Sam F. Davis

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Saturday's $225,000 Sam F. Davis S. (G3), a prelude to next month's Tampa Bay

Derby (G3), features the exciting UPTOWNCHARLYBROWN (Limehouse), who dominated

maiden foes and the Pasco S. to the tune of nine lengths and six lengths,

respectively. The local hero has enough raw talent to make it three in a row

under Daniel Centano, and we expect the low-profile colt will jump squarely into

the Kentucky Derby (G1) picture with a rally from slightly off the pace.

The horse to beat is RULE (Roman Ruler), Todd Pletcher's Delta Jackpot S.

(G3) winner who probably has little to worry about making the Derby field after

the big payday at Delta Downs. The more important thing over the next couple of

months is for the colt to prove he actually belongs in the starting gate on the

first Saturday in May. He drew post 1 here and will likely show speed from the

opening bell, and his ability to set moderately fast splits and hang on was in

evidence in Louisiana. Tampa's surface is typically more tiring, however, which

might give the edge to horses, like Uptowncharlybrown, who train and have raced

over the surface.

MIDDLE OF THE NITE (Offlee Wild) is the third and final "obvious" candidate

for the win. A sharp maiden winner at Belmont Park in his juvenile finale, he

returned on January 7 to finish a solid third to Derby prospect Eskendereya

(Giant's Causeway) in a one-mile Gulfstream allowance. If the latter is indeed

one of the region's better classic prospects, you have to think this colt, who

took a run at that one before missing by two lengths, can win a race of this

caliber. The concern is that both he and Rule like to show speed and might knock

each other out.

We're not especially enthralled with the rest of this cast and their ability

to pull off the upset. SCHOOLYARD DREAMS (Stephen Got Even), who goes for the

connections of last year's Sam Davis third and Tampa Bay Derby victor Musket Man (Yonaguska), just won a first-level allowance over a

tiring Tampa strip, though he may have been aided by racing close to a very slow

pace. He broke his maiden at Philadelphia Park two back, which has become a

hotbed of decent maiden graduates of late (think: Winslow Homer [Unbridled's

Song]).

AFRICAN MOON (Johannesburg) was second to Schoolyard Dreams last time and was

obviously hampered by the pokey pace. However, his BRIS Speed ratings appear far

too low to back him with any confidence. SILVER CRAFT (Value Plus), the grizzled

veteran of the group with seven starts, was beaten nine lengths in the Pasco and

was crushed by starter allowance foes in his only other two-turn appearance. The

Kiaran McLaughlin castoff TRISTEN'S MAMBO (Arch) just crushed maiden foes at

Tampa by more than five lengths in his debut for trainer Gerry Carwood. No

question this is a tough spot for him to meet winners for the first time.