Emmanuel, Surprisingly Set Records at Tampa Bay Downs
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Photo: SV Photography
Emmanuel speeds home in the Tampa Bay Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs
On a sunny, windy afternoon Feb. 4 at Tampa Bay Downs, a pair of lightly raced 4-year-olds delivered sparkling finishes to be remembered.
A little more than an hour after 4-year-old filly Surprisingly rallied for a neck victory in the $175,000 Endeavour Stakes (G3T) for older fillies and mares in stakes-record time, the 4-year-old colt Emmanuel did even better, surging to win the $175,000 Tampa Bay Stakes (G3T) by 1 3/4 lengths over Winfromwithin .
Emmanuel's time of 1:39.25 is a new stakes and course record, eclipsing the Tampa Bay Downs mark for the distance of 1:39.65 set by Legs Galore in the same event in 1999, the second year of racing on the Oldsmar oval turf course.
"I'm very pleased. It was an excellent comeback," trainer Todd Pletcher wrote via text message of Emmanuel's first start since early August. "(The course record) makes it even more impressive."
Although Emmanuel won the 2022 Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2T) in June at Belmont Park in frontrunning fashion, "(Coming off the pace today) really was the game plan," said winning jockey Javier Castellano. "I thought there would be a lot of speed in the race, and (Winfromwithin) had the speed to dictate the pace. We saved ground as best we could and when I tipped him outside, he responded."
Castellano said he benefited from working Emmanuel last week at Palm Beach Downs base in South Florida. "It seemed like he was relaxed today. It was a beautiful trip, and I was very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time," he added.
After Drama Chorus led the 12-horse field through an opening quarter in :22.66, Winfromwithin took over to run the half in :46.18 and three-quarters in 1:09.52 as Emmanuel tracked along in sixth. Although Winfromwithin still held the advantage through a 1:33.23 mile, Emmanuel gained ground while drifting mildly and pulled clear.
Winfromwithin hung on gamely to edge a closing Golden Alchemist by a neck for second.
Emmanuel ($14.60) was on the Road to the Kentucky Derby last year, with an impressive 4 1/2-length victory in his second career start Jan. 30 on the Tampa Bay Downs dirt. But Pletcher switched gears after a fourth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and a third in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), and the son of More Than Ready seems to have found a new niche. Owned by WinStar Farm and Siena Farm, he improved his record to four wins and a third from seven starts, with earnings of $362,100.
Bred by Helen Groves Revocable Trust in Kentucky, Emmanuel was a $350,000 purchase by WinStar's Maverick Racing from Gainesway's consignment to the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is one of two winners and three starters produced by the Hard Spun mare Hard Cloth , a half sister to group/grade 1 winners Hawkbill and Free Drop Billy . The dam's only unraced foal is a 2-year-old full sister to Emmanuel named Causeway's Jewel.
Video: Tampa Bay S. (G3T)
Surprisingly Steps Up in Endeavour
Surprisingly's Endeavour victory was close to being just as impressive. With Scotish Star and Marketsegmentation appearing set to duel to the wire, the Phipps Stable homebred and jockey Paco Lopez closed with a rush to nail Scotish Star at the wire. The final time of 1:40.08 for 1 1/16 miles on the firm turf course bettered the former stakes record of 1:40.26, set by My Lordship in 2006.
Surprisingly (No. 2) blitzes her rivals in the Endeavour Stakes
Panama Red led the field of 11 through opening fractions of :22.88, :47.61, and 1:10.88 before conceding the advantage to Scotish Star, with Marketsegmentation making her move. Seventh at the quarter pole after a ground-saving bid, Surprisingly swung out and hit a new gear to get up in the shadow of the wire.
"I saw (Scotish Star) was a couple of lengths in front, but I had better position and I could feel my horse picking up speed," Lopez said. "She ran very fast at the end. She was flying."
Favored Marketsegmentation, making only her fourth career start, held on gamely for third.
Surprisingly ($9.40), a daughter of Mastery , improved her record to four wins and a second from seven starts, with earnings of $205,950.
"I thought she ran great, and I thought Paco (Lopez) rode her great, and that made the difference," said McGaughey, who also won the Swale Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park Saturday with General Jim . "(Lopez) saved ground around both turns and swung her outside so she could finish, and they both did a great job.
"It's her first graded race and her first time against older horses, so we didn't really know what to expect," he added. "I thought she could be competitive, but there were a lot of competitive horses in the race. We took a shot, and it worked."
Bred in Kentucky, Surprisingly is the first of three foals out of the Arch mare Vagabond . Her second, 3-year-old Now and Later (Candy Ride ) is a placed maiden, and the third is an unraced 2-year-old Ghostzapper filly.