2025 Tampa Bay Derby Entries at Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Derby awards top-five finishers 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points

The Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, contested at a distance of a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the main dirt track, awards 50 "Road to the Kentucky Derby" points to the winner toward qualifying for the 151st Run for the Roses on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

Sam F. Davis Winner John Hancock Possible for Tampa Bay Derby (G3)

Feb 9 - The top three finishers in Saturday's $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs - John Hancock, Owen Almighty and Poster - have climbed into the top 13 of point-getters on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby," the series of races determining eligibility for the Run for the Roses on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

John Hancock, who set a stakes record of 1:42.27 for the mile-and-a-sixteenth distance under jockey Flavien Prat in only his second career start, earned 20 points to move into a six-way tie for third on the list (tiebreakers are employed to determine a horse's official standing).

Poster earned six points for finishing third, giving him 16 and a tie for 10th with Getaway Car. Next in line with 15 are Jonathan's Way and Owen Almighty, who earned 10 points for his game second-place Sam F. Davis finish.

The top 18 point-getters through the Lexington Stakes on April 12 at Keeneland qualify for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, along with the top point-earners from Europe and Japan.

John Hancock and Owen Almighty staged a race-long duel that wasn't far off the 2007 Grade III Tampa Bay Derby showdown between Street Sense and Any Given Saturday for excitement and flat-out Thoroughbred racing excellence.

With dominant Suncoast Stakes winner La Cara, Pelican Stakes winner Nutella Fella and Minaret winner Nic's Style contributing mightily to a non-stop afternoon of thrilling competition, plus a strong roster of out-of-town jockeys, Festival Preview Day 45 was a rousing success.

Currently atop the Kentucky Derby point standings with 60 points is Citizen Bull, trainer Bob Baffert's 2024 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance winner who kicked off his 3-year-old season on Feb. 1 by winning the Grade III Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita.

Speed King, who won the Grade III Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 25 for trainer Ron Moquett, is second with 25 points.

The "Road to the Kentucky Derby" returns to Tampa Bay Downs on March 8 with the 45th running of the Grade III, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, also at a mile-and-a-sixteenth. In addition to being the centerpiece of a stakes-laden Festival Day 45 card, the race is part of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, with 50 points awarded to the winner, then 25, 15, 10 and 5 to the next four finishers.

Brad Cox, who trains John Hancock for owners WinStar Farm and CHC, Inc., told the Daily Racing Form after the race he would be inclined to give the son of Constitution more time before his next start, due in large part to the demanding nature of the Sam F. Davis. Regardless of his decision, there should be no shortage of top horses seeking points to stamp a ticket to Louisville.

OffTrackBetting.com - US Legal Tampa Bay Downs betting online is a great way to bet on the Tampa Bay Derby. Available to customers across the United States, OTB features both Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing from major racing venues in the US as well as top international racing from Europe, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong.