The Puma powers to the front of the Tampa Bay Derby, Ben Baugh Photo
Ben Baugh
OLDSMAR, FL – Pumas are known as solitary animals, and OGMA Investments, LLC, JR Ranch and High Step Racing, LLC’s The Puma made certain of that by winning the 46th running of the 1 1/116 mile $400,000 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby (Gr.3) by three quarters of a length on March 7.
The Gustavo Delgado, Sr. lightly raced charge was only making his third lifetime start and was a maiden prior to Saturday’s race. The Puma is no stranger to Tampa Bay Downs, having finished third in the Sam F. Davis Stakes. The win punches The Puma’s Ticket for the Kentucky Derby, a race Delgado won in 2023 with Mage.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” said Gustavo Delgado, Jr.., who works for his father as an assistant trainer. “Right now, I feel like I’m levitating. I don’t feel like I’m touching the ground in a good way. I’m very proud of the team effort of the barn, my dad, he’s been working very closely with the horse. Javier as well, he’s been coming to the barn every weekend to breeze the horse, and pay attention to him, and knows every single detail about the horse. He showed up today. It was the right tempo, the right time, the right climate. It worked out well for us.”
The Puma had worked twice in the past 13 days coming into Saturday race, breezing 5-furlongs at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 28, covering the distance in 1:01.40 and then a half mile in 48.56 at Gulfstream on Feb. 22.
The Puma didn’t let a bump in the stretch with Canaletto impact his performance, staying focused and demonstrating his professionalism on the way to a predacious ¾-length victory with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in the irons.
“We took a chance we brought a maiden here, people thought we were crazy, but now that we’ve won, it’s a good feeling,” said Delgado, Jr. “It’s all about experience. Today was a repeat from what he did last time out. He came to the same barn, at the same time to the same track. It always helps when they have done that at least once. That was the key factor to bring him here and enter him in the Tampa Bay Derby. A month ago, things didn’t work out well. He found himself in traffic. He got a good post this time and the horse was training really well for this race. Everything turned out well.”
A graduate of the OBS 2025 Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, The Puma was purchased by Marquee Bloodstock, Agent, from the consignment of Hidden Brook for $150,000.
Disruptor, Aplyland, Destiny d’Oro and Dandona also win stakes on Festival Day 46.
Tagermeen Racing’s Dandona won the 1 1/16 mile $200,000 Florida Oaks (Gr. 3) on the turf. Conditioned by Saffie Joseph Jr., the daughter of the 2020 Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law, was ridden to victory by two-time Eclipse Award winning jockey Flavien Prat.
“She traveled well, she broke well and it felt like the pace was too hot for her, so I gave her a chance,” said Prat. “She was traveling good, considering the soft ground, I was able to get her outside and get going. It felt like she was just grinding away and at that point I didn’t want to get stuck. I thought she did really good.
The lightly raced filly was making only her third start, and second during her sophomore campaign, earning black-type with her win in the Florida Oaks.
The filly who turned in two sharp bullet works at Gulfstream Park prior to Saturday’s race, collared Laigina in the stretch, before posting a 1 ¼-length victory.
Dandona was purchased by Mahmud Mouni at the OBS 2025 Spring Sale from the consignment of Raul Reyes’ King’s Equine for $1,050,000.
Destino D’Oro in the winners circle, Ben Baugh Photo
Destino d’Oro has taking a liking to the Sunshine State, with her third consecutive stakes victory in as many starts in capturing the 28th running of the $225,000 1 1/8th mile Hillsborough Stakes (Gr. 2) on the turf. The 4-year-old filly had come off a victory in the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes presented by the Thoroughbred After Care Alliance (Gr. 2) on Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park and prior to that she ended 2025, with a win in the Tropical Park Oaks, also at Gulsfstream Park.
The daughter of Bolt d’Oro is conditioned by two-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Brad Cox. Destino d’Oro was piloted to victory by Junior Alvarado and is campaigned in the colors of Steve Landers Racing Stable. The filly gained ground late and turned back the challenge of favorite Whiskey Decision to win by a nose.
“I was impressed with her performance today,” said Cox. “She overcame a rough run race for her going into the far turn, I thought she was eliminated to be quite honest. She was able to re-rally and finish up well, ran against some good fillies and I’m very proud of her. I said maybe to try to keep her a little closer just for the lack of pace on paper. I thought he (Alvarado) did a good job putting her a little bit closer. Ultimately, I don’t know if any of that worked out, given that she had to check out of it, due to racing traffic in the far turn. He was able to re-rally her. She showed how good she is and how strong he is.”
The filly scored her fourth lifetime stakes win. Her dam, Heart of Destiny, finished fourth in 2012 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (Gr. 1).
Cary Bloostock, agent purchased Destino d’Oro from the consignment of CM Thoroughbreds for $185,000 at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Disruptor in the winners circle after his Challenger Stakes victory, Ben Baugh Photo
Disruptor won the $125,000 1 1/16-mile Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes (Gr. 3) by a length, turning back the challenge of the highly regarded favorite Disco Time. The Todd Pletcher charge was ridden to victory by Irad Ortiz Jr.
The partnership of Repole Stable, Spendthrift Farm, LLC, Bid Easy Racing, LLC, Titletown Racing, Winners Win, Golconda Stable, Ali Goodrich and Mark Parkinson own Disruptor.
“I really like the horse,” said Repole. “We were high on him last year, he won two out of three, we gave him the time off that he needed, and he came back in a big way. He had been training good the whole time. Todd and his staff do a great job. We weren’t going to let the favorite go do a merry-go-round, Irad took it to them. The 99-1 shot (Paynter’s Prodigy) helped give us a target, and he sat behind him, and he had no excuse at the top of the stretch the favorite (Disco Time). He pulled away. They could come around the stretch three more times and they weren’t going to catch him.”
It was the first stakes victory for Disruptor, who broke his maiden by 9 ¼-lenghts during his sophomore campaign. Repole and Spendthrift purchased Disrupton for $1,150,000 from the consignment of Runnymeade Farm at the 2023 Keeneland Association Sept. yearling Sale.
The lightly raced 4-year-old colt had won his last start at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 31. The horse had 10 months off, after a fifth-place finish in the 2025 Florida Derby (Gr. 1).
“He’s a horse that’s had a couple of issues that popped up. He’s needed the time, and the ownership has given him the time, and Todd’s done a wonderful job with him,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift Farm. “You know he’s not a great big horse, but he’s beautifully made, beautifully put together. I think he’s always been good mentally, and really talented. He was a little unlucky in the Florida Derby. Just sort of got away slow, and I think that kind of cost him any really good chance in that race, otherwise, I think we’d be talking about a Derby horse. He regrouped from his issues last year, and I’ve been really happy with him. I think he likes this track, but I think he’s good anywhere.”
Aplyland in the winner’s circle following the Columbia Stakes, Ben Baugh Photo
D.J. Stable, LLC’s Aplyland won the $125,000 1-mile Columbia Stakes on the turf. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse conditions the 3-year-old gelded son of Vekoma. Four-time Eclipse Award winning jockey Javier Castellano rode Aplyland to victory who kicked clear from Proton to win by 2 lengths.
Aplyland won his seasonal bow capturing the Dania Beach at Gulfstream Park and followed that effort with a third place the Kitten’s Joy, he was going to be pointed toward the Colonel Liam, but the decision was made to send him in the Columbia. Renowned for his courage and mettle, the 2024 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale graduate increased his bankroll to $271,596.
