Parimutuels

State-bred horses get to shine at Florida Cup

By DON JENSEN
Published April 9, 2005

OLDSMAR - It's Florida Cup Day at Tampa Bay Downs.

The highlights:

Six $75,000 stakes races.

Large, competitive fields.

Heavy focus on Florida-bred horses.

A trainer from the small Texas town of Gilmer hopes that setting works in his favor.

"I enjoy running good horses in good races," Tom Proctor said. "It beats running bad horses in bad races. I'm really looking forward to the day."

Proctor, one of the most successful trainers at this year's Tampa Bay Downs meet, has three solid contenders in three of the six stakes races. Joyful Ballad, Rich in Spirit and Forever Brilliantare among the early-line favorites.

The six stakes races will run consecutively on the 12-race card, beginning with Race 6 at 2:36 p.m. Seventy-one of the 76 horses entered are Florida-breds. The races range in distances from 6 furlongs to 11/8 miles on the dirt and turf.

"It's a good day for Florida owners, breeders and trainers," Proctor said. "And it's a good way for Tampa Bay to showcase its track."

Proctor, 48, has been showing off his horses all year. In 35 starts at Tampa Bay Downs, Proctor has won 37.1 percent and his in-the-money percentage is 77.1 percent (13 victories, nine seconds and five shows). Proctor ranks 12th in the track's win standings.

Joyful Ballad, winner of the Wayward Lass Stakes on March 5, is in what appears to be the toughest stakes race, Ogle and Company Turf Distaff, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for fillies and mares. The 5-year-old, owned by Glen Hill Farm, will face rivals such as Vous, Marwood and Rizzy Girl, winner of the Hillsborough Stakes.

Proctor said Joyful Ballad won't be on her favorite surface. "She's much better on dirt," he said. "But we'll see what happens."

Jose Lezcano will ride Joyful Ballad, who has overcome a pair of throat surgeries in 2003.

Lezcano also will be aboard Rich in Spirit, another Glen Hill Farm-owned horse, in the 1 1/16-mile Dayton Andrews Dodge Sophomore turf test for 3 year olds. She will be one of two fillies in the 12-horse field.

Forever Brilliant will be ridden by Jesus Castanon in the 7-furlong Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore dirt race for 3-year-old fillies. One of her chief rivals is Bill Mott-trainee Dependability.

"One win would be good, two would be great and three would be fabulous," Proctor said.

Proctor knows something about winning stakes races. In 1994, One Dreamer captured the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs at 47-1 odds for the Proctor-Glen Hill Farm connection.

Two other Tampa Bay Downs stakes winners, Wire Bound (Tampa Bay Breeders' Cup) and Hostile Witness (Inaugural), are entered in the Cherokee River Stables Turf Classic and Ocala Breeders' Sales Sophomore races, respectively. Toscani, winner of five straight, is the early-line 2-1 favorite in the Hilton Garden Inn Sprint.

Tampa Bay Downs director of public relations Margo Flynn said Florida Cup Day was created three years ago through a combined effort of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association, local chapter of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and Tampa Bay Downs.

MORE TAMPA BAY DOWNS: Jerry Amos won the local National Thoroughbred Racing Association/Daily Racing Form handicapping contest Saturday. Amos and runnerup Mark Lowe earned berths in the national contest in January at Las Vegas.

DERBY LANE: Jr's Flashy and Uss Raceway, who won qualifying races Wednesday, lead eight dogs into the final of the ninth annual T.L. Weaver Memorial Stakes tonight at the St. Petersburg track. The top four finishers in each race earned berths in the 550-yard championship event, scheduled to go off at about 9:30 p.m. in Race 8. The field in post position order: Sh's Alfred (Brumage/Filipelli Kennel), Flying Newport (ZEZ Kennel), Festive Event (Bahama Mama Greyhounds), Husker Hannah ( Don Abernathy), Jr's Flashy (Campbell Greyhound Racing), Ctw Alpha Male (LaRosa Enterprises), Uss Raceway (Lester Raines Kennel) and Glengar Cheer (Thorne/Herron). ... Cayman Went of Bahama Mama Greyhounds was chosen captain of the 2004 All-America team. The announcement was made Monday at the American Greyhound Track Operators Association national convention in Las Vegas. Flying Newport also was named first-team All-American. Fuzzys Cannon of D'Arcy Kennel was a second-team selection.

[Last modified April 9, 2005, 07:10:29]