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DON JENSENFast fractions and a denied comeback are the highlights of the Tampa Bay Breeders' Cup.
OLDSMAR - The 10th stakes race of the season at Tampa Bay Downs was about a horse that's retiring and an owner who's supposed to be retired.
Burning Roma, a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred owned by Clearwater's Harold Queen, held off a charging Remind by a neck Saturday to win the 18th running of the $100,000 Tampa Bay Breeders' Cup.
Burning Roma, which had an outstanding trip with jockey Jesus Castanon, has consecutive Breeders' Cup triumphs.
The Heather Giglio-trained horse joined Delay of Game (2000-01) as the event's only two-time winners.
A crowd of 4,539 on a rainy day saw Burning Roma post his 12th victory in 30 starts. He toured the 1 1/16-mile turf course in 1 minute, 41.68 seconds, and earned $60,000 to raise his career earnings to $1,385,037.
"(Burning Roma) was fit enough and sharp enough to beat these horses," said Queen, who has more than 40 stakes victories. "Jesus rode him perfectly."
Castanon, the second-leading rider at Tampa Bay Downs, kept Burning Roma off the pace as speedsters Milky Way Guy, Above the Wind and Beau Classic set blistering fractions (22.72, 46.13 and 1:10.27). Entering the stretch, Castanon had Burning Roma in front by 11/2 lengths and a late rally by Remind, also a Kentucky-bred, came up short.
"I just let my horse run his race," Castanon said. "He was getting a little tired near the end, but he had enough left. I can't thank the owner and trainer enough for giving me this opportunity."
Burning Roma paid $8.80, $4.20 and $3.80. Remind, the favorite, returned $3 and $2.80. Native Hawk was another 21/2 lengths back for third and paid $9.80.
This is expected to be Burning Roma's final year of competition after being lightly raced in 2003. A hoof injury limited him to five starts last year.
"He went through a period in which he had one race in eight months," Queen said. "This (year) will probably be the end of his racing career. Heck, I'm supposed to be retired myself. But this winning gets to be a lot of fun."
Burning Roma was making his second start of 2004. On Jan. 24, he finished sixth as the favorite in the 7-furlong Super Stakes, his first start in almost four months.
After winning his racing debut by 81/2 lengths, Burning Roma's next 11 victories have come in stakes races. He has competed on turf just three times, winning twice.
"We're going to try to keep him on the turf as much as possible," Giglio said. "We've worked with him a lot and you saw the results."
Burning Roma ruined a shot at a hat trick for jockey Federico Mata and trainer Ronald Allen Sr., with Above the Wind. Mata and Allen teamed to win the previous two races on the card with Post Its Awesome and I Match Too, which returned $104.80. Above the Wind ran fourth.
"We just got beat by better horses," Allen said. "But overall, we had a pretty good day."
Allen's two wins gave him the trainers' lead at the track with 15.