Sam F. Davis Highlights Festival Preview Day at Tampa

A dozen races and four stakes led by the $250,000 Sam F. Davis highlights Festival Preview Day at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday.

The Sam F. Davis drew a field of 10 three-year-olds that will go 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The race is a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race with 20-10-6-4-2 points up for grabs toward entry into the 2025 Run for the Roses.

Supporting the Sam F. Davis on Saturday is the $150,000 Suncoast for three-year-old fillies which is a Road to the Kentucky Oaks points race. The other two stakes on the card are the $100,000 Minaret and the $125,000 Pelican.

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The 2-1 morning line favorite for the Sam F. Davis is the Brian Lynch trained Own Almighty. The son of Speightstown crossed the wire first in the seven-furlong Pasco over the Tampa main track on Jan. 11 but was disqualified for interference and placed fifth. Irad Ortiz Jr. gets the return call.

The Mark Casse trained La Cara is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the Suncoast. The filly makes her first start since finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) last November at Del Mar.

First post on the 12 race card at Tampa Bay Downs is 12:05 ET. Wager $250 or more on the Tampa card and earn a FREE $20 free wager. Check out all of our promos on our Daily Promotions page.

Sam F. Davis 2M2P Stats

Let’s head out to Tampa Bay Downs for Saturday’s featured race of the day:

Tampa Bay Downs Race 11 The Sam F. Davis Post time 5:14 ET

2 Treaty of Rome 6-1

6 Owen Almighty 2-1

8 Naughty Rascal 6-1

7 Poster 4-1

Treaty of Rome

This colt shipped down to Gulfstream Park off a maiden score in his second career start to run a game second in the Mucho Macho Man going a one turn mile. The Brown trainee was beaten just a neck while nearly four lengths clear of the rest of the field. The winner Guns Loaded did not fire in his next start in a seventh-place finish in the Holy Bull (G3) but the fourth-place finisher Mucho Magic ran a decent second in the Swale in his next start.

The colt is bred to handle his first trip around two turns, by Uncle Mo out of a Montjeu mare. The colt put in a good breeze on Feb. 1 at Payson and looks primed for a top effort. Decent value if this guy goes off near his 6-1 morning line.

Owen Almighty

The Lynch trainee came back off a four-month break with a game effort crossing the wire first in the Pasco at seven furlongs over the main track. Irad cut off a foe and ended up getting DQ’d and placed fifth. The colt won his first two starts, then ran a good second in the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs going a one turn mile.

The colt picks up blinkers here on the stretch out for Lynch who is 16% winners moving runners from sprint to route. The colt is quick but there is plenty of early zip signed up so Irad likely is going to have this guy sitting third or fourth. He should be able to handle the extra ground.

Naughty Rascal

The colt was the beneficiary of the DQ in the Pasco and was elevated to the win. The colt has won 4 of his 6 starts including a one-mile win on turf in the Armed Forces at Gulfstream Park three back. This colt has the right running style for this pace set up as he should be sitting close in the second flight. He has given every indication he can handle the stretch out to two turns on dirt.