Vinceremos to take next step in Tampa Bay Derby

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Oldsmar, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Sam F. Davis Stakes longshot winner Vinceremos heads a field of 10 3-year-olds in Saturday's $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Tampa Bay Derby is part of the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" Championship Series points system that determines the 20 starters for the Run for the Roses on May 3. Saturday's stakes awards 50 points to the winner, 20 points for second, 10 for third and 5 for fourth.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Vinceremos will start the 1 1/16-mile stakes from post 6 with Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado again in the saddle. Prado guided Vinceremos to a nose victory in the Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay five weeks ago over stablemate Harpoon.

Owned by WinStar Farm and Twin Creeks Racing, Vinceremos registered his first stakes win in just his third career start as a 12-1 longshot. The victory was worth $120,000 to give the colt $153,600 in earnings.

"What I like about (Vinceremos) is the fact that he gets headed and keeps competing," WinStar's Racing Manager Elliott Walden said. "And in some ways I wish he would go ahead and leave his competition, because he looks like he has more abilities than they have to this point. You go back to his maiden race, he was up a length-and-a half at the eighth pole, and then again when he cut the corner in the Sam F. Davis he looked like he was well on his way to victory and then kind of greenly quit running. So I would hope he builds upon his own experience and improves that running style."

Vinceremos finished second in his debut race at Gulfstream Park on Nov. 30 and broke his maiden Jan. 4 at the track.

Pletcher's other horse is Surfing U S A, who will be ridden by Jose Lezcano from post 2. The colt is owned by George Bolton and Stonestreet Stables of Rachel Alexandra fame.

Surfing U S A will be making his stakes debut on Saturday with three starts under his belt. He finished second in his debut race this past October at Belmont Park and won on Nov. 30 at Aqueduct. The colt again finished second on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.

Cousin Stephen, third in the Davis, will break from post 8 with Javier Castellano returning to ride the colt. Castellano was aboard when Cousin Stephen broke his maiden last November at Aqueduct and the next start at Gulfstream Park in January when the 3-year-old was fifth, just 2 1/2 lengths off the winner.

Trained by Chad Brown for Klaravich Stables and W.H. Lawrence, Cousin Stephen was 7-2 for the Davis Stakes when he finished third three-quarters of a length behind Vinceremos. The colt has earned $67,685 in four starts and one win.

Here is the field for the Tampa Bay Derby in post position order: Ring Weekend, Daniel Centeno; Surfing U S A, Jose Lezcano; Matador, Julien Leparoux; Coltimus Prime, Gary Boulanger; Conquest Titan, Shaun Bridgmohan; Vinceremos, Edgar Prado; East Hall, Juan Leyva; Cousin Stephen, Javier Castellano; Hy Kodiak Warrior, Gabriel Saez and Tuscan Getaway, Joe Rocco Jr.

Post time for the Tampa Bay Derby will be approximately 5:25 p.m. ET.