ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby

2025 Tampa Bay Derby Overview

The 2025 Tampa Bay Derby showcased Owen Almighty's impressive 3 1/2-length victory, continuing the race's tradition as a key Kentucky Derby stepping stone. Breaking from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr., he demonstrated the tactical speed and finishing power that has made this 1 1/16-mile test a reliable Derby predictor.

The Tampa Bay Derby, a Grade 3 event with a $400,000 purse, has grown in significance on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, offering 50-20-15-10-5 qualifying points to the top five finishers. The race's unique characteristics -- including Tampa Bay Downs' deep, demanding surface and two-turn configuration -- have proven excellent preparation for Churchill Downs.

Notable recent winners who made noise in the Triple Crown series include Classic Causeway (2022), Helium (2021), and Tacitus (2019). The race has also produced Kentucky Derby winners Street Sense (2007) and Super Saver (2010), establishing its credentials as a serious Derby prep.

A significant handicapping trend shows that horses with previous Tampa Bay Downs experience often outperform shippers in the Derby, particularly those who ran in the Sam F. Davis Stakes. The track's distinct surface requires adaptability, making it an excellent proving ground for Derby aspirants.

For handicappers, the Tampa Bay Derby typically favors horses with tactical speed who can handle the deep surface while maintaining their finishing kick. Winners often come from the first flight of runners, though the long stretch allows closers a fair chance.

Tampa Bay Derby History

The 1 1⁄16-mile Tampa Bay Derby (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs has long existed in the shadow of richer Kentucky Derby (G1) prep races at nearby Gulfstream Park. But despite facing fierce competition to attract the best three-year-olds in Florida, the Tampa Bay Derby has more than held its own as a productive prep for the first Saturday in May.

First held in 1981, the Tampa Bay Derby got off to a quick start when 1982 winner Reinvested went on to finish third in the Kentucky Derby, but the race really took off around the turn of the century. Tampa Bay Derby runners-up Menifee (1999) and Impeachment (2000) went on to hit the board in the Kentucky Derby, prompting the race to receive Grade 3 status in 2002.

This upgrade, coupled with steady purse increases, compelled better horses to target the Tampa Bay Derby. 2006 runner-up Bluegrass Cat gave the race a boost when finishing second in the Kentucky Derby, and Street Sense went one better in 2007, winning both the Tampa Bay Derby and the Kentucky Derby.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has been the most successful conditioner of Tampa Bay Derby champions, winning with Limehouse in 2004 before saddling four winners during a five-year span from 2013 to 2017. Pletcher also saddled 2010 third-place finisher Super Saver, who went on to claim the 2010 Kentucky Derby.

The Tampa Bay Derby continued to grow during the 2010s, reaching Grade 2 status in 2011 while riding the wave generated by Street Sense and Super Saver. The purse reached $400,000 in 2018, one year after Pletcher’s Tapwrit used a Tampa Bay Derby victory as a springboard to success in the Belmont S. (G1). In 2019, Tacitus won the Tampa Bay Derby in the stakes-record time of 1:41.90, the start of a productive season that saw him place in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

As part of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, the Tampa Bay Derby offers 100 Derby qualification points to the top five finishers, divided on a 50-25-15-10-5 basis.

By J. Keeler Johnson/TwinSpires.com