OLDSMAR, Fla. – All-sources handle on the 12-race Festival Day card on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs was a track record $20,778,222, crushing the former the record of $15.2 million, set last year on Festival Day. Nearly $3.7 million was bet on the Tampa Derby, a one-race record. Helping the Tampa cause was the fact both Aqueduct and Laurel Park canceled racing Saturday because of poor weather.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – When Chad Brown sent out the one-two finishers in both the Grade 2 Endeavour and Grade 3 Florida Oaks on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday, he padded his incredible record at the 2021-22 Tampa meet.

Brown begins this week with 17 wins and 7 seconds from just 36 starters at Tampa this winter, a batting average of .470 that would be a cool .500 if he hadn’t also had the runner-up in both of those stakes. Bleecker Street (94 Beyer), now unbeaten in five career starts, won the Endeavour over Rocky Sky. Dolce Zel (76 Beyer) won the Florida Oaks over Spicer.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Brian Lynch was in his usual good mood Monday morning, and why wouldn’t he be? The trainer had heard all the talk about Classic Causeway not being fast enough, even after the colt’s victory on Saturday in the Tampa Bay Derby, and decided to wave it off.

“I’ve never done this,” Lynch said about having a serious Kentucky Derby prospect so late in the game, “and I’m going to keep enjoying it.”

A stable truly has depth when a morning-line favorite is scratched and another runner from the barn assumes the role of favorite and succeeds hours later.

Say the Word was withdrawn from Saturday’s Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes after sustaining a cut in a stall incident on race morning, trainer Phil D’Amato said. That afternoon, Acclimate was sent off favored, took his usual position at the front, and held off a sustained threat from Dicey Mo Chara to win his first stakes since June.

Acclimate is an 8-year-old gelding who is not acting his age.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Bo Hirsch and trainer Michael McCarthy have decisions to make with Ce Ce, the reigning champion female sprinter who won around two turns Saturday in the Grade 2, $350,000 Azeri at Oaklawn Park.  

The Azeri serves as the final local steppingstone to the Grade 1, $1 million Apple Blossom on April 23 at Oaklawn. Ce Ce won the race in 2020, and again will be considered for the 1 1/16-mile handicap, McCarthy said Sunday.  

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown has tweaked his plans for some of his bounty of stakes horses, including his 3-year-olds who are or were pointing to Kentucky Derby points-scoring races.

Brown said Friday that he plans to scratch Money Supply from Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby. Brown said the combination of post 11 and an expected wet track given an ominous forecast are the reasons to scratch. In his only start, Money Supply won a six-furlong race at Tampa on Feb. 12.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The New York stewards took no action against jockey Jose Lezcano for his peculiar ride aboard Foxtail in Sunday’s first race at Aqueduct.

Lezcano was aboard Foxtail, the 2-1 second choice in the race. Lezcano seemed to have a handful of horse as he cruised up to the leaders three wide at the quarter pole. Lezcano did not ask his horse for run, but kept looking to his inside, specifically at That Is Key, who Foxtail was at least a length in front of.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Speaker’s Corner and Olympiad, both trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, have combined to win all four of their starts to begin their 4-year-old campaigns, three in graded stakes.

Maybe you saw Clairiere’s robust-looking Fair Grounds work pattern and wondered where she’d make the first start of her 4-year-old season. Now, you have an answer.

Clairiere is one of seven older fillies and mares entered in the seventh race Wednesday at Fair Grounds. Well done to the track’s racing office making this high-end allowance race go (Clairiere qualifies under the nonwinners-of-four condition) and bringing an elite talent to a weekday racing program.

James Graham rode four winners on the Thursday card at Fair Grounds, opening an eight-win lead, 50-42, over Colby Hernandez in the jockey standings. Reylu Gutierrez is having a strong first season at Fair Grounds with 47 winners through Thursday. Deshawn Parker, with 32 wins, and Emanuel Nieves, who’s ridden 28 winners, also are having notably successful first seasons based in New Orleans.

But let’s talk for a minute about the 10th leading rider at Fair Grounds, Jareth Loveberry.