Friday Post Parade: San Filipe, Tampa Bay, Swale

'84 Derby winner Swale w/Stephens-both Kentucky bred

One stellar race, one decent race and one non-factor race just for good measure this weekend.  Let's get to it.

• Awesome exhibition just started at the Derby Museum.  So they have some wood from one of the last trees of the land that the Downs now stands on and made it into a bar for the exhibition.  Friggin' awesome.  The Churchill brothers owned and leased the land to Meriwether Lewis Clark (their nephew) who put into motion what we know as the Downs, the Derby, the Oaks, the Clark Handicap etc.  Great story. 
• San Filipe is going to be a cool race.  I'm looking forward to many of the colts in this race and am predicting a break out performance.  Creative Cause is your early favorite. 
• It's amazing how far the Tampa Bay Derby has come in just a few short years.  A decade ago we wouldn't even be talking about this track let alone this race.  Whoever runs this race course needs to give some ideas to the entire racing industry 'cause they are doing something right down there.  Doesn't appear to be as deep a field this year, but a couple of these horses figure to be in the mix the first Saturday in May.  
• The Swale Stakes also occurs.  Meh.  But Swale is one of those cool, yet tragic stories in racing.  Plus he was trained by Powell County, Kentucky's own Woody Stephens.  That's right around my stomping ground growing up.  You haven't played golf until you've played at Meadows Golf Course in Clay City/Powell County.  I found a golf website that had a comment from juice0013 that best sums up this place:                                                                                                               Basically you are paying to play golf on an open field. Great for beginners because no matter how much you slice, it is still in bounds. No fairways/roughs, just tee boxes and green. Every green is the same... round and high in the center. Tough course, but cheap cheap cheap. I can't say I haven't returned plenty of times just to play some cheap golf on a Saturday.             Exactly.  Plus the barn in the middle of the 8th/17th fairway is just classic. 
• Oh yeah...GO CARDS.  Beat Irish. 

Took me awhile to figure out which way to go for your song of the day.  Finally narrowed it down to a few ideas.  Groovin' Solo seemed a bit too obvious as did Musical Flair.  Motor City provided way too many options (Jack White, Bob Seger, Eminem, Iggy Pop, etc.) so I went sideways on y'all.  Heard the track below yesterday and was blown away.  If you are faithful readers you should be reading this on Friday morn (just to set the stage a bit).  So....GOOD MORNING DIVA.  Good luck this weekend.

 

$300,000 San Filipe Stakes (gr. II, Race 9, 4:38 p.m.), 3YOs, 1 1/16 Miles
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Blingo (KY), M E Smith, 118, J A Shirreffs
2. Bodemeister (VA), R Bejarano, 118, B Baffert
3. American Act (KY), M A Pedroza, 118, J Carava
4. Midnight Transfer (KY), V Espinoza, 118, C Gaines
5. Groovin' Solo (KY), A Quinonez, 118, M K Cho
6. Liaison (KY), M Garcia, 123, B Baffert
7. Creative Cause (KY), J Rosario, 123, M Harrington
8. Rousing Sermon (CA), J Talamo, 118, J Hollendorfer
9. Tiz Point (KY), G K Gomez, 118, R E Mandella
10. Empire Way (KY), B Blanc, 118, M Harrington
Blinkers Off: Groovin' Solo, Liaison

$350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II, Race 11, 5:28 p.m.), 3YO, 1 1/16 Miles (Dirt)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Prospective (KY), L Contreras, 120, M E Casse
2. Golden Ticket (KY), M R Cruz, 116, K G McPeek
3. Twin (FL), D Centeno, 116, P Maestre
4. Chief Energy (KY), P Lopez, 116, J J Toner
5. Tell All You Know (KY), L R Goncalves, 116, C J Stewart
6. Cozzetti (KY), J Lezcano, 116, D L Romans
7. Battle Hardened (KY), J R Leparoux, 120, E Kenneally
8. Ravelo's Boy (KY), J Sanchez, 116, M J Azpurua
9. Spring Hill Farm (VA), J Castellano, 116, T A Pletcher
10. Take Charge Indy (KY), C H Borel, 116, P B Byrne
11. Fox Rules (NY), H Villa-Gomez, 116, M A Ferraro
12. Cajun Charlie (LA), T J Hebert, 120, B S House

$150,000 Swale (gr. III, Race 11, 5:35 p.m.), 3YO, 7 Furlongs (Dirt)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Quick Wit (KY), A O Solis, 115, D L Romans
2. Trinniberg (KY), W Martinez, 115, B Parboo
3. Silver Menace (KY), R A Dominguez, 117, K Ritvo
4. Motor City (KY), E S Prado, 121, I R Wilkes
5. Hello Prince (FL), J A Garcia, 121, D Pita
6. Bahamian Squall (FL), L Saez, 115, D Fawkes
7. Ever So Lucky (KY), J Bravo, 115, J E Sheppard
8. Musical Flair (KY), J C Leyva, 121, S Santoro
9. Seve (KY), K J Desormeaux, 115, D L Romans
10. Good Morning Diva (KY), R Maragh, 115, J D Braddy