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TAMPA BAY DOWNS NOTEBOOK MARCH 12, 2013 by Bob Bauer Racing returned to the four-day week format on Wednesday. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday are dark. This will continue until April 28. Fast, firm and breezy in the 60s were the conditions to start the countdown to Festival Day. Both courses played fairly, as they have for most of the meeting. Once again, good forward positioning early on is key to a runners chances on both venues, in most but not all cases. Two of Wednesday's trio of turf contests were won by late closers, the other by a presser who moved up from fourth early. From Friday onward, the results were once again mixed, as has been seen all season. Early pace did well -- gate-to-wire theft happened at least once. One of last week's most impressive winners was Graham Motion's VALIANT GIRL (Lemon Drop Kid), who was last in a 10-horse field at the three-quarter pole against first-level allowance foes. The four-year-old filly came seven wide out of the far turn and closed stoutly to be up in the final strides in a finish that was too close to call. She did have some pace to close into, the early splits were :23, :48, 1:12 1/5 and 1:37 1/5. The final time was 1:43 1/5. The winner got the final sixteenth in six seconds flat with a wide trip. The pace scenario was a good set-up for this English-bred miss, who should continue to go well on the grass here in the States. The results of the Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby weren't even official yet, but some fans wondered out loud if they had just seen the Kentucky Derby winner as well. VERRAZANNO (More Than Ready) lived up to his 2-5 billing and certainly looked the part of a contender for the roses, besting the Tampa field by three lengths under a confident ride by John Velazquez after a stumbling start. Johnny V. would visit the Tampa winner's circle a total of five times on Festival Day. The grass-loving mare OLD TUNE (Wild Event) has taken a pair of Grade 3 stakes at the Downs. The Brazilian-bred made her American debut with a victory in the Endeavour Stakes back in early February, with Joel Rosario in the irons. She proved to be a prompt 3-2 choice in Saturday's Hillsborough Stakes and might be the best turf mare on the grounds. We'll be watching to see where trainer Todd Pletcher enters her next. Sophomore fillies went a mile and 40 yards on the dirt in the $100,000 Suncoast Stakes. The bettors were right-on again -- MANUKA HONEY (Borrego), sent off at even-money, went gate-to-wire for John Terranova. Veteran rider Edgar Prado guided the speedy miss to her first stakes score. Winless after five attempts on the turf, she left the maiden ranks in her first try on the dirt, going seven panels at Gulfstream Park. She may be a filly with a future handling the jump to graded stakes company the first time. Festival Day was great success once again. Official on-track attendance was 10,476 and all-sources handle for the dozen-race program was slightly over $10.2 million. If there is top-level racing, the fans will come. HORSES TO WATCH Wednesday (3/6) 5TH -- TRUE MARCO (Marco Bay) showed some potential in his first grass attempt, finishing fifth after a tough trip with $25,000 maiden claimers. He ran up a rival's heels on the clubhouse turn, checked and angled outside then moved inside to the rail and got through to vie for the lead on the far turn before fading. Figures to improve off this experience. 9TH -- BUZZ TOWN (Speightstown) bobbled at the break and was dead last at the top of the stretch, but managed to check in sixth in his first try at Tampa. This six-year-old gelding had a good record at Thistledown last fall and could surprise a field of $8,000 sprinters. Had been away 109 days and probably needed this outing. Friday (3/8) 2ND -- IAMTHEONE (Valid Appeal) finished fourth after being shuffled back entering the stretch with $6,250 claiming routers. He comes from the powerful Darien Rodriguez barn, which is winning at a 55 percent clip (fve-for-nine) at the Downs this season. This one has already scored twice lately with conditioned claiming runners and should be able handle a field such as the one he faced here. 4TH -- TAKE HEED (Alke) got the place after breaking slow in his first attempt versus $12,500 claiming sprinters. This lightly raced five-year-old gelding has shown good early speed and could graduate soon with this kind. Saturday (3/9) 3RD -- CRYSTALLO (Awesome Again) was squeezed back at the break and was last in a 10-horse field at the three-quarter pole. She rallied seven wide under Dean Butler and was able to get the show dough with $6,250 claimers. Will be a contender with an alert start. 7TH -- CELTIC ARCH (Arch), a sophomore filly trained by Christophe Clement, showed promise in her lifetime debut with maiden special weight company. She was forced to wait for racing room through the far turn, moved inside and finished well to be third. She is bred for the lawn and will benefit from this trip. Sunday (3/10) 7TH -- LAKE NONA (Sarava) woke up at 35-1 with blinkers off to run a much improved third with $25,000 non-winners-of-two lifetime on the grass. He was steadied in traffic on the far turn and showed some late interest. The five-year-old gelding appears to be rounding into form now.
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