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Musket Man Surges Late For Victory

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By RICK HARMON

Tribune correspondent

Published: March 15, 2009

OLDSMAR - Last year, owner Eric Fein admits he got caught up in the excitement of putting a horse in the Kentucky Derby. He won't let that happen this year.

For the second consecutive year, a Fein-owned 3-year-old won the Grade III $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs. This year, it was Musket Man, who came from eighth place at the three-quarter pole to win by a neck against Join in the Dance.

But unlike last year's Tampa Bay Derby winner Big Chuck, it's not automatic that Musket Man will run for the roses in May at Churchill Downs. Big Chuck's Kentucky Derby experience was not a good one as the colt finished 18th in a 20-horse field.

"We're going to have to do some soul searching after last year," Fein said. "I think Musket Man is a fresher horse ... a gamer horse."

Of the 10 horses that went to post, Musket Man is one of three not nominated for the Kentucky Derby. And Fein isn't sure he will be.

"Most certainly," Fein said on the notion the horse would not run in the Kentucky Derby. "But the trainer Derek Ryan will make that decision. I will not have any influence at all after last year. Last year, that was totally Kentucky Derby fever and it probably was the wrong thing to do for Big Chuck's sake. Derek will make that decision ... but I'll have a little input."
Musket Man got boxed in early and was in the middle of the pack at the halfway point. But jockey Daniel Centeno took him 5-horses wide at the top of the stretch and had a burst of speed at the end to catch Join in the Dance.

"I took him for a long gallop in the warm-up to let him know he had to run a big one Saturday and he sure responded," said Centeno, who leads the meet at Tampa Bay Downs with 99 wins. "I got in behind a bunch of horses early and he didn't like it but I was able to ease him out behind them getting to the turn. We still had a lot to do getting into the stretch and I said, 'You better not get lazy now.' He sure wasn't lazy at the end."

Ryan isn't sure what is next for Musket Man.

"We'll talk," Ryan said. "I have him nominated for the Hawthorne race Illinois Derby on April 4. We'll also look at the Wood at Aqueduct on April 4 but I'm still looking at the Hawthorne race. We can pick our spots now. We might just stay here and train. We'll decide when we get back to the barn."
Musket Man, who went off at 6-1, paid $13.80 to win, $7.80 to place and $6 to show. Join in the Dance paid $25.80 and $10.20 while California-bred Justdontcallmejeri was third and paid $10.60. Sam F. Davis winner General Quarters never contended and finished fifth.

An announced crowd of 10,420 wagered $876,330. Another $8,289,185 was bet nationwide on simulcasts.

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