TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Z Humor Begins Road To Kentucky

ADVERTISEMENT

By BART O'CONNELL, Tribune correspondent

Published: February 16, 2008

OLDSMAR - The name William Mott is strewn throughout the Tampa Bay Downs record book. The Hall of Fame trainer's horses have won 14 stakes races in Oldsmar, including eight in the past two years.

But it has been 10 years since Mott was a factor in the track's emerging Kentucky Derby preps, winning the 1997 Tampa Bay Derby with Zede and finishing in the money twice with Rock and Roll in 1998. That is expected to change this year.

In today's $200,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (1 1/16 miles), Mott brings one of his five highly touted 3-year-olds, Z Humor, back from a two-month layoff to begin the road to Churchill Downs. The Distorted Humor colt, with bloodlines similar to that of 2007 Sam F. Davis winner Any Given Saturday, is a 9-5 morning-line favorite in one of the deepest fields the race has had in years.

"He's been very good, and now he's showing us the signs that he's ready to get back out there," Mott said. "The main thing I'm looking for this time of year is for them to be healthy and sound. They already have a certain level of talent."

Z Humor, owned by Zayat Stables and ridden by Gulfstream Park jockey Garrett Gomez, won the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot in a dead heat Dec. 7, his last time out. The $400,000 in earnings virtually assured his spot in the Kentucky Derby.

Unlike the past two years, where Any Given Saturday and Bluegrass Cat romped to easy wins, Grade II Hutcheson Stakes winner Smooth Air and Wise Answer, a winner of multiple 2-year-old stakes at Calder, should provide a stern test for Z Humor.

Kentucky Derby-winning trainers Nick Zito and Barclay Tagg also have entries. Fierce Wind is coming off two wins in maiden and allowance company for Zito, while Big Truck has more than $120,000 in earnings for Tagg and his connections. Honey Honey Honey, winner of the Inaugural and Pasco stakes this year, will try to pull a third consecutive upset for the Jacks or Better Farm and trainer Stanley Gold.

Absent from the race is back-to-back winning trainer Todd Pletcher, who told the Daily Racing Form this week that he believes the race should be graded, and would have an entry if it was.

DREAMING OF ANNA RETURNS: 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Dreaming of Anna, with more than $1.6 million in earnings, will make her 4-year-old debut in today's $150,000 Grade III Endeavour Breeders' Cup Stakes, a 1 1/16 -mile turf race to be run before the Sam F. Davis at approximately 4:14 p.m.

Trainer Wayne Catalano and owner Frank C. Calabrese were not sure they would bring Dreaming of Anna to TBD until Friday morning, after securing jockey Cornelio Velasquez for the riding assignment. Her addition adds to what was an already star-studded field that includes Lear's Princess, the Kiaran McLaughlin trainee that defeated Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches in a Grade I stake in September.

"It ought to be Grade I," Catalano said of the Endeavour, which is being run at Grade III for the first time this year. "There are a couple real nice horses in there, and we've got to respect this field."

AROUND THE TRACK: Mott also has the 8-5 early favorite in today's $75,000 Suncoast Stakes for 3-year-old fillies: Sunday Holiday, also owned by Zayat Stables and ridden by Gomez. ... Trainer Charles Fontana will be the featured guest for today's Morning Glory Club, hosted by TBD track announcer Richard Grunder. The event is open to the public and begins at 10 a.m. in the grandstand. Free coffee, donuts and admission to the races will be available.

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

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT