Derby Trail Heats Up – Tampa Down Derby and San Felipe Shortlist Next Bunch

The Derby trail will heat up with Tampa Bay Derby, San Felipe Stakes for the top derby contenders this season. Though the Gotham Stakes, the Fountain of Youth and the Wood Memorial Stakes create more ripples, the following races at the Tampa Bay racetrack and Santa Anita will sure surface more from the probable 20 starters in the Kentucky Derby.rnJockey Rajiv Maragh is riding some selectively winning horses this season and the Teresa Pompay trainee Currency Swap adds to his list with a victorious finish at the Saratoga’s Hopeful Stakes last season. The colt has stayed unraced this season and Tampa Bay Derby would mark an opening for his sophomore campaign. rnWinner at the Sam Davis Stakes on February 4th, Giant Causeway’s Battle Hardened will start in the Tampa Bay Derby racetrack for a second time having established his comfort with the dirt for one and one sixteenth of a mile. His last race was a lead of 1 ¼ lengths over race leaders and the colt is being conditioned by Eddie Kenneally. rnWinner from the Gulfstream Park Derby and third place finisher to Battle Hardened at Sam Davis is Reveron who would make his Derby trail effort once again in Tampa Bay. Next contender would be Pletcher’s colt starter from a single allowance race for his three year old season, Spring Hill Farm. The grade 2 mile and sixteenth for Tampa Bay Derby will also star trainer P. Byrne’s Take Charge Indy, Mc Peek’s Golden Ticket and I. Wilkes’ Motor City. rnThe grade 2 mile and sixteenth again at Santa Anita for three year olds on the Derby trail will feature another handpicked group of contender’s pointed towards the big “Run for the Roses”. While Baffert is all set to launch a three horse brigade into the gates for the San Felipe with Fed Biz, winner at allowance race for 2012; Bodemeister, winner at claiming race but no other graded stakes under the belt; Cashcall Futurity winner, Liaison. Trainer Harrington’s two horse cadet will march into the Santa Anita event with Creative Cause, third place at both Breeder’s Cup Juveniles and grade 2 San Vicente Stakes and the Empire Maker colt, Empire Way, who has finished second at grade 2 Lewis Stakes. Grade 3 Jackpot Stakes winner from last year, Sabercat is yet to make an opening into his two year old season but the Steve Asmussen trainee is already counting on the Derby trail. Cashcall Futurity’s runner up and a graded stakes placing colt from Jerry Hollendorfer is set to make his next start at Santa racetrack. Midnight Transfer and Out of Bounds would also fill the positions on the Derby trail on this weekend race. rnOn the Derby trail, the next major horse race causing a stir would be the Wood Memorial in April. The races are also available for virtual racing so thoroughbred racing followers can experience and predict the field on HorseRaceGame. The virtual racing platform designed in 3D simulation graphics is a path breaking online game version of the sport by Horse Racing Simulation LLC, a closely associated firm with the North American Thoroughbred Racing. To check out, log on to www.horseracegame.com.