Neither a post time delayed more than a half-hour by a tote outage nor a sluggish pace could stop strong-finishing Domestic Product from winning the March 9 Tampa Bay Derby (G3).
Angled out in the stretch from a stalking position, the Practical Joke 3-year-old out-quickened his rivals in a blanket finish to nail No More Time by a nose in the $400,000 race. The homebred for Klaravich Stables, trained by Chad Brown, raced 1 1/16 miles under Tyler Gaffalione in 1:45.47.
Due to the tote issue, the race following the Tampa Bay Derby was canceled, and no payoffs for the Tampa Bay Derby were available more than two hours after the race by 8 p.m. ET. Many bettors, except those that bet early or in multi-race exotics, were shut out.
Tampa Bay Downs track announcer Jason Beem said the tote holdup was caused by an outage that affected other tracks on the East Coast. Tampa Bay Downs is a wagering partner with 1/ST Technology’s AmTote.
“Due to the ongoing delay, the status of all wagers involving the 10th (Florida Oaks, G3T), 11th (Tampa Bay Derby) and 12th races have yet to be resolved,” Tampa Bay Downs vice president of marketing and publicity Margo Flynn said Saturday evening.
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“The issues will be addressed tomorrow, with our first priority to pay out on all winning wagers made prior to the tote shutdown and for refunds to be made where appropriate.”
“It was a nice day to be here. Unfortunately, the delay—I’m sorry that happened for everybody—but the day ended well, and it’s nice to have our first Tampa Derby win,” Brown said.
Winning Trainer Chad Brown and jockey Tyler Gaffalione talk after the Tampa Bay Derby
Another Brown trainee, Good Money , went to the lead in Saturday’s race and enjoyed easy fractions, setting splits of 25.25,:51.14, and 1:16.21, while being pursued by Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) winner No More Time and Grand Mo the First .
As No More Time took command in the stretch, Gaffalione angled out a stalking Domestic Product to bid between between No More Time and Grand Mo the First, and that decisive move gave his mount the daylight needed to produce the necessary rally. He caught No More Time just before the wire, prevailing in a head bob.
“My horse was very responsive and he did the job well,” Gaffalione said.
Grand Mo the First was third, followed by a weakening Good Money in fourth and Heartened in fifth.
Kentucky Derby Implications
The Tampa Bay Derby provided qualifying points toward the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on a 50-25-15-10-5 basis to its top five finishers. Churchill Downs officials use qualifying points as a preference system when the Kentucky Derby oversubscribes beyond its capacity field size of 20 starters.
Domestic Product, second in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) in February, now has 60 overall points—enough to gain entry into the Derby based on historical trends. No More Time, who entered the Tampa Bay Derby as its only stakes-winning entry, is also well positioned for qualifying, now with 45 points.
The Tampa Bay Derby has produced two Derby winners: Street Sense (2007) and Super Saver (2010).
Brown said Domestic Product would race one more time before the Kentucky Derby in a 1 1/8-mile prep race, though he did not specify which prep. His other leading Derby prospect, Sierra Leone , is pointed to the April 6 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.
“I do think this horse would benefit from one more race,” Brown said of Domestic Product, who is out of the out of the Paynter mare Goods and Services. “Just because we have points secured, I don’t think playing defense, just trying to get into the gate, is the right way to try to win the (Derby).”
Brown also trained Practical Joke, who won the 2016 Champagne Stakes (G1), among other races, for co-owners Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence. He stands for a $65,000 fee at Ashford Stud in Kentucky. He was the second-leading third-crop sire of 2023 and this year is ranked in the top five among all sires by progeny earnings.
#5 DOMESTIC PRODUCT wins the tight photo in the $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G3). He earns 50 points on the @SpendthriftFarm Road to the Kentucky Derby for trainer Chad Brown with @Tyler_Gaff in the irons. Domestic Product is sired by @CoolmoreAmerica‘s Practical Joke. pic.twitter.com/1q3IqJgMDh
— TVG (@TVG) March 9, 2024
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