TORONTO, March 8 – The road to the Kentucky Derby, to be held May 4 at Churchill Downs, continues on Saturday with the Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby, at Tampa Bay Downs, and the Grade 2, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes, at Santa Anita. Racing fans can watch and wager on the Tampa Bay Derby (5:15 p.m. EST) and San Felipe Stakes (6:35 p.m. EST) via HorsePlayer Interactive. Verrazano (4-5), undefeated in two starts, is the one to beat in the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Derby, fresh off a scintillating 16 1/2-length score at Gulfstream Park that earned a field-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Verrazano, a half-brother to Grade 2 winner El Padrino, will be heavily bet but must prove his ability around two-turns for the first time while also making his first trip over the Tampa Bay Downs main. Dynamic Sky (4-1), an Ontario-bred son of Sky Mesa trained by Mark Casse for owner John C. Oxley, already boasts a win and place from two starts at Tampa. “I think it’s a huge advantage,” said Casse. “You know, Mr. Oxley and I talked about it and Verrazano’s a tough horse. He’s going to be a tough horse. But…he’s coming to play at our house.” Dynamic Sky, who won the Pasco Stakes in his three-year-old debut, enters the Tampa Bay Derby off a neck defeat to rival Falling Sky (10-1) in the Grade 3, Sam F. Davis. Casse feels with a better trip, Dynamic Sky might have secured a victory. “Without a doubt, I feel like we ran the best horse in the Sam Davis. We ran 52 feet farther than the winner, which is about eight lengths,” said Casse. Dynamic Sky, piloted by Luis Contreras in the Sam F. Davis, drifted through the stretch run costing the colt valuable lengths. “Once he (Contreras) got him corrected and headed in a straight direction, you saw he came running in late at the end,” said Casse. Joel Rosario will take over from Contreras aboard Dynamic Sky on Saturday. A pair of fresh horses worth considering is undefeated Purple Egg (10-1) and stakes winner Java’s War (12-1). Purple Egg, trained by Jane Cibelli, has competed only in sprint races through three career starts including a sharp score in the Inaugural Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, last time out, on Dec. 1. By Lion Heart, out of the Prized mare Luminous Prize, Purple Egg is bred to be a router and comes into this event with a work tab riddled with bullets – – and Cibelli is capable of having a horse fire fresh. Java’s War, a Charles Fipke homebred, hasn’t raced since a troubled sixth-place run in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs, on Nov. 24, won by Uncaptured. Trained by Ken McPeek, Java’s War boasts a pair of strong works at Gulfstream training up to the Tampa Bay Derby and could be in the mix late if he can run back to his strong rally in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity (won by Joha) when third, just three-quarters of a length behind Dynamic Sky. The talented field also includes Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes winner Honorable Dillon along with Eton Blue, Offlee Fast and Park City. For great insight into the Tampa Bay Derby, read the full transcript of the NTRA’s Road To The Triple Crown interview with Bryan Sullivan, managing member of Let’s Go Stable (co-owners of Verrazano); and Mark Casse, who also speaks candidly about his other Kentucky Derby contender, Uncaptured. Given Verrazano’s strong form, many handicappers may choose to single Verrazano in the late Pick Four or key him in vertical wagers. Woodbine fans will note that the first leg of the Pick 4 wager (Race 9, 4:45 EST), the Grade 3 Hillsborough Stakes, features a trio of familiar names – – Mark Hoffman’s Hooh Why; along with multiple Woodbine stakes winners Blue Heart, trained by Brian Lynch, and Stars to Shine. TAMPA BAY DERBY SELECTIONS: Verrazano Dynamic Sky Java’s War Later in the day, Goldencents and Flashback go head-to-head in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes. Flashback (8-5), undefeated in two starts for trainer Bob Baffert, ran away from a four-horse field last out in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis, taking the 1 1/16-mile test by 6 ¼-lengths. A defeat to Shanghai Bobby in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont, is the lone blemish on the form of Goldencents (2-1) who has notched a trio of victories including a last to score in the Grade 3 Sham when sprinting seven furlongs at Santa Anita. Hear the Ghost (6-1), a speedy son of Ghostzapper, could prove to be an interesting price play as he stretches out for the first time following a second-place run in the San Pedro. * Woodbine fans will also want to pay attention to Gulfstream Park on Saturday as pair of Queen’s Plate contenders, both sons of top Ontario stallion Silent Name, make their three-year-old debut for trainer Mark Frostad. In Race 3 (2:05 p.m. EST), County Lineman will try dirt for the first time in a 7 ½ furlong N1X sprint. County Lineman broke his maiden in his second, and final, two-year-old start with a smart last-to-first rally under Luis Contreras, who retains the mount. In Race 7 (4:05 p.m. EST), Pyrite Mountain will make his turf debut in a one-mile trip versus a strong Bill Mott trainee, Bold Dance. Pyrite Mountain nearly scored an audacious maiden win at Woodbine when second, defeated a head at odds of 36-1, at first asking under Alex Solis. Patrick Husbands picked up the mount for the colt’s second start and guided Pyrite Mountain to a dramatic nose win in the Kingarvie Stakes. Husbands retains the mount and worth noting is that Pyrite Mountain will race with Lasix for the first time. Racing fans can watch and wager on all of the above events via HorsePlayer Interactive. CURRENT KENTUCKY DERBY POINT STANDINGS Rank Horse Trainer Points 1 Ive Struck A Nerve Keith Desormeaux 51 2 Vyjack Rudy Rodriguez 50 3 Orb Shug McGaughey III 50 4 Shanghai Bobby Todd Pletcher 24 5 Goldencents Doug O’Neill 24 6 West Hills Giant John Terranova 20 7 Code West Bob Baffert 20 8 Oxbow D. Wayne Lukas 16 9 Speak Logistics Eddie Plesa Jr. 11 10 Itsmyluckyday Eddie Plesa, Jr. 10 11 Overanalyze Todd Pletcher 10 12 Uncaptured Mark Casse 10 13 Den’s Legacy Bob Baffert 10 14 Power Broker Bob Baffert 10 15 Super Ninety Nine Bob Baffert 10 16 Will Take Charge D. Wayne Lukas 10 17 Falling Sky John Terranova 10 t-18 Flashback Bob Baffert 10 t-18 Revolutionary Todd Pletcher 10 t-20 Elnaawi Kiaran McLaughlin 10 t-20 Palace Malice Todd Pletcher 10 22 Dynamic Sky Mark Casse 8 23 Siete de Oros Ramon Preciado 7 24 He’s Had Enough Doug O’Neill 6 25 Fear The Kitten Mike Maker 6 26 Tesseron Josie Carroll 5 27 Majestic Hussar Eddie Kenneally 5 28 Bern Identity Kelly Breen 4 29 Capo Bastone John Sadler 4 UPCOMING KENTUCKY DERBY PREP SCHEDULE FIRST ROUND OF CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES date race track points (1-2-3-4) March 9 Tampa Bay Derby Tampa Bay Downs 50-20-10-5 March 9 San Felipe Santa Anita 50-20-10-5 March 16 Rebel Oaklawn Park 50-20-10-5 March 23 Spiral Turfway Park 50-20-10-5 March 24 Sunland Derby Sunland Park 50-20-10-5 SECOND ROUND OF CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES date race track points (1-2-3-4) March 30 Florida Derby Gulfstream Park 100-40-20-10 March 30 UAE Derby Meydan (Dubai) 100-40-20-10 March 30 Louisiana Derby Fair Grounds 100-40-20-10 April 6 Wood Memorial Aqueduct 100-40-20-10 April 6 Santa Anita Derby Santa Anita 100-40-20-10 April 13 Arkansas Derby Oaklawn Park 100-40-20-10 April 13 Blue Grass Keeneland 100-40-20-10 “WILD CARD” RACES date race track points (1-2-3-4) April 20 Lexington Keeneland 20-8-4-2 April 27 Derby Trial Churchill Downs 20-8-4-2 Share This:Share