By Margaret Ransom
Independence Hall – Photo Courtesy of NYRA
In the early runnings of Tampa Bay Downs’ Sam F. Davis (G3), which will be contested Saturday for the 40th time, the race wasn’t really considered a serious one for trainers with legitimate 3-year-olds headed toward the Kentucky Derby (G1) on the first Saturday in May.
All that changed in 2001 when talented and fan-favorite Burning Roma (fourth in the 2000 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, captured the race an then won the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), thus establishing himself as a legit graded stakes performer. For his career, Burning Roma ran at the elite level 36 times and earned more than $1.5 million.
A few years later, Bluegrass Cat won the Sam Davis for trainer Todd Pletcher, and the colt wound up second in the 2006 Derby and the Belmont Stakes (G1). Other notable runners in the race include Any Given Saturday, General Quarters, Vinceremos, McCraken, Flameaway, Destin, and Well Defined a year ago. Though no Classic winners have emerged from a win in the Sam Davis, the 1 1/16-mile event has turned into a popular spot for Derby hopefuls. And, of course, it offers Road to the Derby qualifying points of 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.
The race was named for the former president of Tampa Bay Downs and one of Tampa’s best-known businessmen, who died in 1993, and started in 1981. It has served as the traditional prep for the Tampa Bay Derby, which will be run March 7. Five winners of the Sam Davis have gone on to win the Tampa Bay Derby — Phantom Jet (1987), Speedy Cure (1991), Marco Bay (1993), Thundering Storm (1996) and Burning Roma (2001).
Pletcher has saddled six winners of this race — Bluegrass Cat, Any Given Saturday (2007), Rule (2010); Brethren (2011); Vinceremos (2014), and Destin, 2016). John Velazquez has been aboard three winners — Bluegrass Cat, Rule and Destin.
Even though the winner of a Triple Crown race has yet to emerge from this race, a good field of eight will assemble, including unbeaten Independence Hall.
The field, with jockeys, trainers, odds, pedigree:
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds | Pedigree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ajaaweed | Joel Rosario | Kiaran McLaughlin | 4-1 | Curlin-Asiya, by Daaher | |
| 2 | Sole Volante | Luca Panici | Patrick Biancone | 8-1 | Karakontie-Light Blow, by Kingmambo | |
| 3 | Albert Park | Pablo Morales | , Michael Stidham | 15-1 | Street Sense-Indy Five Hundred, by A.P. Indy | |
| 4 | Independence Hall | Jose Ortiz | Michael Trombetta | 6-5 | Constitution-Kalahari Cat, by Cape Town | |
| 5 | No Getting Over Me | Samy Camacho | Gerald Bennett | 20-1 | He’s Had Enough-Lady Cheryl, by Williamstown | |
| 6 | Premier Star | John Velazquez | Jorge Navarro | 3-1 | Tapiture—Letthetigerparty, Hold That Tiger | |
| 7 | Tiz Rye Time | Julien Leparoux | Ian Wilkes | 20-1 | Tiznow-Shanon Nicole, by Majestic Warrior | |
| 8 | Chapalu | Daniel Centeno | Arnaud Delacour | 8-1 | Flatter—Panther Strike, by Black Minnalouche |
