Owen Almighty dictates pace, kicks clear in Tampa Bay Derby

Owen Almighty made all the running in Saturday’s $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G3), drawing off to a 3 1/2-length decision in the 1 1/16-mile event. The Brian Lynch-trained colt virtually locked up a Kentucky Derby (G1) berth recording the gate-to-wire victory, increasing his point total to 65 with the 50-point prize in the Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series race, and Irad Ortiz Jr. was up on the son of Speightstown.

Owned by Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing, Owen Almighty dueled from the start of his previous outing, the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs four weeks earlier, and wound up a close second in his first two-turn attempt. Circumstances proved more favorable Saturday, as Owen Almighty showed the way on a short lead through moderate splits in :23.84, :48.16, and 1:12.54, and the bay colt spurted clear into the stretch.

He stopped the teletimer in 1:42.30, leaving the starting gate as the 2.90-1 third choice among seven runners.

The second-through-fifth finishers earned Kentucky Derby qualifying points on 25-15-10-5 scale.

Champagne (G1) and Hopeful (G1) winner Chancer McPatrick, last seen finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), raced closer to the pace than previous starts and comfortably held second while never threatening the winner as the 2.10-1 second choice. It was another 2 3/4 lengths to his stablemate Hill Road, who closed belatedly for third in his first start since a third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Patch Adams came up empty as the 1.90-1 favorite, winding up nearly five more lengths back in fourth. Brodeur weakened to fifth after pressing the pace, and Naughty Rascal and Filoso completed the order.

Bred in Kentucky by Mark Stanley, Owen Almighty was a $350,000 yearling purchase. He’s out of the Bayern mare Tempers Rising, runner-up in the 2020 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and a half-sister to multiple sprint stakes winner Mac the Man.

Owen Almighty won his first two starts at sprints, including the Juvenile S. at Ellis, and concluded his juvenile season with a runner-up in the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs at a one-turn mile. He proved best when opening 2025 in the seven-furlong Pasco S. at Tampa, finishing first by a length, but was disqualified for interference leaving the far turn.

Lynch initially planned to keep Owen Almighty at one-turn distances this spring, targeting the Pat Day Mile (G2) on the undercard of the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby, but the sophomore’s dominant Tampa Bay Derby performance may force connections to reconsider.