Destino d’Oro gets up in Hillsborough; Disruptor upends Challenger favorite

Saturday’s Festival Day at Tampa Bay Downs included four stakes in addition to the Tampa Bay Derby (G3). 

Hillsborough (G2)

The richest race on the undercard, the $200,000 Hillsborough (G2), witnessed a cavalry charge with Destino d’Oro coming out on top. The Brad Cox filly overcame traffic trouble entering the far turn to get up in a frenetic finish, denying 3-2 favorite Whiskey Decision and Proctor Street.

The top three were all coming off the Jan. 24 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2) at Gulfstream Park, where Destino d’Oro swooped from far back to prevail. But bettors noticed the trouble endured by fourth-placer Whiskey Decision, and in their Tampa rematch, the market expected a reversal of form.

Instead, Destino d’Oro confirmed the form despite adversity. Through the first half-mile, the daughter of Bolt d’Oro was covered up in fifth, about three lengths behind front-running And One More Time through splits of :23.98 and :49.90. 

But Destino d’Oro got shuffled back just as the race began to develop in earnest, when jockey Junior Alvarado was forced to steady. She lost both position and momentum before swinging out widest of all for the stretch drive.

Meanwhile, And One More Time, who got away with six furlongs in 1:15.48 on the rain-affected turf, was beset by Proctor Street at the top of the lane. Whiskey Decision appeared to be working out an ideal passage, tipping out from her ground-saving third to take dead aim on the leaders. Her Chad Brown stablemate, Child of the Moon, burst through on the inside.

Finishing best of all was Destino d’Oro, who forced her nose in front on the wire. The 3-1 second choice negotiated 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.18 on a course rated good. (Two of the races originally carded for turf were transferred to the main track, but the stakes stayed on the grass.)

Whiskey Decision edged Proctor Street by a neck for runner-up honors. Child of the Moon reported home another half-length back in fourth, a neck up on And One More Time in the blanket finish. Next came Scythian and the tailed-off Aunt Mo. Dreaming of Abba was scratched.

Steve Landers Racing’s Destino d’Oro was racking up a hat trick, beginning with the Dec. 13 Tropical Park Oaks prior to the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf. The bay was a near-miss third in the 2024 Jessamine (G2) as a juvenile, and her stakes breakthrough came in resounding style in last summer’s Pucker Up (G3) at Ellis Park. She now sports a mark of 9-6-0-1 with earnings of $949,884.

Bred by Hurstland Farm and James H. Greene Jr. in Kentucky, Destino d’Oro went to her current connections for $185,000 as a two-year-old at OBS April. Her dam, the Grade 1-placed Lion Heart mare Heart of Destiny, belongs to the family of Grade 1 star Rosalind.

Challenger (G3)

Disruptor repelled the challenge of 2-5 favorite Disco Time and kicked clear to earn his first stakes victory in the $100,000 Challenger. Campaigned by Repole Stable, Spendthrift Farm, Big Easy Racing et al., the Todd Pletcher trainee is now 2-for-2 on the comeback trail as a four-year-old. 

A promising sophomore at this time a year ago, Disruptor romped in a Gulfstream Park maiden that propelled him to the Florida Derby (G1). But the Gun Runner colt got no nearer than fifth after a troubled start and headed to the sidelines. 

Disruptor resurfaced in a seven-furlong allowance Jan. 31 at Tampa, where he rolled by 3 1/2 lengths. That stamped him as the main threat to Disco Time here, as the 2.80-1 second choice.

Under a well-judged ride by Irad Ortiz Jr., Disruptor deferred to 109-1 shot Paynter’s Prodigy, who was intent on leading through fractions of :23.34 and :46.75. The no-hoper was done by the far turn, and Disruptor picked up the baton.

After six furlongs in 1:10.64, the stalking Disco Time ranged up to accost Disruptor, and despite going wide leaving the far turn, the favorite appeared to have him in his grasp. But Disco Time could not get past. 

Disruptor found more in deep stretch, pulled away again, and scored by a length. His final time of 1:41.40 was just a tick off Skippylongstocking’s 1 1/16-mile track and stakes record of 1:41.20, achieved in his Challenger three-peat in 2025. 

There was a 7 1/2-length gap back to Solo Venturi in third, followed by Freedom Principle, Racing Driver, Paynter’s Prodigy, and Catalytic.

Disruptor’s resume now reads 5-3-0-1, $155,125. The $1.15 million Keeneland September yearling purchase was bred in Kentucky by Runnymede Farm and Peter J. Callahan.

Out of the Speightstown mare Margate Gardens, a full sister to near-millionaire Bridgetown, Disruptor hails from the family of 1991 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Strike the Gold.

Florida Oaks (G3)

Tagermeen Racing’s Dandona, who commanded $1.05 million at last year’s OBS April Sale, rewarded the investment in her stakes debut in the $150,000 Florida Oaks (G3). The Saffie Joseph Jr. pupil unleashed a powerful move from far off the pace to spring a $13 upset.

Kokomotion, the 9-5 favorite, was in the hunt early tracking 102-1 longshot Bramble Blast through splits of :23.40 and :48.05. Although Kokomotion took over by the six-furlong mark in 1:13.15, she already had a fight on her hands with Laigina looming alongside.

But Dandona was just beginning to unwind for a patient Flavien Prat. The Tiz the Law filly mowed them down, and in the process, she outkicked fellow closer Time to Dream by 1 1/4 lengths. 

Kokomotion held third, followed by Laigina, Abigail, Bossy Candy, Special Wood, Alone Time, Backgammon, Bramble Blast, and Courageous Diane. 

Dandona finished 1 1/16 miles on the good turf in 1:44.71, upping her line to 3-2-0-1, $121,000. A debut winner over Gulfstream’s Tapeta on Aug. 31, she resumed with a deep-closing third in a Feb. 7 turf allowance. 

Bred by Spotted Pony Stables in Kentucky, Dandona was produced by the Grade 3-placed multiple stakes scorer Tulsa Queen, by Cactus Ridge. This is the further family of another Florida Oaks heroine, Quality Rocks (2015).

Dandona completed a double for Joseph and Prat, who earlier teamed up with Mystic Lake in a seven-furlong dirt handicap. The 1-5 favorite outclassed her rivals in a 4 1/4-length romp in 1:22.17. 

Also on the undercard, D. J. Stable’s Alpyland imposed his authority as the 9-5 favorite in the $100,000 Columbia S. for turf sophomores. Trained by Mark Casse and piloted by Javier Castellano, the Vekoma gelding quickened smartly at the top of the lane and held sway by two lengths.

Proton gamely outdueled Knoty Knicks to salvage second in the photo. Congressional, the slight second choice at 1.90-1, checked in another 2 3/4 lengths adrift in fourth. 

Alpyland clocked the grassy mile in 1:37.61 and improved his record to 8-4-0-2, $271,596. The bay was most recently third in the Jan. 31 Kitten’s Joy S. at Gulfstream, halting a three-race winning streak capped by the Dania Beach S.