Casse Duo Chase KY Derby Points at Tampa Bay Downs
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Photo: Michael Burns
Sir Winston wins the 2018 Display Stakes at Woodbine
With 50 Derby points to the winner hanging in the balance, trainer Mark Casse will look to move two more contenders up the ladder on the Road to the Kentucky Derby when he sends out Sir Winston and Dream Maker in the $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) March 9 at Tampa Bay Downs.
First up for Casse in Saturday's 11-horse field will be Tracy Farmer's homebred chestnut colt Sir Winston. A son of Awesome Again , Sir Winston picked up one point toward the Derby trail on his last out Feb. 2 when he finished fourth in the Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Sir Winston turned in his last timed workout March 2 at the Casse Training Center, where he breezed four furlongs in :49 flat. He will break from post 2 with Julien Leparoux in the irons.
Also on Casse's roster is John Oxley's homebred colt Dream Maker, who will make his second start of 2019 and third attempt in graded company. A full brother by Tapit to grade 1 winner Dream Dancing, the gray/roan colt comes into the 1 1/16-mile test for 3-year-olds off a dominating 8 1/2-length win in a Feb. 9 optional-claiming allowance race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Dream Maker has breezed twice since his February win, including a bullet four-furlong move Feb 23 in :47 4/5 at Fair Grounds, the fastest of 111 at the distance. Florent Geroux will have the call in the Tampa Bay Derby from post 4.
Casse currently sits atop the Kentucky Derby leaderboard thanks to War of Will's impressive victory in the Feb. 16 Risen Star Stakes presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at Fair Grounds.
Headlining Saturday's race is Stonehedge homebred Well Defined, who is poised to add another graded score to his résumé.
A Florida-bred son of With Distinction, Well Defined brings considerable experience to the test. The gelding went gate-to-wire last out in the Feb. 9 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at the West Florida track over the Tampa Bay Derby distance to win by 2 3/4 lengths. Trained by Kathleen O'Connell, Well Defined will partner with Pablo Morales from post 5.
Juddmonte Farms' Tacitus will look to throw his hat in the ring for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). Also by Tapit, the colt is the first foal out of the First Defence mare Close Hatches, a five-time grade 1 winner for Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott.
Tacitus, who is also trained by Mott, broke his maiden on second asking Nov. 10 at Aqueduct and will make his sophomore debut in the Tampa Bay Derby. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, he will break from post 10.
Returning for the first time since finishing off the board in the Risen Star, Three Diamonds Farm and Joseph Besecker's Dunph is also looking to move up in the Kentucky Derby rankings. A winner of the Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes at 2, the son of Temple City closed his freshman season with a third-place finish in the Remington Springboard Mile Stakes, earning two points on the Derby trail.
Trained by Mike Maker, Dunph will break from post 9 under Daniel Centeno.
In addition to the 50 points awarded to the winner of the Tampa Bay Derby, the second-place runner will earn 20 points, third place will get 10, and fourth place will receive five.
Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, March 09, 2019, Race 11Entries: Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
Admire (KY)
Robby Albarado
117
Dale L. Romans
-
2
Sir Winston (KY)
Julien R. Leparoux
117
Mark E. Casse
-
3
Lord Dragon (KY)
Jose A. Bracho
117
Jordan Blair
-
4
Dream Maker (KY)
Florent Geroux
117
Mark E. Casse
-
5
Well Defined (FL)
Pablo Morales
119
Kathleen O'Connell
-
6
Outshine (KY)
Joel Rosario
117
Todd A. Pletcher
-
7
Win Win Win (FL)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
117
Michael J. Trombetta
-
8
The Right Path (KY)
Joe Bravo
117
Jorge Duarte, Jr.
-
9
Dunph (KY)
Daniel Centeno
123
Michael J. Maker
-
10
Tacitus (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
117
William I. Mott
-
11
Zenden (KY)
Samy Camacho
117
Victor Barboza, Jr.
-
