🏇🏾 Happy Saturday & National Meatball Day!
As we've done for the past 30 years, our coveted Lundin Line heads to Tampa Bay Downs for National Meatball Day. (Note: it might be less than 30 years 🤔)
Anyway - today, we do find ourselves on the west coast of the Sunshine State for a very nice 12-race card offered up by the fine folks at Tampa Bay Downs. BTW - in case you're wondering why tracks use the name "Downs,"?
Well, according to the encyclopedia website Britannica.com, the term downs dates to around 1500, when races in Great Britain and Ireland were held on grassy plains before racetracks existed. These grassy areas were known as downs because they were low points where water would collect. Today, tracks that use Downs maintain the connection to the earliest days of the Sport of Kings.
The featured race today is the G3, 400K Tampa Bay Derby in R11, a 1 1/16-mile dirt race for 3-year-olds. First run in 1981, this race (while not having the star appeal of its fellow Florida track Gulfstream) has kept pace (pun intended) in producing successful entrants for that other Derby run on the first Saturday in May. Tampa Bay Derby runners-up Menifee (1999) and Impeachment (2000) went on to hit the board in the Kentucky Derby. In 2006, runner-up Bluegrass Cat gave the TB Derby even more street cred. when he finished second in the Kentucky Derby, and Street Sense surpassed that in 1997 by winning both the Tampa Bay Derby and the Kentucky Derby.
While all eyes today are on the hot trainer, Jose Francisco D'Angelo to see if he can continue his winning ways with No More Time (winner of the Sam F. Davis last month), trainer Chad Brown will counter with Domestic Product (finishing 2nd in last month's Holy Bull S.). Brown will also be putting another strong contender out there in Good Money, who broke his maiden at Tampa Bay in Jan. All that said, we cannot overlook the most successful trainer associated with the TB Derby, Todd Pletcher. His entrant Heartened (by Street Boss) is coming off an impressive maiden-breaking win in Feb. at Tampa, earning an Equibase speed figure of 94.
In addition to the TB Derby, today's card includes four other Stakes races, including three graded stakes. In other words, there are plenty of opportunities to make some money! 💰 While there is a chance for some rain today, we're hoping that we stay (mostly) dry.
Need help pickin' winners? We've got you covered! Our #LundinLine - (Always Free) top pix and best bets are below in this post. We use them to help narrow down the field while we're puttin' our tickets together. First post will be here soon, so don't be late -
It's time to get #InTheMoney! 💰💰💰
Oh, and don't forget to follow us @_TurtleSports and subscribe to our site so you don't miss any of the action. You'll be glad you did! Let's Ride! 🏇🏾
Tampa Bay Downs 🏇🏾 // Sat., March 9th, 2024
1st Post @ 11:55 ET (8:55 PT)
R1: 3-1-10-8
R2: 1⭑-3-6-10
R3: 3-10-5-6
R4: 12-3-5-6
R5: 4-9-5-13
R6Ⓢ: 3-2-6
R7Ⓢ: 7⭑-8-2-5
R8: 3-9-1-4
R9Ⓢ: 7-1-2-5
R10Ⓢ: 11-7-6-5
R11Ⓢ/DP: 5-7-9-1
W: 7-5-9-1
Finky: 5-1-4-7
Bill: 5-7-9-4
R12: 2-3-9-7
⭑Best Bets
R2: Practical Way (#1)
R7: In a Jam (#7)
Ⓢtakes Races
R6: 100K Michelob Ultra Challenger S. (G3)
R7: 75K Columbia S.
R9: 225K Hillsborough S. (G2)
R10: 200K Florida Oaks (G2)
R11: 400K Tampa Bay Derby (G3)
Derby Prep: points=50-25-15-10-5
Hit us up @_TurtleSports, and let us know what you think!
-TSL
/ As always, please forgive any typos and grammatical errors
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