The flagship card of the Tampa Bay Downs meet happens on Saturday, March 9. It is headlined by the 2024 Tampa Bay Derby (G3), a 1 1/16-mile race on the dirt for sophomores. The race offers a $400,000 purse and 50-25-15-10-5 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby to its top five finishers. It is one of two Kentucky Derby points races during the Tampa Bay Downs meet, with the other being the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3), which No More Time won on February 10.

No More Time returns in the Tampa Bay Derby to continue down the Kentucky Derby trail. He faces nine foes: Crazy Mason and Everdoit from the Sam F. Davis, and seven new faces, including Holy Bull (G3) second-place finisher Domestic Product. The winner virtually guarantees themselves a spot on Kentucky Derby day, and the next few across the wire will put themselves in a good position to make it to Churchill Downs if they can run well in a 100-point prep later in the season.

Several Tampa Bay Derby winners have made good accounts during the triple crown season in the 21st century. Street Sense (2007) won the Run for the Roses, and Musket Man (2009) ran third behind Mine That Bird. Super Saver, third in the 2010 edition of the Tampa Bay Derby, won the Kentucky Derby. More recently, Tapwrit (2017) carried his momentum to a Belmont Stakes win, and Destin (2016) was nosed out in the final jewel.

Tampa Bay Derby 2024 Information

• Race Date: Saturday, March 9, 2024
• Track: Tampa Bay Downs
• Post Time: 5:18 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
• Distance: 1 1/16 miles
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

Tampa Bay Derby Odds

This is the 10-horse field for the 2024 Tampa Bay Derby, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for each runner.

Tampa Bay Derby Prep Results

Three of the ten runners come out of the Sam F. Davis Stakes, the local prep for the Tampa Bay Derby and the only other Kentucky Derby points race run at Tampa Bay Downs. No More Time won the race in frontrunning fashion, while Crazy Mason was a flat sixth, and Everdoit unseated his jockey early in the race.

Two other competitors come out of stakes company at Gulfstream Park. The only other runner coming out of a Kentucky Derby points race is Domestic Product, who most recently ran a competitive second behind Hades in the Holy Bull. Grand Mo the First stretches out after a third-place run in the seven-furlong Swale.

Only one other horse faced winners in his last start. Catire Vizcaya was most recently a well-beaten fifth in a first-level sprint allowance at Tampa Bay Downs.

The other four runners all come out of maiden special weight company, and all face winners for the first time in the Tampa Bay Derby. Good Money won a seven-furlong maiden race on debut at Tampa Bay Downs on January 26, while Heartened graduated at a mile and 40 yards over the same course on February 10. The other two coming out of maiden races remain eligible for that condition. Give Me Liberty has been second in a pair of maiden special weights at Oaklawn in his last two starts, while Sturdy was beaten only half a length in a 1 ⅛-mile maiden race at Gulfstream last out.

Tampa Bay Derby Contenders

These are the ten entrants in the 2024 Tampa Bay Derby, from the rail out:

Heartened: He broke his maiden last out, taking a step forward in his first start at two turns on dirt. He did so at Tampa Bay Downs, meaning he can handle the love-it-or-hate-it surface, and he showed some tactical ability from a relatively inside gate. He can find further improvement third off the layoff, giving him upside at a price for hall of fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who has a long record of doing well in this race.

Everdoit: He has two good races over the Tampa Bay Downs dirt, a maiden win at two turns, and an allowance try at one. He was well beaten in the Mucho Macho Man, though, and ice-cold on the board before losing his rider in the Sam F. Davis. The ability to handle the quirky surface is a plus, but he has a lot to find on the top contenders and won’t have it easy on the front end.

Give Me Liberty: He has finished second in maiden races at Oaklawn twice since being claimed for $100,000 by his current connections. He is versatile enough to run well from off the pace or close to it, trainer Robertino Diodoro tends to do well with shippers, and in-form Tampa Bay Downs rider Pablo Morales takes the call. He has some upside, but he still needs to take a big step forward against not only winners, but stakes horses.

Good Money: The Chad Brown trainee steps up from a debut maiden win at Tampa Bay Downs. It is his first time against winners and his first time at a route, but the two-turn breeding is there, and Chad Brown shines with both last-out maiden winners and stretch-outs. Proven big-race rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. takes the call, too. In short, there is a lot of upside, but the connections can be over-bet, so make sure you are getting enough of a price on this second-stringer from the Brown barn.

Domestic Product: The first-string entrant from the Brown barn, he is a maiden winner at 1 ⅛ miles last year who finished a good second in the Holy Bull in his sophomore debut. He can take a step forward second off the lay, and his tactical speed can afford him a good trip. The biggest question at a short price is Tampa Bay Downs: Brown is having an excellent meet, but the sandy surface is love-it-or-hate-it, and he hasn’t tried it.

Catire Vizcaya: He broke his maiden in a special weight race at Saratoga last summer, going one turn. He misfired completely in a stakes race over a muddy track after that, but then also came up flat when returning for his sophomore debut last month at Tampa Bay Downs. Perhaps he can step forward second off the lay, as he broke his maiden second-up, but he has a lot to find from a speed perspective and has yet to prove himself at two turns.

No More Time: He was the lukewarm 3-1 favorite in the Sam F. Davis Stakes, but proved his quality and his ability to win at Tampa Bay Downs by disputing the pace and holding to win. It was a good first try at two turns; he returns to the same course and distance for this, and his maiden race showed that he doesn’t need the lead, but can also win from a stalking spot.

Crazy Mason: With seven starts, he is the grizzled old veteran of the field. He has some good Tampa Bay Downs form: he finished a gaining second in the Inaugural, a sprint stakes, and won a two-turn allowance two starts back. However, he was no match in the Sam F. Davis, settling well off the pace and finishing a well-beaten sixth. His allowance win suggests he can set a bit closer to the pace, though, and he might just do that with the blinkers going back on. With that move and his local form, he has some long-shot potential for exotics.

Grand Mo the First: Both of his wins have come on synthetics, though he has held his own in stakes company on both dirt and turf. He tries two turns on dirt for the first time in the Tampa Bay Derby, which is also his first start on the Tampa Bay Downs dirt. Demand a price due to the novelty of the situation, but he is bred top and bottom for routing, and he should be able to get a clean trip tracking in range of the pace, for a barn that goes well second off the lay.

Sturdy: One of a pair of maidens in this race, he ran into some buzzsaws like Locked and Domestic Product in his first two starts. He came close to graduating last out at Gulfstream, and is the only horse turning back in distance from his last start into the Tampa Bay Derby. He is also going the right way from a speed perspective. However, given how far he tends to sit off the pace, he would be well suited by a red-hot early pace, something that is unlikely to materialize.

Tampa Bay Derby Past Winners Prep Races

Recent Tampa Bay Derby winners have come out of a range of races, levels, and even surfaces. Three of the last ten have come from the local prep for this race, the Sam F. Davis. Destin (2016) and Classic Causeway (2022) came out of victories in that race, and Tapwrit (2017) was last seen finishing second in that race.

Four other recent winners came out of stakes races, though only one of those came out of a victory. Helium (2021) was last seen winning the Display at Woodbine, and made his three-year-old debut in the Tampa Bay Derby. Carpe Diem (2015) was most recently second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), Quip (2018) had been seventh in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), and King Guillermo (2020) came out of a third-place finish in the Pulpit at Gulfstream. Note that Helium came out of a win on Tapeta, and King Guillermo’s last start came on the lawn.

Three other recent winners made their stakes debut in the Tampa Bay Derby. Tapit Trice (2023) prepared for the race with an allowance win at Gulfstream. Two others faced winners for the first time in the Tampa Bay Derby after a maiden special weight win. Ring Weekend (2014) had graduated in a 1 1/16-mile dirt race at Gulfstream a month before the race, while Tacitus had gotten his diploma in a dirt mile at Aqueduct the previous November.

Tampa Bay Derby Undercard

The Tampa Bay Derby is the 11th of 12 races on Saturday’s flagship card of the Tampa Bay Downs meet. There are four other stakes on the card, three of them graded. Older turf fillies and mares take the spotlight in the $225,000 Hillsborough (G2). Sophomore turf route fillies shine in the $200,000 Florida Oaks (G3), three-year-old turf mile males contest the $75,000 Columbia, and older dirt males contest the $100,000 Challenger (G3).

The card offers big, classy fields all day long. So, it’s a perfect day to watch on FanDuel TV and place your bets through FanDuel and TVG!

Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs is located in Oldsmar, Florida, just a twenty-minute drive from the center of Tampa, Florida. There has been a track in Oldsmar since 1926. It first ran the West Coast Jockey Club meeting at Tampa Downs, referring to Tampa’s position on the west coast of the Florida peninsula. It has been called Tampa Bay Downs since 1980.

The track is a popular winter destination for both east coast and midwestern trainers. Now known for its meticulously groomed turf course, which was installed in 1998, Tampa Bay Downs has a dirt course that tends to be deeper and sandier than some other dirt courses. This means that it gets a horse fit and can sometimes favor horses-for-the-course.

As the Tampa Bay Derby has increased in importance, its purse has been trending upward as well. Originally a $50,000 race when it started in 1981, the purse was doubled to six figures in 1983 and reached its current $400,000 level in 2018, the year after Belmont winner Tapwrit took the crown.

Tampa Bay Derby FAQ

Q: When is the Tampa Bay Derby?

A: The Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby will be run on Saturday, March 9, 2024, with a scheduled post time of 5:18 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Q: Where is the Tampa Bay Derby?

A: The Tampa Bay Derby is run at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Florida.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Tampa Bay Derby?

A: Todd Pletcher has won this race six times since 2004. His most recent win came in 2023 when Tapit Trice galloped to victory. He attempts to extend his record this year with Heartened.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Tampa Bay Derby?

A: No More Time, off his victory in the Sam F. Davis, is the 7-5 morning-line favorite for the Tampa Bay Derby. Domestic Product is the 8-5 second choice on the morning line after finishing second in the Holy Bull downstate at Gulfstream Park. Based on their recent records, either one of these could end up favored in the Tampa Bay Derby, though don’t be surprised if Domestic Product does based on Chad Brown’s name recognition.

Q: Who is the best Tampa Bay Derby jockey?

A: No jockey has won this race more than twice; those two-time winners include Pat Day, Richard Migliore, Eibar Coa, Daniel Centeno, John Velazquez, and Jose Ortiz. Among those riders, only Jose Ortiz has a call in 2024. He rides Heartened.

Q: Who won the Tampa Bay Derby in 2023?

A: Tapit Trice won the 2023 Tampa Bay Derby for trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Luis Saez. Pletcher returns to the race in 2024 with Heartened, with Jose Ortiz in the irons. Saez does not have a call in the race, as he is riding at Gulfstream on Saturday.

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