The Road to the Kentucky Derby runs through Tampa Bay Downs Saturday with the 43rd edition of the Tampa Bay Derby.
In addition to the $400,000 dollar purse, the Grade 2 contest offers a total of 105 Derby qualifying points, with 50 going to the Winner, 25 to 2nd, 15 to 3rd, 10 to 4th, and five points to 5th.
Here’s a look back at a couple of the best Tampa Bay Derby Winners.
STREET SENSE (2007) This dark bay entered the 2007 Derby trail with history against him. The previous November, he Won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by 10 lengths. At the time, no horse had ever Won both the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Kentucky Derby. That said, skeptical observers didn’t think STREET SENSE could Win the Derby, regardless that the Juvenile Win came at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Carl Nafzger decided to start the colt’s 3-year-old campaign in the Tampa Bay Derby. Six horses lined up against him that day, but only one looked like a serious threat on paper- Todd Pletcher trainee ANY GIVEN SATURDAY had Won the Sam F. Davis Stakes by 2 ¾ lengths as the favorite in his prior start, and prior to that ran 2nd in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes.
As the field rounded the far turn, ANY GIVEN SATURDAY made his move after the pacesetters, while jockey Calvin Borel began to ask the 2-year-old champion for run at the same point. Entering the stretch, STREET SENSE came up the rail and looked ready to run away, but ANY GIVEN SUNDAY fought back on the outside and would not relinquish control easily. The two dueled down the stretch in an epic stretch battle with STREET SENSE prevailing by a nose. His time of 1:43.11 for 1 1/16 miles established a new track record.
Despite a 2nd-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes next out, and the Juvenile Jinx hanging over him, STREET SENSE was slight 9-2 favorite in the Derby. He came from 19 ½ lengths back to Win by 2 ½ lengths, saving every bit of ground until Calvin Bo-Rail wheeled him out at the top of the stretch to glide past HARD SPUN. Thus, STREET SENSE became the first horse to complete the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile–Kentucky Derby combo.
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TACITUS (2019) The 2019 Tampa Bay Derby was the debut Stakes race for TACITUS. The gray son of TAPIT broke his Maiden at Aqueduct the previous November by a neck, and was off for several months after that race. In the Tampa Bay Derby, he went off as the 9-1 fifth choice in a field that included future Belmont Stakes Winner SIR WINSTON and eventual Grade 1 Winner WIN WIN WIN.
TACITUS rated several paths off the rail in mid-pack early on while the leaders set fast early fractions. That setup proved worked out well for the Bill Mott trainee, as he churned on in the stretch and pulled clear in the last sixteenth to win by 1 ½ lengths.
TACITUS Won the Wood Memorial Stakes in his next start, and finished 3rd, elevated from 4th thanks to the disqualification of MAXIMUM SECURITY in the Kentucky Derby. He added on several more placings in Graded Stakes company in the rest of his 3-year-old season, including runner-up efforts in the Belmont Stakes, the Jim Dandy, and the Travers Stakes.
As a 4-year-old in 2020, TACITUS added another Graded Stakes Win to his résumé when he Won the Suburban Stakes. TACITUS retired in fall 2021 with a career bankroll of over $3.7 million.
