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Tampa Bay Downs is the place for one of the two Kentucky Derby prep races on Saturday with the Tampa Bay Derby.  The other is the Rebel from Oaklawn Park, which will be drawn on Thursday.  In addition to the Tampa Bay Derby the three-year-old fillies also get their chance to shine in the Florida Oaks.  The 12-race card also includes the Hillsborough for older fillies and mares on the turf and the Turf Dash, a five-furlong race on the grass.

The Tampa Bay Derby goes as race 11 and drew a field of only seven.  Rule, the winner of the local prep Sam F. Davis, will not run in this race, but his trainer Todd Pletcher will be represented by Super Saver.  He has not raced since last November, a winning effort in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club.  Super Saver is likely to set the pace from post six just in front of Schoolyard Dreams and Odysseus.

Schoolyard Dreams finished three lengths behind Rule in the Sam F. Davis after tracking him the whole race.  Schoolyard Dreams finished a length in front of Uptowncharlybrown, who is also entered here.  Uptowncharlybrown vied for favoritism with Rule during the betting and was the solid second choice.  He was last early and made an outside move only to stall a little.  Uptowncharlybrown’s races have been increasingly better and his workout on March 7 suggests he is no worse for the wear.  The blinkers go on for a trainer who is 27% with that move the first time.

Odysseus is the horse that could be any kind and there should be a buzz surrounding him come Saturday.  He was second in his debut, and then showed up at Gulfstream to break his maiden before shipping to Tampa to win a first level allowance by 15 lengths.  He was super impressive and is a top prospect for trainer Tom Albertrani and Padua Stables.  The four horses mentioned tower over the other three and each had a speed figure of 91 or 93 in their last.  They are likely to complete the superfecta.

Race nine is the Florida Oaks and drew a bigger field of 10, but as with the Tampa Bay Derby only several horses stand out.  The favorite is likely to come from one of two horses, She Be Wild and Diva Delite.  She Be Wild won the BC Juvenile Fillies last year, but disappointed in her return to the races.  She will probably fair better in her second off the layoff, but her wins have only come on a synthetic surface.  In contrast, Diva Delite has all her wins on a dirt surface and has won four in a row.  In her 14 career starts she has won seven of them and has only been out of the money in one start.  She just knows how to win and has responded to every test so far.

The Hillsborough goes as race eight and the Turf Dash as race 10.  Lady Shakespeare will hope for firm ground after being scratched a couple of times in the last month, but she is not an overwhelming favorite.  Tottie has been very good since coming to North America and is a definite threat.   The Turf Dash is a wide-open affair and features the 2009 Tampa Bay Derby winner Musket Man.  It would be a good win for the connections after losing stablemate Big Truck earlier this week.  They also have Schoolyard Dreams.  It should be a great day at the Oldsmar oval.

At Gulfstream Park on Saturday the theme of the late pick-4 is turf racing.  All four races are on the grass including the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride for three-year-old fillies and the Grade 3 Palm Beach for open three-year-olds.  The sequence gets under with the Herecomesthebride, which goes as race seven.

The race drew a field of nine and each of the nine entrants has a shot of crossing the line first.  The hunch play of the race has got to be Musical Romance.  She did not take to the synthetic track at Ocala, but two back she beat In the Rough, who came back to win the Coconut Grove stakes.  In the Rough is listed at 4-1 on the morning line and Musical Romance is twice that at 8-1.  Check the Label, Upperline, and Khancord Kid all finished behind In the Rough in the Coconut Grove.  Apple Charlotte and Dynazaper are two new shooters and are definite threats.  The trainer/jockey combinations for each of those two are outstanding on the turf.

Two races later is the Palm Beach, which could have had Lentenor and Interactif, but those two will try their luck on the Derby trail.  Bim Bam defeated Interactif in his last by a nose and is the horse to beat in the Palm Beach.  Bim Bam has four wins in nine career starts and has yet to finish worse than third.  He is also a neck away from being three-for-three on the turf.  If Bim Bam doesn’t win then it is anyone’s game.  Mott and Desormeaux again team up in this race with Mutiny and Lethal Combination could be one to watch in his first race in North America for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

A carryover of just over $82,000 is up for grabs in the pick-6 at Santa Anita on Thursday.  There is also a Super High-5 carryover of just over $41,000 in their last race as well.  The pick-6 sequence gets started with race three, which has a post time of 2:02 PST.

Race three is a starter allowance on turf and only Worth a Punt has run on the grass.  Unusual Encounter hasn’t raced on the turf, but is by Unusual Heat and goes for the trainer-jock combination of Barry Abrams and Chantal Sutherland.  Guerrero Negro is another to consider for Paco Gonzalez.  In race four The Legal Blonde drops from maiden special weight into a maiden claimer and is the one to beat.  Secret Oath is another to consider as well as the long shot Dame Camille, who has put in some good workouts since her last.  Race five contenders include Soldier Betty, Shadow Queen, Argenta, Pivotal Queen, and Lucy Got Lucky.  Pivotal Queen will be the favorite and though she hasn’t raced since June she is dropping way down in class and has good works.

The back half of the pick-6 begins with a sprint down the hill and Within Reason will try to lead gate to wire.  Crossing the Line is another threat and should get a favorable pace setup.  Valid Mecke had to need his last and will be better fit for this race.  Race seven is a good two turn allowance for three-year-old fillies.  Sister Dawn is the morning line favorite and the horse to beat, but both Smart Seattle and Folk Dancer can spring the upset.  The last race is another toughie, a maiden special weight down the hillside turf course.  Streamline Baby makes her first start for a good debut trainer, but did draw the rail.  There are many others that fit in this race and include as many as possible.  A big long shot is Trail Beyond who is 30-1 on the morning line, but has perked up in his morning workouts.  This sequence may set up a carryover into tomorrow.

Saturday is the 73^rd running of the Grade 1, $750,00 Santa Anita Handicap and a full field waits.  In all 14 were entered, including one mare.  The mare is not Zenyatta, who will kick off her 2010 campaign, but it is the five-year-old St. Trinians.  St. Trinians is a perfect four-for-four in this country and it should be noted that all three of her wins in England were against the boys.  She isn’t a pretty mover, but she gets the job done.

If St. Trinians is going to make it five straight she is going to need to run the race of her life because there are some pretty salty runners in the field.  Pick Six, Mast Track, Marsh Side, and Dakota Phone all exit the Grade 2 San Antonio, which was won by Richard’s Kid.  Dakota Phone finished best of the others and only fell short by a head.  Dakota Phone looked like a winner in deep stretch, but Richard’s Kid found a seam on the rail and exploded late.  Mast Track again looks like the speed of the race, but the distance is a big concern.

Rendezvous, Eagle Poise, Misremembered, and Jeranimo all ran in the Strub Stakes in their last.  Jeranimo was very impressive in winning and has used races to keep him fit and ready.  Jeranimo drew the 14 post, but with the 1 ¼-mile distance post should not play that much of a factor.  Misremembered was the Strub favorite and finished second 1 ¼-lenghts behind.  Misremembered should get a good stalking trip in the second flight and should be tighter in his second start off a layoff.  Neko Bay skipped the San Antonio and Strub and has been first or second in 10 of 13 career starts.

In addition to the local horses there are three ship-ins and one horse going turf to synthetic.  The three shippers are Pool Play, Tiger’s Rock, and Delightful Kiss.  Both Pool Play and Delightful Kiss have won over synthetic surfaces before and are threats from back of the pack.  Tiger’s Rock is actually cutting back in distance.  His last five have been at 1 ½-miles or more and has won four of those.  He does have a win over the synthetic surface at Keeneland and jockey David Cohen makes his return to Southern California.  Loup Breton is the one horse going from turf-to-synthetic and he is only a neck away from winning three straight.  He has raced at this distance before in France and Hong Kong, but does not show a win at the distance on his past performances.  His last race was visually impressive and he really only got going deep in the stretch.  If he can handle the surface, which he has seemingly trained well over, he will be dangerous.

The Big ‘Cap is an extremely wide-open affair and is a spread race in the late pick-4, which carries a guaranteed pool of $500,000.  The first two races of that sequence are the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile.  Blind Luck is the one to beat in the Oaks and the extra sixteenth of a mile only aids her chances.  All Due Respect looks to be training well for her first start on synthetics and Cozi Rosie is another threat.  The Kilroe is tough too and even includes the mare Tuscan Evening.  Red Sun is making a big jump in class, but he has been so impressive in his last three and he will be out there on the front end.  Red Alert Day doesn’t seem likely, but Bejarano lands here after riding both Red Sun and Tuscan Evening in their last.

This pick-4 is going to pay very well.