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The Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby is the featured event this Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs. The race card at this horse track is loaded with four major graded stakes including the Florida Oaks with three-year-old fillies.
The Florida Oaks Stakes covers 1 1/16 miles on turf and the prize purse is $200,000. The race will have 12 probable contestants led by Free Look and Dreaming Of Snow. Trained by Chad Brown, Free Look took fifth place in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 4. Dreaming Of Snow is trained by Gerald Bennett and she won the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 11 of this year.
2023 Tampa Bay Derby Predictions
When: Saturday, March 11th 2023
Where: Tampa Bay Downs
The Tampa Bay Derby is open to three-year-old Thoroughbred and the race covers 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Of the 10 probable entries in this stakes event, my choice is Tapit Trice to win the race with Shesterkin to place second and Classic Legacy to finish third.
Win: Tapit Trice
The three-year-old was bred in Kentucky and raced for Whisper Hill Farm, LLC and Gainesway Stable. He competed at Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park and won a one mile Allowance race at Gulfstream on Feb. 4 this year. The son of Tapit posted a time for 1:36.44 over Shesterkin and Live Is Life.
Tapit Trice has gone a mile in three races in his early career. He is stepping up in distance and grade in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby. However, he was bred to go plus a mile on dirt. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Tapit Trice has worked out at Tampa Bay Downs over the past few weeks.
Place: Shesterkin
Sired by Violence, this three-year colt was also bred in Kentucky and trained by Todd Pletcher. Shesterkin finished first at Gulfstream Park in late December in his last race as a two-year old. He covered a seven-furlong sprint in 1:24.18 past Case and Kentucky Joke.
At Gulfstream as a three-year old colt, Shesterkin place second in that Allowance race on Feb. 4. He is also stepping up in distance and grade in the Tampa Bay Derby with a 6.59 rating by Horse Racing Nation.
Show: Classic Legacy
Trained by William Mott, he finished fourth in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes last time out at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 11. As a two-year old Thoroughbred, he raced at New York horse tracks including Belmont Park, Saratoga and Aqueduct. Classic Legacy won the seven-furlong sprint at Aqueduct on Dec. 31 of last year.
As a son of Into Mischief, he went 1 1/16 miles on dirt in his first competitive outing at Tampa Bay and his home-track advantage should get him into the money in this major graded stakes race. Classic Legacy has worked out at this track since the beginning of last month.
