Chance It Sets Sights on Tampa Bay Derby

One week after he was scratched from the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), Shooting Star Thoroughbreds' Chance It will attempt to catapult onto the Triple Crown trail by way of the $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) March 7 at Tampa Bay Downs. 

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., the Florida-bred son of Currency Swap enters the race off a win in the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park, where he defeated fellow Tampa Bay Derby runner Sole Volante. Chance It was expected to make his second start of the season in the Fountain of Youth, but the colt was scratched after drawing post 12. 

"We thought about it long and hard," Joseph said. "It's a tough post to overcome. I've never had a horse like this. I want to respect him and do what's right. I want to give him a fair chance."

The only Florida-bred set to contest the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Derby, Chance It drew post 4 in the 12-horse field during the March 4 draw. Jockey Paco Lopez has the call. 

With one Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) prospect already in Fountain of Youth winner Ete Indien, trainer Patrick Biancone will send out Sole Volante in the Tampa Bay Derby. 

The last-out winner of the Feb. 8 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay, Sole Volante ranks 18th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 10 points. Owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Andie Biancone, and Limelight Stables, the gelded son of Karakontie  last worked Feb. 26 at Palm Meadows Training Center, where he breezed a bullet seven furlongs in 1:23. 

Sole Volante will leave post 7 under Florent Geroux. Jockey Luca Panici, who guided the gelding in the Sam Davis, was sidelined Feb. 21 after fracturing his collarbone during a spill at Gulfstream. 

The Tampa Bay Derby awards 50-20-10-5 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby to the first four finishers. 

Also hoping to add much-needed points to his Derby tally is Louisiana-bred Relentless Dancer. Owned by Paradise Farms, Terry Raymond, and Jana Wagner and trained by Mike Maker, the Midshipman  colt finished fourth last out in the Feb. 1 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream, earning one qualifying point. 

Relentless Dancer earned black type at 2 when he took the Louisiana Legacy Stakes by an eye-popping 10 1/2 lengths at Delta Downs. The colt will depart post 3 under Antonio Gallardo. 

Also from the Maker barn is Mo Mosa, an Uncle Mo  homebred colt for Perry and Denise Martin. One of the least experienced runners in Saturday's field, Mo Mosa broke his maiden on third asking Feb. 13 at Turfway Park by 5 3/4 lengths. 

Pablo Morales has the call from post 6. 

Todd Pletcher will send out three in the Tampa Bay Derby: Texas Swing, Market Analysis, and Unrighteous.

Texas Swing will take the rail trip under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano. Owned by Harrell Ventures, the Curlin  colt is a recent maiden winner. He wired the field in a one-mile, 40-yard special weight test Feb. 8 at Tampa Bay. 

Leaving post 5 is Market Analysis, who races for the partnership of China Horse Club and WinStar Farm. By Honor Code , Market Analysis broke his maiden Jan. 25 at Gulfstream and most recently worked a bullet four furlongs in :47.97 Feb. 29 at Palm Beach Downs, the fastest of 21 at the distance. John Velazquez will be in the irons. 

Unrighteous, Calumet Farm's homebred son of Violence , has been unsuccessful in two maiden attempts and will leave post 9 under Joe Bravo. 

Spa City, Letmeno, Bye Bye Melvin, King Guillermo, and Tons of Gold complete the field. 

Undefeated New York Groove Attempts to Stay Perfect in Florida Oaks

The $200,000 Florida Oaks (G3T) has drawn a field of 12 sophomore fillies to Tampa Bay for the 1 1/16-mile race Saturday, highlighted by undefeated 3-year-old New York Groove, who has yet to make her 2020 debut. 

A daughter of Verrazano, New York Groove won all four of her starts at 2, including the Presque Isle Debutante Stakes at Presque Isle Downs and the Glorious Song Stakes at Woodbine. All of her wins have come on synthetic surfaces.

New York Groove, owned by Commonwealth New Era Racing, Madaket Stables, and Wonder Stables, will leave post 2 under Gallardo. 

The highweight in the Oaks will be Godolphin's homebred Micheline, who enters off a second-place finish in the Feb. 1 Sweetest Chant Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream. A daughter of the multiple grade 1-winning Include mare Panty Raid, the Bernardini  filly is trained by Michael Stidham and first tested her mettle against open company at 2 when she finished off the board in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. Switched to the turf next out for the Chelsey Flower Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, the filly again finished off the board before finally bouncing back to win an allowance optional claiming race at Tampa to close her juvenile season. 

Micheline will leave the outside post with Lopez in the irons. 

Making her second start stateside for trainer Eddie Kenneally is the Outstrip filly Outburst, who won a Feb. 7 allowance optional claiming race at Tampa Bay. Owned by Marc Detampel, TSF Thoroughbred Racing, and Rebecca Hillen, Outburst broke her maiden in France at 2 before being transferred to Kenneally's barn. Castellano will have the call from post 8. 

The team of owner Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse will send out Ireland-bred Secret Stash, a Mukhadram filly who has not raced since October. After breaking her maiden in Europe, the filly was shipped to North America, where she finished a strong fifth in the Natalma Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine. Samy Camacho has the call from post 10. 

Entries: Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2)

Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, March 07, 2020, Race 11

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo
• 5:32 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Texas Swing (KY)	Javier Castellano	117	Todd A. Pletcher	12/1
2	2Spa City (KY)	Daniel Centeno	117	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	10/1
3	3Relentless Dancer (LA)	Antonio A. Gallardo	117	Michael J. Maker	12/1
4	4Chance It (FL)	Paco Lopez	119	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	5/2
5	5Market Analysis (KY)	John R. Velazquez	117	Todd A. Pletcher	8/1
6	6Mo Mosa (KY)	Pablo Morales	117	Michael J. Maker	30/1
7	7Sole Volante (KY)	Florent Geroux	119	Patrick L. Biancone	2/1
8	8Letmeno (KY)	Chris Landeros	117	Ian R. Wilkes	12/1
9	9Unrighteous (KY)	Joe Bravo	117	Todd A. Pletcher	20/1
10	10Bye Bye Melvin (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	117	H. Graham Motion	20/1
11	11King Guillermo (KY)	Samy Camacho	117	Juan Carlos Avila	15/1
12	12Tons of Gold (KY)	Angel Suarez	117	Alexis Delgado	30/1

Entries: Florida Oaks (G3T)

Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, March 07, 2020, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:55 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Ivyetsu (KY)	Florent Geroux	117	George R. Arnold, II	6/1
2	2New York Groove (KY)	Antonio A. Gallardo	117	Michael J. Trombetta	7/2
3	3Secure Connection (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	117	Claude R. McGaughey III	15/1
4	4Mirabell Mei (KY)	Pablo Morales	117	John P. Terranova II	15/1
5	5Correctness (KY)	Daniel Centeno	117	Arnaud Delacour	20/1
6	6Walk In Marrakesh (IRE)	Joe Bravo	117	Ignacio Correas, IV	3/1
7	7Galileos Ballerina (LA)	Jesus Lopez Castanon	117	Brett A. Brinkman	30/1
8	8Outburst (GB)	Javier Castellano	119	Eddie Kenneally	8/1
9	9How Ironic (KY)	Angel Suarez	117	Victoria H. Oliver	20/1
10	10Secret Stash (IRE)	Samy Camacho	117	Mark E. Casse	8/1
11	11Blame Debbie (KY)	John R. Velazquez	117	H. Graham Motion	12/1
12	12Micheline (KY)	Paco Lopez	121	Michael Stidham	5/1