There have been 18 prep races so far on the 2023-2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby. 

Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs marks the halfway point as the thoroughbred needle moves toward the first Saturday in May.

This Edition of the Sam F. Davis brings a full field of 12, led by WEST SARATOGA, Winner of the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes back in September. 

AGATE ROAD is another Graded Stakes Winner, but on turf, having proved best in the Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes in October. 

COPPER TAX Won the non-graded Rocky Run Stakes in October and is another who may fit with these. 

PATRIOT SPIRIT Won the Inaugural Stakes in December sprinting on the Tampa Bay Downs main track, and he is stretching out to two turns for the first time.

Among the rest of the field there are a few trying Stakes competition for the first time but with excellent recent form, including CHANGE OF COMMAND, who has Won two in a row including a two-turn race at Tampa Bay Downs last month. 

TIRELESS also Won a route at Tampa last month and is one of two trained by Todd Pletcher (AGATE ROAD the other), who has saddled the Winner of this race three times in the last 10 years and seven times overall. 

FULMINEO finished 2nd behind AGATE ROAD in the Pilgrim last fall on turf, and more recently was 2nd on this track in a two-turn dirt race, Won by CRAZY MASON.

ELYSIAN MEADOWS is unbeaten in two starts, both sprints, but cannot be counted out as he is trained by Bill Mott, who Won this race in 2021 with CANDY MAN ROCKET. 

NO MORE TIME enters the race off a 5th-place finish in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes on New Year’s Day, with EVERDOIT farther back in 6th in that same race. 

EL PRINCIPITO rounds out the field, having only a Win last summer in a sprint to his credit and has since been non-competitive in his five follow-up races.

The Sam F. Davis is listed as the tenth race on a card of eleven with a scheduled Post Time of 5:15.