Wow! SAMSTAG Surprises in FLORIDA DERBY Lock Race!
Florida Derby — Derby Lock Prep Stakes
Grade I
A mile and one eighth on the Firm Turf Course
$1,000,000
All horses, 3 years old
Stakes record – 1999 – Velvet Blush, 1:48-1/5, SPF 106.211
After this weekend, three of the spots in this year’s Bluegrass Derby are set. In this weekend’s FLORIDA DERBY which was a Derby Lock race for the the Bluegrass, long shot SAMSTAG blew away the competiong and made his early mark as the one to beat in the big May race. With that win he gains an automatic berth for the Derby along with HOT AND SPICY from the ALL SAINTS DERBY and this weekend’s other winner, JEEPSTER in the SAND CASTLE LOCK race in Dubai. Now Trainer and owner Stupor1 Stables have to find a way to keep him training and healthy. I have it from an inside, unnamed source that this owner has had runners in the Bluegrass Derby before and certainly knows how to get his horses ready for that big race. Whether or not Stupor1 let’s the cat out of the bag before then, we will see. Perhaps I will be able to interview he or she during Derby Week.
SAMSTAG sure looked like a champion in this race, just missing the Stakes record held for nine years by VELVET BLUSH by 1/10th on the Speed Figure. I was worried about jockey Romine but he was able to bring this colt back from nearly 10 lengths back at the half to absolutely fly down the stretch and win rather easily in the end. This is the colt’s 4th victory in only 6 tries. He has now won four of five with only a slight slip to second in the G2 FOUNTAIN OF UTE two back. With the win he now has over three quarters of a million in earnings for trainer the mysterious trainer Stupor1 and looks like he is just hitting his stride. He ran his fastest race with a sizzling 106 SPF and did it quite easily. He improved his rank to number two in the three year old classic class.
There was a hard race for the lead between both MUMMRA and SANSKRIT . They battled each other fiercly for the first have of the race but neither of these colts could hold up to the fast pace and dropped way down at the finish. They were followed closely by SEEKING THE KILLER who was in first at the top of the stretch and looked like he would stay in that positon but was caught and fell to fourth but had a solid race. THUNDER CRACKED was dead last and as far back as eleven lengths during the race. He was just behind our winner, SAMSTAG at that point and they both put on a furious charge weaving through the field that put them in first and second. PURE SMOKE moved up past SEEKING THE KILLER for third but it was basically an afterthought in this race.
The way that SAMSTAG looked in this race doesn’t bode well for the rest of the Bluegrass Derby field. He reminds me of a couple of Lock race winner from last year that did well in the Derby and is a worthy addition. He won’t be a long shot next time out!
Good luck to all runners!
Email your comments to pazjazz.btb@gmail.comI love to hear from you!
