OWEN ALMIGHTY Won the $350,000 dollar Tampa Bay Derby this past Saturday by 3 ½-lengths.
In addition to the Winner’s share of the purse the bay colt also earned 50 points toward qualifying for the 2025 Kentucky Derby and ranks second on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 65 points in total.
But does the Brian Lynch trained colt have what it takes to shine on the first Saturday in May? Let’s see;
Racing Résumé: OWEN ALMIGHTY has ran either 1st or 2nd in each of his six starts, although he was disqualified from 1st to 5th for interference (thanks to Irad) in the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in his season debut.
He Won his first two starts by open lengths, including a Stakes Win at Ellis Park; finished 2nd in the Iroquois Stakes in his first attempt on the Derby Trail; and ran 2nd in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
Speed: OWEN ALMIGHTY earned a new career-best Equibase and Beyer Speed Figure for the Tampa Bay Derby. The 98 Equibase number was a point better than his previous best and two points better than the 96 he earned for the Sam F. Davis. In his first five starts, OWEN ALMIGHTY posted Beyer Speed Figures ranging from 83 to 87, so the 92 he earned for the Tampa bay Derby was a five-point jump.
Running Style: OWEN ALMIGHTY has set or pressed the pace in each of his three starts this year. He pressed JOHN HANCOCK in the Sam F. Davis but could not get past him late.
It is tough to set the pace in a 20-horse Kentucky Derby field and lead from start to finish, but tactical speed can eliminate traffic trouble and give a 3-year-old a chance to Win at the top of the Kentucky Derby stretch.
Pedigree: OWEN ALMIGHTY is sired from 2004 Champion sprinter SPEIGHTSTOWN, a versatile sire with standouts on turf and dirt; sprinting and stretching out to two-turn distances; and with 2-year-olds and later developers.
On the dam (mother) side is multiple Stakes-placed Winner TEMPERS RISING, she was a Winner at 1 1/16 miles and ran 2nd in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks at that distance in 2020.
Derby Potential: OWEN ALMIGHTY finished so powerfully in the Tampa Bay Derby that he made a lot of people take notice.
Entering the race, trainer Brian Lynch seemed confident returning to one-turn races would be his ideal long-term path, but now..?
Can he stretch out his speed to 1 ¼ miles? That remains the rose-colored question, but OWEN ALMIGHTY seems to have earned the chance to try.
