Emerging victorious over favored contenders Further Ado and Canaletto, The Puma secured a three-quarter-length triumph in the $350,000 Grade 3 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby on March 7 at Tampa Bay Downs, thereby accumulating enough qualifying points to secure a coveted position in the starting lineup for the Kentucky Derby, sponsored by Woodford Reserve, scheduled for May 2 at Churchill Downs.
A significant number of the individuals associated with The Puma are also linked to Mage, the winner of the 2023 Kentucky Derby; this group comprises co-owners OGMA Investments, conditioner Gustavo Delgado, and esteemed jockey Javier Castellano, all of whom have now secured their entry for another participation in the Derby event.
Even though he navigated a broad path, running four to five positions wide for the entirety of the Tampa Bay Derby, The Puma mounted a charge from the rear of the nine-horse field, surpassing his competitors in what stood as the most impressive showing of his nascent three-start career. He covered the distance of 1 1/16 miles in a time of 1:43.23 on a track officially deemed fast but made somewhat moist by a brief rainfall before the race.
While the Tampa Bay Derby represented The Puma’s inaugural win, he entered the competition as a highly thought-of maiden. Previously, he had secured a second-place finish behind Chief Wallabee, who later became the Grade 2 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes second-place finisher, during his debut race on January 10 at Gulfstream Park, covering seven furlongs. Following this, he placed third, trailing Renegade and Wayne’s Law, in the 1 1/16-mile Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on February 7. These prior racing experiences prepared him effectively for his triumph in the Tampa Bay Derby. His payout for winning was $16.80.
The Puma’s victory was well-earned, besting Further Ado, who placed second, and Canaletto, who finished third, with only a head separating the latter two at the wire. Further Ado maintained a favorable three-wide stalking position throughout and showed determination to secure second place in his initial race of the season, whereas Canaletto, fresh from a dominant maiden win at Gulfstream, ran a similarly wide course to The Puma. Ultimately, neither could resist the winning horse’s surge in the final stretch; The Puma, after briefly veering inward and making minor contact with Canaletto, corrected his path and outpaced them, recording the last sixteenth of a mile in :06.76.
The horse leading the pack, Redland Rebels, ultimately faded to fourth place. Talkin secured the fifth position.
The first five horses to cross the finish line were awarded Kentucky Derby qualifying points, allocated according to a 50-25-15-10-5 distribution system. When combined with the points acquired in the Sam F. Davis, The Puma currently possesses a total of 56 points, positioning him second only to Paladin on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard.
“Prior to his initial race, I recall stating, ‘He’s a Derby contender,’ a sentiment I frequently expressed to others,” remarked assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. during an interview conducted by Fox Sports.
Historically, two competitors from the Tampa Bay Derby have subsequently triumphed in the Kentucky Derby, known as the Run for the Roses: Street Sense in 2007 and Super Saver in 2010. Each of these winners had an additional race appearance between their participation in the Tampa Bay Derby and the commencement of the Triple Crown series.
