Owen Almighty Returns in Pasco Stakes

Three-year-olds at Tampa Bay Downs are getting warmed up for the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) trails as the track hosts a pair of seven-furlong, $150,000 stakes Jan. 11 for sophomores.

Although no qualifying points are on the line Saturday, the Pasco Stakes serves as prep for Tampa's Road to the Kentucky Derby races, which begin Feb. 8 with the Sam F. Davis Stakes.

Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing's Owen Almighty  returns to racing after developing a gastrointestinal infection that kept him from Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) consideration. Before that health issue, the son of Speightstown established himself as one of the top 2-year-olds on the Kentucky circuit, winning the Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes and finishing second in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs Sept. 14.

Among his competition is Mr Pug and J.P.G. 2's Naughty Rascal , a two-time Gulfstream Park stakes winner trained by Gerald Bennett. The field of six also includes last-out maiden winners Cockeyed  and Rookie Card .

Flying Dutchmen and Lynch also have a leading contender for the Gasparilla Stakes in Mrs Worldwide , a daughter of Global Campaign   who won her second consecutive stakes Dec. 7 in Tampa Bay's Sandpiper Stakes. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. gets the call on both her and Owen Almighty.

Two-time stakes winner Win N Your In  also makes her first start away from Gulfstream Park while cutting back to one turn, and impressive maiden winner Lynn's Milky Way  enters off her 11-length debut romp at Gulfstream Park Nov. 22.