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The Pasco Stakes and the Gasparilla Stakes, for three-year old fillies, are featured at Tampa Bay Downs this Saturday. These non-graded sprints cover seven furlongs around the dirt track.
The Gasparilla Stakes has a probable field of eight fillies led by Dorth Vader and Awesome Pic. Michael Yates is the trainer for Dorth Vader and Robert Smith trains Awesome Pic. The probable field is littered with legitimate contenders.
2023 Pasco Stakes Predictions
When: Saturday, January 14th 2023
Where: Tampa Bay Downs
The Pasco Stakes has a total prize purse of $125,000 and there are points for the top four finishers as a Kentucky Derby prep race. Champions Dream is my champion in the probable field of eight horses. He also has a rating of 6.48 at Horse Racing Nation. Handsome Playboy and Armstrong are my contenders for the place and show positions.
What Is a Win Bet in Horse Racing?
Win: Champions Dream
This three-year colt was bred in Kentucky and he races for Rosedown Racing Stables, LLC. Champions Dream finished off his juvenile campaign with a victory in the Grade 3 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 6. This race covered one mile on dirt in 1:39.17 over Full Moon Madness and Prove Right.
Sired by Justify, he also finished first in a seven-furlong sprint at Saratoga on Sept. 3 in a Maiden Special Weight race. Champions Dream will make his three-year debut on a high note at Tampa Bay Downs.
Place: Handsome Playboy
Bred in Florida, Handsome Playboy took second at the Inaugural Stakes (Dec. 3) and first at an Allowance race (Dec. 21) to close out his juvenile season at Tampa Bay Downs. The gelding finished first or second in three of four races as a two-year old. He ran on turf at Monmouth Park and Presque Island Downs in his first two races that season.
As a son of Handsome Mike, he was bred to handle the dirt at Tampa Bay in a sprint. Handsome Playboy has not gone over a mile on dirt or turf while racing for trainer Gerald Bennett.
Show: Armstrong
Trained by Mark Casse, the three-year colt comes into this year only racing at Woodbine in Toronto, Canada. He is also making the change to dirt after racing on the synthetic turf of that track.
As a son of Mucho Macho Man, Armstrong finished in the money at Woodbine in three races as a juvenile. He won the Clarendon Stakes on turf, turning in a time of 1:11.61 over Poulin in OT and Paramount Prince om Dec. 9 in 2022.
