2026 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, scheduled on Saturday, March 7 and 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 152nd Run for the Roses on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

The biggest day of the 2025-26 Thoroughbred meet at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday promises excitement galore, with the added bonus of the emergence of one or more Kentucky Derby candidates from the Grade 3, $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby.

The top five finishers earn qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby on May 2 on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale.

First post for Saturday's 12-race card is at 12:15 pm. The Tamps Bay Derby is slated to go off at 5:35 pm.

Nine talented sophomores with Kentucky Derby aspirations will line up in the starting gate for the Grade 3, $400,000 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby and the 1 1/16 miles test presents the highly anticipated showdown between Canaletto and Further Ado at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday.

Canaletto is owned by Coolmore, Peter Brant and Brook Smith and was a $1 million purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale. The son of Into Mischief, trained by five-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, is making only his second start after a scintillating gate-to-wire score by eight lengths in a maiden special weight affair on Gulfstream Park's one-turn mile track on January 25. The colt will be asked to handle two turns while stepping all the way up into graded stakes company for the first time with Prat, the reigning champion jockey, back in the irons.

Further Ado who was bred by John Oxley and bought for $550,000 by Spendthrift Farm at the OBS Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale last April, is conditioned by two-time Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox. The son of Gun Runner already has 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points on his sheet by virtue of a victory in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs last November.

Further Ado is the sole stakes winner in the field. Based at Payson Park this winter, he's been turning heads in the morning.

"His works have been phenomenal," Cox told the Tampa Bay Downs publicity office. "He's really gotten through this track well. He's given us a lot of confidence. He looks really good since he arrived. He really put on weight and physically filled out a good bit since last fall."

Powershift comes from the powerhouse stable of trainer multiple Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher, who looks for his record-extending seventh win in the Tampa Bay Derby. Though the son of Constitution narrowly lost his first and only time out in a 1 mile 40-yard maiden race over this racing strip on February 7, Pletcher said he was so impressed with the effort that the Repole Stables colorbearer deserves his chance to handle the steep class jump.

Two others seeking to add to their Kentucky Derby points total are Talkin, who has earned five thus far, and The Puma, who has six on his ledger.

The Puma, whose connections are the same as Kentucky Derby winner Mage in trainer Gustavo Delgado and owner OGMA Investments, is experienced on the Trampa Bay Downs strip. He finished third in the Listed Sam F. Davis here one month ago.

Although there is a lot of chatter about Spendthrift Farm's Grade 2 winner Further Ado, who is making the first appearance of his sophomore season, but trainer Danny Gargan thinks it would be a mistake to leave Talkin out of the conversation.

Talkin is also beginning his 3-year-old campaign. He last raced at Aqueduct when finishing ninth in the Grade 2 Remen contested at 1 1/8 miles December 18.

Prior to the Remsen, when making his second start Talkin was the runner-up in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont on October 4 though he was beaten six lengths.

"He kind of got lost out in the 11-hole in the Remsen and he got hung out wide in the first turn. He just didn't get hold of the track that day. It's just one of those things where he didn't show up. In his other two races he got in trouble. The first time out he won (by a neck in a maiden special weight at Saratoga at 7 furlongs August 30) and then in the Champagne he got in trouble and still finished second. He got checked several times that day. Then in his last he got hung out wide, so hopefully he can turn in a big effort on Saturday," said Gargan.

Talkin, installed at 15-1, will break from Post 2 under Joel Rosario in the field of nine 3-year-olds traveling the Kentucky Derby trail. Redlands Rebels, Roger That Dana, Hulkamania, Powershift, Thunder Buck, The Puma, and Canaletto are entered to join Talkin and Further Ado in the starting gate.

Talkin has already earned five Kentucky Derby qualifying points and a good showing on Saturday would propel him toward Louisville and Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. The son of Good Magic has wintered at Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida and has turned in a steady progression of solid works these past couple of months.

"We gave him three or four weeks off after the Remsen and then he went to the farm where he was turned out and just jogged. Since he's come in (to the barn) he's marched right along and he's improved every week we've had him in. I think he's doing super well." His trainer said. "I don't necessarily think he has to win this one, he just has to run one, two, or three and get back on track and get going in the right direction."

The last time Gargan had a Kentucky Derby horse was 2024 when Society Man ran 16th and Dornoch finished 10th. Dornoch would go on to an exceptional season, winning both the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and the Grade 1 Haskell before being retired due to injury shortly before the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic.

There are similarities between Talkin, who were both sired by Good Magic. Talkin is owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Pine Racing Stables, Legendary Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding, and R. A. Hill Stable. Dornoch raced for an ownership group that included Randy Hill, Belmar, and Pine Racing.

"Talkin's a little different than Dornoch. Obviously, Dornoch was a big, strong, impressive horse. He's a real pretty horse. He's not a super big horse but he's a real pretty horse and he's a nice horse. He's a really talented horse. I wish we could have got one more work in him, but we've got to get a race in him now to make the next spot," said Gargan.

The trainer will be on track to saddle Talkin, and he'll send him to the gate with confidence.

"I think he's going to run really well. Hopefully, he redeems himself on Saturday," he said.

If Talkin does, he'll remind his connections of their former stable star Dornoch.

"Let's hope he turns out to be as good as him," Gargan said with a laugh.

The Tampa Bay Derby headlines a staked card featuring five stakes races on the track's prestigious Festival Day 46. The other stakes on Saturday's card are the Grade 2, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes for fillies and mares 4-years-old-and-upward at a distance of a mile-and-an-eighth on the turf course; the Grade 3, $200,000 Florida Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass; the Grade 3, $125,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes for horses 4-and-upward at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the main track; and the $125,000 Columbia Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on the turf.

The field for the Tampa Bay Derby in post position order with riders from the rail out is: Redland Rebels, Junior Alvarado; Talkin , Joel Rosario; Roger That Dana, Renzo Rojas; Hulkamania, Jareth Loveberry; Powershift, John Velazquez; Further Ado, Irad Ortiz, Jr., Thunder Buck, Samuel Marin; The Puma, Javier Castellano; Canaletto, Flavien Prat.

Tampa Bay Derby Probables

March 1 - The Tampa Bay Derby for 3-year-olds is the centerpiece of a glittering Festival Day 46 card offering five stakes races, four of which are graded, worth a combined $1,075,000 in purse money. Officials plan to get the day's action underway at noon.

The mile-and-a-sixteenth race over the Oldsmar main track has produced two winners of the Run for the Roses: Street Sense, who won both races in 2007, and Super Saver, who finished third in the 2010 Tampa Bay Derby before his victory in the world's most famous race at Churchill Downs.

The other stakes on Saturday's card are the Grade II, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes for fillies and mares 4-years-old-and-upward at a distance of a mile-and-an-eighth on the turf course; the Grade III, $200,000 Florida Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass; the Grade III, $125,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes for horses 4-and-upward at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the main track; and the $125,000 Columbia Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on the turf.

Although it's a little early to speculate on field sizes, the makeup of each of Saturday's five stakes is taking shape. The 46th edition of the ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby is likely to have a bona fide standout in Further Ado, a colt owned by Spendthrift Farm and trained by Brad Cox. He has two victories from four starts, and both have been ultra-impressive: a 20-length maiden-breaking score on Oct. 10 at Keeneland, followed seven weeks later by a triumph in the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Both victories came at the mile-and-a-sixteenth distance. What's more, Further Ado has been working exceptionally well for his 3-year-old debut, his most recent move a 5-furlong breeze Saturday in 49 2/5 seconds Saturday at Payson Park Training Center in Indiantown.

Another Tampa Bay Derby probable is Canaletto, who established himself as a colt with an extremely bright future in his lone career start, an 8-length victory at a distance of a mile on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park. Chad Brown trains Canaletto for owners Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter M. Brant and Brook T. Smith.

Other Tampa Bay Derby probables at press time include The Puma, trainer Gustavo Delgado's colt who finished third here in the Sam F. Davis Stakes on Feb. 7; trainer Patrick Biancone's Florida-bred gelding Redland Rebels, who finished second on Jan. 31 in the Kitten's Joy Stakes on the turf at Gulfstream; trainer Todd Pletcher's colt Powershift, second in his only start on Feb. 7 in a Tampa Bay Downs maiden special weight; and conditioner Danny Gargan's colt Talkin, who finished second in October in the Grade I Champagne Stakes at the Belmont At The Big A meet.

Two other probable starters as of now are multiple stakes-placed Roger That Dana, trained by Luis M. Ramirez, and trainer Whit Beckman's colt Hulkamania, who broke his maiden here on Feb. 8 going 7 furlongs in his only career start.

Trainer Cox could also have the likely favorite in the Hillsborough Stakes in his 4-year-old filly Fionn, who posted a 7-for-11 mark in 2025 with earnings in excess of $2-million. She won five stakes races - four of the graded variety - including the Grade I Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 5 at Saratoga.

Another 4-year-old filly from the Cox barn, Destino d'Oro, is currently listed as a "possible" Hillsborough starter. Her biggest career victory came on Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park in the Grade II Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, her fifth career triumph from eight starts.

Probable Hillsborough starters, in addition to Fionn, include trainer Mark Casse's 4-year-old And One More Time, winner of a Grade I stakes at Woodbine as a 2-year-old; trainer Bill Mott's 4-year-old Scythian, a Grade II winner as a 2-year-old who finished third here on Jan. 31 in the Grade III Endeavour Stakes; stakes-winning 5-year-old mare Proctor Street, from the barn of Brendan Walsh; and Aunt Mo, a 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo trained by Arthur Agostini.

Currently listed as possible is 4-year-old Golden Sunshine, trained by Eoin Harty.

The probables list for the Florida Oaks is headed by Time to Dream, a stakes-winner trained by Todd Pletcher who finished third last fall in the Grade II Jessamine Stakes presented by Keeneland Sales at Keeneland.

Also expected to compete are Abigail, trainer Miguel Clement's filly who is 2-for-2 over the Tampa Bay Downs turf course; Kokomotion, who turned in a memorable debut performance for trainer Whit Beckman by winning a Feb. 7 maiden special weight race at Tampa Bay Downs by 6 ¼ lengths; Laigina, a stakes-placed filly trained by Biancone; Backgammon, trained by Casse; Special Wood, a French-bred filly trained by Tom Proctor; Bramble Blast, trained by Mike Dini; and conditioner Philip Bauer's Tam Tam.

Listed as possible for the Florida Oaks are trainer Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.'s Dandona and James Toner's Tideoftime.

With three-time Michelob Ultra Challenger winner Skippylongstocking expected to compete Saturday in the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap on the West Coast, trainer Joseph is expected to start 4-year-old Florida-bred colt Neoequos at Tampa Bay Downs. Neoequos won the Sunshine Turf Stakes on Jan. 17 at Gulfstream Park in his most recent start.

Cox could have the Michelob Ultra Challenger favorite in 4-year-old colt Disco Time, who began his career with five consecutive victories, including the Grade III Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds last year.

The Michelob Ultra Challenger field is also expected to feature Pletcher's 4-year-old colt Disruptor, a sharp allowance/optional claiming winner here on Jan. 31 going 7 furlongs; 4-year-old Racing Driver, a four-time winner for Gustavo Delgado; Catalytic, a Grade III-placed 5-year-old trained by Antonio Sano; Solo Venturi, a 4-year-old trained by Will Walden; and Paynter's Prodigy, a 5-year-old gelding trained by Enrique Hernandez.

Casse and rival trainer H. Graham Motion are expected to start serious contenders in the Columbia Stakes. Casse is the conditioner of 3-year-old gelding Alpyland, who won the Dania Beach Stakes on New Year's Day at Gulfstream, then settled for a third-place finish there on Jan. 31 in the Kitten's Joy Stakes.

Motion is expected to send out Proton, who won the Laurel Futurity last fall and finished second on Oct. 31 at Del Mar in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes.

Also expected to start in the Columbia are trainer Jose Francisco D'Angelo's Bronze Bullet, who was disqualified to second from an apparent victory on Nov. 28 at Gulfstream in the Pulpit Stakes; trainer Lynn Rarick's duo of Mr Mo's Magic, who won a 1-mile allowance/optional claiming event here on Feb. 14, and Knick's Honor; Vino Solo, who is 2-for-2 on the Oldsmar turf course for trainer Mario Roberto Lopez; and A Million Dreams, multiple stakes-placed for trainer Kevin Rice.

Road To the Kentucky Derby Stops Goes Through Tampa

Feb 25 - Will the road to the Kentucky Derby go through the Grade 3, $400,000 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby, as it did for Street Sense in 2007 and Super Saver in 2010?

Or has the Kentucky Derby winner already been here this winter, perhaps in the imposing presence of Renegade, the dominant winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes here on Feb. 7?

Partial answers may be forthcoming on Saturday, March 7 when Tampa Bay Downs plays host to Festival Day 46, a collection of five stakes races - four of them graded - with the 46th edition of the mile-and-a-sixteenth Tampa Bay Derby for 3-year-olds on the dirt the main event.

The winner of the Oldsmar showcase will receive 50 points toward qualifying for the 152nd Kentucky Derby on May 2. The next four finishers receive 25, 15, 10 and 5 points.

The Tampa Bay Derby closed last weekend with 38 nominations including Renegade, one of six from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who has won the race a record six times. Other top trainers with multiple nominations include Brad Cox and Saffie A. Joseph, Jr., with four apiece and Chad Brown with three.

The Tampa Bay Derby has attracted a number of leading 3-year-olds that will surely dominate the Thoroughbred racing stage from now until the first Saturday in May. And at this early point, a lot of experts look at the stables of trainers with experience in major races.

So why not start with Pletcher, who in addition to Renegade has nominated Nearly, the Florida-bred winner of the Grade III Holy Bull Stakes on Jan. 31 at Gulfstream, and Jackson Hole, an impressive conditional allowance winner on Jan. 17 at Fair Grounds.

The best of Cox's four nominees could be Further Ado, who is unraced since winning the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at the Tampa Bay Derby distance on Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs. Among Cox's other nominations is Confessional, who finished a mystifying seventh in the Sam F. Davis.

Joseph's quartet of nominations includes Solitude Dude, who won the Inaugural Stakes here on Dec. 6 by 8 lengths and captured the Swale Stakes on Jan. 31 at Gulfstream to improve to 3-for-3. He has yet to race at a distance beyond one turn.

Brown, who won the Tampa Bay Derby in 2024 with Domestic Product, has nominated another promising colt from owner Klaravich Stables: Emerging Market, who broke his maiden on the Feb. 7 Sam F. Davis undercard.

The second and third-place finishers in the Sam F. Davis are nominated: Florida-bred Wayne's Law, trained by Amador Merei Sanchez, and The Puma, from the barn of Gustavo Delgado.

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