	8Turtle Trax (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Ian R. Wilkes	12/1
9	9Embossed (KY)	Pablo Morales	120	Michael Stidham	10/1