Acclaimed trainer Todd Pletcher further solidified his dominance at the $210,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes held at Tampa Bay Downs, as his charge, Renegade, secured victory in this preparatory race for the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. This triumph marked Pletcher’s unprecedented eighth win in the event.
While the Sam F. Davis represented Renegade’s inaugural career win, he entered the competition with a track record that set him apart from a typical maiden. After securing a distant third in his August 16 debut at Saratoga Race Course, he initially finished first ahead of the promising Paladin in an October 17 maiden race at Aqueduct, only to face disqualification and be placed second due to interference. Subsequently, Renegade competed again at Aqueduct in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes on December 6, where he finished two lengths behind Paladin, having initiated an early move and run wide. Paladin is presently considered a leading contender for the Kentucky Derby.
Renegade once more traversed an outside route during the Sam F. Davis, yet this strategy proved inconsequential against his rivals that Saturday. Initiating his run from eighth position in the nine-horse field, he closed in on minor stakes winner Wayne’s Law through the homestretch and surged ahead to claim a 3 3/4-length victory under the guidance of Irad Ortiz Jr. His clocking for 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.54, with a rapid final sixteenth of a mile in :05.97, and he paid $4.40 to win as the race favorite.
“This ranks among the most satisfying maiden victories I’ve experienced,” lightheartedly commented co-owner Mike Repole of Repole Stable during an appearance on FOX Sports.
Rider Irad Ortiz Jr. achieved his third win in the Sam F. Davis, having previously guided Classic Causeway (in 2022) and Ocean Knight (in 2015) to victory for different conditioners.
Front-running Wayne’s Law, who established early splits of :23.80, :48.30, and 1:12.81, managed to hold on for second place, finishing 2 1/4 lengths ahead of The Puma, who secured the show position. The Puma had been the second favorite in the event after achieving a respectable second-place finish in a well-regarded maiden race during his sole prior start last month. Game for It claimed fourth, while Epic Desire finished fifth. Confessional, another highly anticipated participant in the Sam F. Davis, weakened to seventh after encountering congestion in the stretch.
As the Sam F. Davis is a component of the Road to the Kentucky Derby points series, the first five finishers garnered qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 distribution toward the initial leg of the Triple Crown, scheduled for May 2 at Churchill Downs. Officials there employ these qualifying points as a ranking mechanism when the Derby draws more than its maximum field size of 20 horses.
When combined with the five points he had previously secured for his runner-up performance in the Remsen, Renegade’s total Derby points now amount to 25. With one additional race planned for him before the Derby, Renegade’s next outing could be in the $1.5 million Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 28 at Oaklawn Park.
