Big Truck Upsets War Pass in Tampa Bay Derby
The 1-20 horse betting favorite War Pass shockingly finished last in the $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby on Saturday, March 15, at Tampa Bay Downs where Big Truck led by a neck over Atoned.
The Tampa Bay Derby was the first loss of War Pass, one of the leading 2008 Kentucky Derby contenders trained by Nick Zito for owner Robert LaPenta.
The defeat took place before a record Tampa Bay Downs crowd of 12,746 fans, who cheered War Pass as he was led onto the track with horse trainer Nick Zito walking alongside his star 3-year-old. The 2-year-old champion who entered the 1 1/16-mile race off a 7 1/2 length win in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park last month.
Dynamic Wayne, a 49-1 long shot, was third, followed by Make Me Zach, Cigar Man, Gentleman James and War Pass.
War Pass owner Robert LaPenta said his colt had a fever earlier this week. “He wasn’t himself today,” Robert LaPenta said. “We wanted to come out of the gate and take the lead around the first turn. … War Pass had some fever this week and we thought he’d be OK. But obviously it wasn’t his day.”
War Pass was scheduled for a final 2008 Kentucky Derby prep, the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York on April 5, but LaPenta said the plan would be re-evaluated.
Big Truck, who ran second to the Nick Zito-trained Fierce Wind in the Sam F. Davis at this track on February 16, likely won’t run again until the 2008 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3.
Big Truck, trained by Barclay Tagg and purchased for $90,000 by Eric Fein, returned $16.40, $5.80 and $25.20. Second place Atoned, trained by Todd Pletcher, paid $6.60 and $27.80. Dynamic Wayne paid $76.40 to show.
Big Truck earned $180,000, boosting his career total to $336,880. Winning time for the race was 1:44.25.
Barclay Tagg, who won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with Funny Cide, now has himself 3 Kentucky Derby hopefuls. His others are Elysium Fields, set to run in the 2008 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on March 29, and Tale of Ekati, who runs next in the Wood Memorial.
In other Kentucky Derby prep races Saturday, Sierra Sunset won the $300,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, with favorite Z Fortune finishing fifth. Georgie Boy beat Gayego by three-quarters of a length in the $250,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
March 16th, 2008 at 10:17 am
whats going on at Tampa? I saw a huge show bet was made on the favorite in the big race which explains the box car show prices since he ran out but in an earlier race Catalanos horse won & paid $4.40 while the place & show horses paid huge in a 6 horse field. How can that be? I think a lot was bet to place & show on another horse who ran out. I have been a fan for 50 years and have seen this happen only a few times. Jim Graham Southfield, Mi