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Steinbrenner Gets His TBD Wish

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By BART O'CONNELL, Tribune correspondent

Published: December 30, 2007

OLDSMAR - While George Steinbrenner's public appearances have dwindled in the past year, his passion for horse racing remains as strong as ever.

And it appears he'll have at least one thoroughbred contending in Tampa Bay Downs' 3-year-old stakes program next year.

The 77-year-old principal owner of the New York Yankees and Ocala-based Kinsman Stable, looked on as his 2-year-old filly Unfolding Wish drew away from the pack at the top of the stretch in the six-furlong, $65,000 Sandpiper Stakes, winning by half a length in 1 minute, 11.37 seconds.

Steinbrenner did not participate in postrace ceremonies in the winner's circle, instead remaining, as his daughter and Kinsman Stable co-manager Jessica Steinbrenner put it, "tucked away where he can watch the races undisturbed."

But it was the second time he's seen Unfolding Wish win at TBD, also attending Dec. 11 when she won an allowance race. The filly, trained by Dale Bennett and ridden by Carlos Montalvo, went off at 4-1 and paid $10.40 to win. She is undefeated in three starts.

"There were some pretty decent horses in here. And so this was a true testament to her," Jessica Steinbrenner said. "We knew that she could win in allowance company, and you can't say we ever expect something, but we sure were hoping for it."

Bennett, who has trained "a handful" of horses from the Kinsman Stable since 2006, plans to bring Unfolding Wish back in the seven-furlong Gasparilla Stakes on Jan. 19.

"It's a big step for her," he said of the Sandpiper. "We knew she had to step up a little bit, but I really felt the race on this track would help her a lot. I'm really glad we gave her the allowance race."

Bear Lahaina finished second, and 8-5 favorite Awesome Chic was third.

The other featured race on TBD's first Cotillion Festival Day for 2-year-olds, which drew 4,706 fans, was the $65,000 Inaugural Stakes for colts and geldings at six furlongs. Honey Honey Honey, a 39-1 long shot, led nearly wire-to-wire, fending off late challenger Run Sully Run to win a photo finish by a nose, paying $79.40.

Owned by Jacks or Better Farm, trained by Stanley Gold and ridden by Jose Lopez, Honey Honey Honey is a second-generation winner of the event. His father, Awesome of Course, won the 2002 Inaugural.

"When I got to the quarter pole, I knew I had a lot of horse. There were horses coming at me everywhere," Lopez said. "I was just trying to control him and win the race."

TBD leading jockey Daniel Centeno had four victories (races 3, 5, 7 and 10), upping his win total to 16.

Bart O'Connell can be reached at boconnell@pop.tampatrib.com.

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