Dynamic One, Greatest Honour Return in Challenger
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Dynamic One breezes last summer at Saratoga Race Course
Besides the unknown factor of the two race favorites entering the March 12 $100,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes (G3) from significant layoffs, there's also a graded stakes winner on the grass taking to the dirt and two well-bred allowance winners from respectable barns entering Saturday's 1 1/16-mile contest for older horses at Tampa Bay Downs.
Repole Stable, Phipps Stable, and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One , the morning line favorite for the Challenger, has been away from the races since a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Aug. 28 Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1). The son of Union Rags proved to be a tough contender in the 3-year-old division last year, dropping a head decision to Bourbonic in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2) and defeating the highly touted Miles D and First Captain in landing the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
Dynamic One has been breezing steadily since January at trainer Todd Pletcher's Palm Beach Downs winter base. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount.
Greatest Honour wins the 2021 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park
The other colt coming off the bench this Saturday is second choice Greatest Honour . Trained by Shug McGaughey, the Courtland Farms' runner was painted as one of the early favorites for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) after resounding scores in last year's Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2). After finishing an even third in the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1), he was sidelined for the remainder of his 3-year-old campaign.
Jose Ortiz will be aboard the late-running Tapit colt.
McGaughey's other runner, Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable, and LNJ Foxwoods' Scalding , is one of the few proven entities in the field with a victory over a muddy track, which he accomplished when splashing home to break his maiden Jan. 5 at Gulfstream Park. The Nyquist colt followed up that win with a 5 1/4-length romp over the Tampa Bay oval against first level allowance company Feb. 11.
Charles Fipke's Shirl's Speight is back on the main track after notching back-to-back turf wins at Tampa, including a last out career-best performance when taking down the Feb. 5 Tampa Bay Stakes (G3T). The Roger Attfield trainee has never raced on a muddy track, but was unplaced in two prior efforts on the dirt surface.
On the heels of Speaker's Corner 's impressive tally in the WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2), Godolphin and trainer Bill Mott hope to launch another potential star in the older horse division with Cody's Wish . The son of Curlin out of the grade 1-winning mare Dance Card has been undefeated in his last three starts since graduating at Churchill Downs in October, capturing two one-mile allowance races, the latter against stiff competition.
Wolfie's Dynaghost , Mischief Afoot , War Stopper , Hidden Stash , and Tune In complete the 10-horse field.
Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, March 12, 2022, Race 8Entries: $100,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Wolfie's Dynaghost (KY)
Paco Lopez
120
Thomas Albertrani
10/1
2
2Mischief Afoot (KY)
Samy Camacho
118
James J. Toner
10/1
3
3Greatest Honour (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
123
Claude R. McGaughey III
3/1
4
4Dynamic One (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
120
Todd A. Pletcher
5/2
5
5War Stopper (KY)
Manuel Franco
118
Todd A. Pletcher
8/1
6
6Hidden Stash (KY)
Daniel Centeno
118
Victoria H. Oliver
12/1
7
7Tune In (KY)
Leonel Reyes
118
Diane D. Morici
12/1
8
8Scalding (KY)
Javier Castellano
118
Claude R. McGaughey III
12/1
9
9Cody's Wish (KY)
Luis Saez
120
William I. Mott
8/1
10
10Shirl's Speight (KY)
Emma-Jayne Wilson
120
Roger L. Attfield
6/1
