Chancer McPatrick back in seven-horse Tampa Bay Derby

Multiple Grade 1 winner Chancer McPatrick, last seen finishing since sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), will open his three-year-old season in Saturday’s $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G3). The Chad Brown-trained colt top a field of seven in the 1 1/16-mile race, which will award the top five finishers qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 basis as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series.

Chancer McPatrick underwent minor surgery following the Juvenile and returned to the worktab in late January, logging six timed drills in advance of his comebacker. The son of McKinzie will add blinkers Saturday and is aiming for a pair of preps in advance of the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 3. Flavien Prat retains the mount on the late runner.

Brown has taken over the training of Hill Road, unraced since a closing third in the Juvenile in his U.S. and dirt debut. The Quality Road colt will return to action with first-time blinkers and new jockey Tyler Gaffalione.

A 10-length maiden winner at Churchill Downs two back, Patch Adams will try to rebound from a fourth as the odds-on favorite in the Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 25. The Brad Cox-trained son of Into Mischief employed frontrunning tactics in his first two starts, but Patch Adams broke sluggishly in the Southwest. Florent Geroux, who missed the Southwest, retakes the assignment.

Owen Almighty promises to bring inside speed, finishing a half-length second in the Feb. 8 Sam F. Davis after contesting the pace from the start, and Irad Ortiz Jr. will be in to guide the quick Brian Lynch runner. Brodeur is an intriguing sort in his stakes debut for Mark Casse, recording a maiden win at six furlongs and an entry-level allowance triumph at 1 1/16 miles in his last two starts at Oaklawn Park, and Jose Ortiz will take over on the reins.

Grade 1-placed juvenile Filoso, unraced since a sixth in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), is set to make his seasonal bow for Chad Summers. Multiple stakes winner Naughty Rascal, sixth in the Davis, is also part of the mix.