McCraken set a track record in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Saturday and he stamped himself as a legitimate player in the Kentucky Derby lottery.
The Grade 3 mile and a sixteenth Sam Davis serves as a stepping stone to the Tampa Bay Derby and those that excel in these races have a shot to get to the big dance on the first Saturday in May in Kentucky.
McCraken has limited speed in his arsenal but he beat a competitive field on Saturday. There were five stakes winners in this race but to be frank, the race shape seemed to favor McCraken as soon as they drew the event.
Rival State of Honor had flashed :45 and change speed before the Sam Davis and Saturday opponent Chance of Luck also had been offensive minded in his prior races.
The race shook out like it should have as State of Honor made the lead getting the quarter mile in :23.63 and the half mile in :47.15. By the time they had went 6 furlongs, State of Honor was gasping a bit but he did set that 6-furlong fraction of 1:10.90. Chance of Luck had struggled to keep up and was fading at this point but Wild Shot rallied to take a brief lead at the top of the stretch.
That is when McCraken started his act. He was right with the leaders with a furlong to go, moved four wide on the outside and pulled away under encouragement from his rider Brian Hernandez Jr. Tapwrit was second, State of Honor held on for third and Wild Shot completed the superfecta.
McCraken’s rider didn’t have to work too hard on his mount, Hernandez: “Right before we turned for home, he got to those horses so quickly, and I said, ‘Okay, I’m good from here,’ because I hadn’t even asked him for run and he started picking off horses one by one. Once we turned for home, he switched over to his left lead like a true professional, and off he went.”
McCraken’s final time of 1:42.45 was the best ever at the distance at Tampa Bay Downs. The previously track record of 1:43.54 set by General Quarters in 2009.
Last year Destin earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for his Davis victory. In 2015 Ocean Knight recorded a 93 Beyer in this race and in 2014 Vinceremos only received an 82 Beyer. McCraken recorded a 95 Beyer for his Davis success and the Beyers are escalating.
McCraken earned 10 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby. The next three finishers earned 4, 2 and 1 point respectively.
McCraken has now run his record to four for four. And he has beaten some nice horses. McCraken won the Street Sense Stakes and the horse that ran third to him in the Street Sense returned to win the Lecomte Stakes. McCraken won the Kentucky Jockey Club on November 26 and one of the rivals he left in his wake returned to win the Smarty Jones Stakes by over five lengths.
What’s next for the Sam Davis hero? Well, after the Golden State Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night, they stayed at an Oklahoma City hotel. McCraken took a different route. He vanned to his home base at Palm Meadows and appeared to be no worse for wear after his clever performance.
His trainer Ian Wilkes was happy with the outcome and he as well as anybody, knows it’s a progression from here on out. Wilkes cut his teeth Down Under and he put his time in as an exercise rider. He would work out Unbridled back in the day and that runner took the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Wilkes also trained Fort Larned, who took the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The next logical placement for McCraken is the Tampa Bay Derby. He has shown an affinity for the surface and it is a preferred four weeks out. That would possibly leave one more prep before the Kentucky Derby. The April 8 Blue Grass Stakes fits nicely into this schedule as it is a month before the Churchill Downs classic.
