Hillsborough Stakes 2016 at Tampa Bay Downs

OffTrackBetting.com - Tampa Bay Downs in Tampa, Florida will be the scene of the Grade 2 Hillsborough Stakes on Saturday, March 12. A purse of $150,000 will be on the line for fillies and mares four years old and upward as they take to Tampa Bay's turf track and race 1 1/8 miles.

10 older females will line up in the Hillsborough Stakes - race 10 on Tampa Bay's Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:54 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all 10 entries for this Grade 2 stakes - nine of which will likely be chasing the overwhelming favorite.

2016 Hillsborough Stakes Race Preview

Tepin - Eclipse Award winner for Female Turf - Mark Casse trained mare has 16 career starts with eight wins, three seconds and a third place finish. She enters having not finished worse than second in her last eight starts with six wins over that span. She arrives on on the heels of a terrific three race win streak - the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths here February 13, the Breeders' Cup Mile against the boys and by an impressive seven lengths and in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes October 3. Before that were consecutive seconds - the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes August 29 and the Grade 1 Diana Stakes in July. She also had wins in the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes in June and the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile in May. Tepin has been sensational the last year and will try to keep the roll going from gate 6 with Julien Leparoux aboard this overwhelming and obvious favorite as the 122 pound co-highweight.

Isabella Sings - Todd Pletcher trained filly has four wins and three second place finishes in 11 career starts. She enters off a career best effort - a win in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs November 14. It followed a fourth in the minor Pebble Stakes October 12, a respectable second in the Grade 3 Boiling Springs Stakes in September and a nice win in the minor Little Silver Stakes at Monmouth Park in July. Isabella Sings has looked strong the last six months and could contend from the rail Saturday. John Velazquez gets the call.

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Ball Dancing - defending runner-up finisher in this race - Chad Brown trained mare will make her first start since an eighth place finish in the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park June 6. She looked good before that disappointing result - a win in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes last April followed consecutive runner-up finishes - last year's Hillsborough Stakes and the Grade 1 QE II Challenge Cup and a win in the Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes in September, 2014. Ball Dancing now has four wins and three second place finishes in 10 career starts and hopes to bounce back from an uncharacteristic outing eight months ago. Javier Castellano has the mount on the 122 pound co-highweight from the outside post 10 Saturday.

Button Down - Josie Carroll trained filly has three wins and six seconds in 14 career starts and has three wins and two seconds in her last six starts overall. Last time out was one of those wins - the Grade 3 Cardinal Handicap November 21 which followed an uncharacteristic fifth in the Grade 1 EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in October and consecutive runner up finishes -in her graded stakes debut - the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes September 13 and the minor Flaming Page Stakes August 15. Before that were two more wins - an Allowance in July and a maiden score in May in her eighth career start. Button Down has been impressive indeed and looks to keep the roll going in her first start in four months from post 7 with Joe Bravo guiding her.

Danza Cavallo - French bred Chad Brown trained filly had three wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 11 career starts at home and has been OK in seven starts in North America. She debuted here with a good second in the 2014 Long Island Handicap and followed that with an Allowance score at Keeneland in April. She stumbled a tad after that - an eighth in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes August 29 followed a tenth in the Fasig-Tipton Waya Stakes August 8 and a fifth in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita in May. She has looked better since - a runner-up finish last time out in the Grade 3 Long Island Handicap at Aqueduct November 7 followed a second behind eventual Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Stephanie's Kitten in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont Park October 3. Danza Cavallo had been unflattering before her last two starts and hopes to build some momentum off those results - from post 9 with Jose Ortiz in the saddle.

Lovely Loyree - has placed in 12 of 14 career starts for trainer Michele Boyce - five wins, three seconds and four third place finishes. Last time out was a respectable third behind Tepin in her graded stakes debut - the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes here February 13. That followed a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track January 13, a nice win in the minor Stickney Handicap in October and consecutive runner-up finishes in Allowance Optional Claiming races. Lovely Loyree has been in every race the last two years and is expected to be competitive again Saturday. Fernando De La Cruz will be in the saddle from post 5.

Rainha Da Bateria - 2014 Grade 3 Jessamine Stakes winner - Graham Motion trained filly has two wins, three seconds and a third place finish in 11 career starts. She enters this week on the heels of consecutive runner-up finishes - the Grade 3 Suwannee Stakes February 6 at Gulfstream and the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes in November after failing to hit the board in her previous three starts - all stakes. She has been trending upward ahead of this weekend and will be after her first win in 16 months Saturday from post 3. Edgar Prado has the mount.

Bureau de Change - Brian Lynch trained mare has four wins and two third place finishes in nine career starts. She made her stakes debut last time out and finished fifth in the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes on this track February 13 after two straight Allowance Optional Claiming scores on this track this past winter. Bureau de Change looked good before a slight stumble last time out and will be chasing her first stakes score from gate 4 Saturday with Florent Geroux aboard.

Speed Seeker - 2014 Grade 3 Ontario Colleen Stakes winner and last year's third place finisher in this race has failed to place in three of her last four starts for trainer Joan Scott. Last time out was a sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track January 13 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score also here December 12, a fourth in a similar race in November and a tenth in the Grade 3 Athenia Stakes at Belmont Park in October. She now has four wins, a second and a third place finish in 17 career starts and enters in less-than-spectacular form. Manuel Cruz has been tabbed to ride from gate 2.

Royal Jewely - Gerald Bennett trained filly has six wins, a second and a third place finish in 14 career starts. She makes her graded stakes debut Saturday on the heels of consecutive Starter Allowance wins - last time out February 25 and January 14 - both results on this track. She failed to place in her previous three starts however. Royal Jewely arrives in career best form and hopes for three straight wins from gate 8 with Daniel Centeno in the irons.

2016 Hillsborough Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 10 on Tampa Bay Downs's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:54 PM.