Musket Man shoots clear in Pasco

Eric Fein and Vic Carlson's MUSKET MAN (Yonaguska) ran his record to a

perfect three-for-three on Saturday with an impressive victory in the $75,000

Pasco S.

at Tampa Bay Downs. The Derek Ryan trainee took the lead while rounding the turn

four wide, then was passed in the lane by General Quarters (Sky Mesa). Musket Man would not be denied,

though, drawing back even with that rival before pulling

off to finish up the seven-furlong, fast track test in 1:23 under jockey Luis Gonzalez.

With the win, Musket Man earned himself a shot at the $225,000 Sam F. Davis

S. (G3) going 1 1/16 miles on February 14.

"He's got an awful lot of talent, and he's a very laid-back horse," Ryan said

of his charge. "We came down here with this race (Pasco) in mind, and as soon as

we got here we gave him a little break. When we were getting him ready for this

race, he was working great. I usually have a workhorse with him, but I'm running

out of workhorses that can keep up with him.

"Because of his disposition, I don't think he'll have any trouble with the

distance (of the Davis)."

A Centurian (Indian Charlie) and Gaara (Songandaprayer) battled it out for

the opening half-mile, with the former getting the quarter in :22 4/5 and the

latter posting four furlongs in :46. All the while, Musket Man was settled in

third on the outside and made his move exiting the turn, grabbing the advantage

at the top of the stretch. General Quarters came charging down the lane to stick

his head in front through six furlongs in 1:10 4/5, but Musket Man responded to

the challenge and finished a length clear on the line.

Musket Man rewarded his backers with payouts of $5, $3 and $2.40 as the 3-2

favorite while keying

the $11.80 exacta, $39 trifecta and $326.40 superfecta (7-4-6-3). General

Quarters was easily best of the rest, giving back $2.80 and $2.40 as the 2-1

second choice, while Miles and Miles (Candy Ride [Arg])

finished another 8 1/4 lengths back in third at 6-1 to return $2.80. Bold Captain (Bold Truth)

completed the superfecta as the 66-1 longest shot on the board, and was followed

under the line by Medaglia d'Onore (Medaglia d'Oro), A Centurian and Gaara.

Musket Man has confidently passed each test he's been given, taking his

maiden debut at Belmont Park by 3 1/2 lengths on October 25 and adding a

first-level allowance victory to his line on November 18 at Philadelphia Park.

With this victory, the dark bay three-year-old has now banked $87,600 in

lifetime earnings.

Bred in Kentucky by Jim E. Nelson and Sergio de Sousa, Musket Man is out of

the stakes-placed Fortuesque (Fortunate Prospect), who has since produced a

Cherokee Run juvenile colt and Forest Danger yearling filly. Musket Man is from

the same family as English juvenile highweight Mujahid (Danzig), hero of the 1998 Dewhust S. (Eng-G1) and

third in the 1999 English Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1), as well as last year's Iroquois S. (G3)

and Summer S. (Can-G3) third-placer Star of David (Bernstein)

Saturday's Pasco

winner was a bargain for his connections as a $15,000 Keeneland September

yearling.

Later on Tampa's card, W.S. Farish and Mrs. William S. Kilroy's ROCK CANDY

(Mineshaft) recorded her second straight win for trainer Michael Zwiesler with a

2 1/4-length victory in the $65,000

Gasparilla S. The chestnut lass stayed on the inside throughout the

seven-furlong event, slipped through on the rail in the stretch and drew off to

stop the clock in 1:25 3/5 on the fast dirt.

Rock Candy began her career with Neil Howard, but was well beaten in both of

her starts for that conditioner. Moved to Zwiesler barn over the winter,

the sophomore lass relished the change in venue to break her maiden by four

lengths at Tampa on December 27. Making her stakes bow in this spot, Rock Candy

has moved her line to 4-2-0-0, $40,448.

Rock Candy is out of the Pleasant Colony mare Party Chatter, and counts

multiple stakes winner Patelin (Cornish Prince) as her third dam. Patelin's

progeny's progeny include Grade 1 winners Roanoke (Pleasant Colony), Class Play

(Stage Door Johnny), Pillaster (Riverman), A Phenomenon (Tentam) and Seattle

Meteor (Seattle Slew) as well as 1991 champion two-year-old filly Pleasant Stage

(Pleasant Colony).