Tampa Bay Derby 2020
D J Stable LLC's Helium (Ironicus) overcame an impossibly wide trip and gamely fended off a late charge from the well-backed Hidden Stash (Constitution) to upset Saturday's GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby by three-quarters of a length while making his dirt and two-turn debuts.
Perfect in two starts going seven furlongs over the Woodbine synthetic last year, including a 4 1/4-length success in the Display S. when last seen Oct. 18, the $55,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling graduate's worktab included a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 (1/8) at Palm Meadows Feb. 3.
Helium was slow into stride from a wide gate and was left no choice but to take the first turn in about the six path while racing with just two rivals behind. Five or six paths off the inside down the backstretch, Helium went for an early run with about a half-mile to run, but continued to be trapped off the track, as favored GIII Sam F. Davis S. winner Candy Man Rocket (Candy Ride {Arg}) was moving simultaneously underneath him.
Consigned to a five-deep trip around the second turn, Helium nevertheless gained steadily on the leaders, was shifted down to the inside when making the lead in upper stretch and managed to hold sway late.
A few promising maiden winners from powerful barns will look to unseat the favorites in Tampa Bay Downs’ final prep for the Derby, which carries a point structure of 50-20-10-5. Trainer Todd Pletcher, currently Gulfstream’s leading trainer, will send out a trio of runners, including one that is still a maiden.
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Hidden Stash, a closing third to Candy Man Rocket in the Sam F. Davis, looked to have Helium at his mercy at the sixteenth pole, but was swatted away late and settled for second.
Candy Man Rocket was out of gas by the top of the stretch and tired to 11th.
“Our biggest concern going into the race was not only the competition, but also the distance, because he had never gone further than seven furlongs,” said DJ Stables Racing Manager Jon Green. “We were also concerned about the surface, because he had only run on the Tapeta at Woodbine. So we felt like he had three things he had to accomplish today–not only to beat the top horses in the race, but also overcome the two turns, the surface, and the layoff. So for him to accomplish what he did today by holding off a very nice horse in Hidden Stash, made us very excited for his future.”
Green added, “As of now, we're unsure as to his next start. We're going to analyze where the competition is going and decide what would be his best spot.”
Helium is not currently nominated to the Triple Crown, but will be supplemented for $6,000 at the next deadline at the end of March, said Green. “He has certainly punched his ticket.”
Helium was purchased privately last March as a 2-year-old from Bo Hunt. “The horse industry certainly works in mysterious ways,” said Green. “If it weren't for COVID, we never would have been able to buy this horse. We bought him privately because we weren't sure what was going to happen with the sales.”
Tampa Bay Derby 2020 Time
Green said, “I really want to give Mark Casse tremendous credit for being able to be flexible with this horse and pivoting as many times as we did with him before landing on the Tampa Bay Derby in his 3-year-old debut.”
Casse said, “He trained well enough that we thought he deserved a chance. Again, I have to give so much credit to Nick Tomlinson who had him down at Palm Meadows for us. We had thought about running in the Gotham and thought, if we're going to try the dirt, let's run him close to home. It worked well for us.
Casse continued, “This horse is something because he got away a little slow today and we had planned on him being closer. He made that big wide run, he made the lead but [after Hidden Stash rallied] I was going to be happy with second. I thought, we can build on this, because this is only his third start and there is a lot of room for improvement. What was amazing is that he wasn't overly exhausted after the race. He's a beautiful horse, he's bred to run all day long and he looks like a Derby horse, so it's exciting.”
Winning rider Jose Ferrer added, “On the backside, I had all kind of horse under me, and when I set him down at the three-eighths pole, I could see I had a chance. I just had so much horse and he flew down the lane. Then I think he got by himself and kind of got bored and he thought, game over. But I still had plemty of horse and be re-broke again.”
Pedigree Notes:
Helium hails from the first crop of Ironicus. He became the first stakes winner for the young Claiborne sire after securing last term's Display and is also his first graded winner. This is the 46th graded winner for Thunder Gulch as a broodmare sire.
Thundering Emilia, a $15,000 KEESEP yearling graduate, carried Teneri Farms' colors to a win in Delaware's John W. Rooney Memorial S. She was also a GSW & G1SP in Peru.
Progeny in the pipeline for Thundering Emilia include the 2-year-old colt Thunder Stride (Classic Empire) and a yearling colt by Accelerate. She was bred to American Pharoah for 2021.
Winning owner DJ Stable bought Helium's 6-year-old GSP half-sister Mighty Scarlett (Scat Daddy) for $240,000 at the 2020 KEENOV Sale.
This is the family of Peruvian champions Valiant Emilia (Per) and Domingo.
Tampa Bay Derby 2020 Video
Saturday, Tampa Bay Downs
LAMBHOLM SOUTH TAMPA BAY DERBY-GII, $350,000, Tampa Bay Downs, 3-6, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.55, ft.
1–HELIUM, 117, c, 3, by Ironicus
1st Dam: Thundering Emilia (GSW & G1SP-Per,
SW-USA, $140,963), by Thunder Gulch
2nd Dam: Saint Emilia (Per), by Saint Ballado
3rd Dam: Proud Emilia, by Proud Appeal
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($55,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-D. J.
Stable LLC; B-Teneri Farm Inc & Bernardo Alvarez Calderon
(KY); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Jose C. Ferrer. $210,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-3-0-0, $287,763. *1/2 to Mighty Scarlett (Scat
Daddy), GSP, $225,860; Emilia's Moon (Malibu Moon),
G1SW-Per. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Hidden Stash, 117, c, 3, Constitution–Making Mark Money,
by Smart Strike. ($50,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-BBN Racing, LLC;
B-Rhineshire Farm LLC (KY); T-Victoria H. Oliver. $70,000.
3–Moonlite Strike, 117, c, 3, Liam's Map–Twinkling, by War
Chant. ($45,000 RNA Wlg '18 KEENOV; $120,000 Ylg '19
KEESEP; $145,000 RNA 2yo '20 OBSMAR; $77,000 RNA 2yo '20
OBSOPN). O-Sonata Stable; B-Brushy Hill, LLC (KY); T-Saffie A.
Joseph, Jr. $35,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 15.40, 3.10, 34.60.
Also Ran: Unbridled Honor, King of Dreams, Awesome Gerry, Sittin On Go, Boca Boy, My Liberty, Super Strong, Candy Man Rocket, Promise Keeper.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Saturday’s $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) was always the target for Sole Volante following his local victory in the Feb. 8 Sam F. Davis (G3). Chance It was rerouted after being withdrawn from last Saturday’s Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park due to a wide draw.
They highlight a 12-horse field in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series qualifier at Tampa Bay Downs.
A total of 85 points (50-20-10-5 scale) will be up for grabs toward a Kentucky Derby berth, and the top draws will meet again after squaring off in the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park. Chance It got the better of his rival that afternoon, posting a head victory with Sole Volante 2 1/4 lengths back in third, and the Florida-bred son of Currency Swap will look to carry his momentum forward Saturday.
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Chance It reeled off a 7 1/4-length victory over state-bred rivals when annexing the In Reality division of the Florida Stallion Series two starts back at Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile distance. He cut back to a one-turn mile in the Mucho Macho Man, rallying from just off the pace up the inside to gamely defeat subsequent Fountain of Youth third-placer As Seen On Tv, and Chance It will add Paco Lopez and break from post 4 Saturday.
Sole Volante was making his first dirt start in the Mucho Macho Man after capturing a pair of turf starts for Patrick Biancone. The late-running gelding moved forward while stretching out to two turns in the Sam F. Davis, rallying boldly past odds-on favorite Independence Hall to win a widening 2 1/2-length margin, and the son of Karakontie registered a commendable 102 Brisnet Speed rating. Florent Geroux will replace an injured Luca Panici in the saddle.
Sole Volante has been established as the 2-1 morning line favorite, with Chance It the 5-2 second choice.
Tampa Bay Derby 2020 Picks
Market Analysis, who at 8-1 is the only runner listed at single digit odds on the morning line, will make his stakes debut for two-time Kentucky Derby winner Todd Pletcher. A $250,000 son of Honor Code, the gray colt was prominent from the start winning his first outing at Gulfstream on Jan. 25, scoring by nearly a length. He was flattered when runner-up Attachment Rate, who will run in Saturday’s Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct, came back to graduate by open lengths the next time out, and John Velazquez will be in to guide the promising Market Analysis.
Spa City jumps to stakes competition for Kiaran McLaughlin after posting a fast maiden win at Gulfstream. Stretching out to two turns last time, the Godolphin homebred son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense earned a 103 Brisnet Speed rating for his front-running tally. Daniel Centeno takes over the reins from an injured Jose Ortiz. Unrighteous, who finished three-quarters of a length behind Spa City in second last time, will also make his initial stakes attempt Saturday. Pletcher trains the dark bay son of Violence, and Unrighteous adds blinkers and shows a 5-furlong bullet work at Palm Beach Downs in preparation. Joe Bravo rides the maiden.
Pletcher has also entered Texas Swing, a last-out maiden winner at Tampa. King Guillermo, third as the favorite to Sole Volante in the grassy Pulpit S. when last seen in late November, will go turf to dirt for Juan Avila in his 3-year-old opener. Samy Camacho will be up on the Uncle Mo colt. Other runners include Holy Bull (G3) fourth-placer Relentless Dancer; last-out maiden victor Mo Mosa; and Bye Bye Melvin, who will switch surfaces after winning two straight on the Tampa turf for Graham Motion.