NEWS

Super Saver returns in Tampa Bay Derby

Posted: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 4:47 PM

SUPER SAVER

Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography

by Tim Nichols

It has been nearly 3 1/2 months since WinStar Farm’s homebred Super Saver powered to a dominant win in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) (video) last November.

With the Triple Crown trail clearly his target, the Maria’s Mon colt will make his three-year-old debut on Saturday in the $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs. Super Saver is one of seven three-year-olds scheduled to contest the 1 1/16-mile race on the main track.

After winning the Kentucky Jockey Club, which followed a fourth-place finish in the Champagne Stakes (G1) last October, Super Saver enters the Tampa Bay Derby with $133,832 in graded stakes earnings. A solid showing on Saturday might give Super Saver enough graded earnings to sew up a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) on May 1. The Derby field is determined by earnings accumulated in graded stakes if more than 20 three-year-olds are entered.

A talented three-year-old trained by Todd Pletcher—who also conditions three-year-old graded stakes winners Eskendereya, Discreetly Mine, Rule, Connemara, and Interactif—Super Saver will be reunited with jockey Ramon Dominguez, who piloted to the colt to a seven-length romp in a maiden special weight race on September 11 at Belmont Park.

Breaking to Super Saver’s immediate right from the outside post will be the promising Odysseus.

Trained by Tom Albertrani for owner Padua Stables, the Malibu Moon colt boasts two wins in three career starts. Most recently, Odysseus tracked the pace before unleashing an explosive bid approaching the stretch en route to a 15-length romp in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming race on February 17 at Tampa Bay.

Fantasy Lane Stable’s Uptowncharlybrown returns on Saturday off a third-place finish in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) (video), which was won by Rule on February 13 at Tampa Bay.

The Pasco Stakes winner closed from last in the six-horse field but was no match for the winner that day. Given the speed Odysseus exhibited in his most recent start, Uptowncharlybrown might be a bit more forwardly placed in his second Grade 3 start.

Sam F. Davis runner-up Schoolyard Dreams, who finished a length in front of Uptowncharlybrown in that race, gets a new rider as Jeremy Rose picks up the mount on Saturday.

Rounding out the field are stakes winner Gleam of Hope and maiden winner Slammy Boy, both trained by Anthony Reinstedler, and trainer Nick Zito’s maiden winner Tuvia’s Force.

Tim Nichols is internet content editor for Thoroughbred Times

Tampa Bay Derby