Tag Archives: Kathleen O’Connell

Horse racing, Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs opinions for Saturday, April 23

Race 6: #4 Manos Arriba (12-1): Trainer Jennifer Hayford-Quinones hasn’t won a race at the meet yet, but she was f-for-2 last year when taking a horse from turf to dirt like this 3-year-old filly.

                              

Race 7: #6 Hey Girl Hey (3-1): Trainer Kathleen O’Connell drops this filly out of a stakes race and searches for her first turf win. Jockey Antonio Gallardo jumps on and he’s 21% with O’Connell at the meet.

 

Race 9: #9 Street Play (6-1): Trainer Arnaud Delacour is a master getting a horse to win first out with a 21% win percentage. The daughter of Street Sense out of the stakes-winning mare Megahertz is bred to love the green.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs opinions for Friday, April 22

BuPreview: After an 0-for-7 on Wednesday, leading jockey Antonio Gallardo is 2 for his last 23. Jockey Scott Spieth won twice on Wednesday. Jockey Fernando De La Cruz is riding at Indiana Grand.

 

Race 5 – Tam

#7 Rasta Friends (8-1): Trainer Dennis Ward is good at moving horses up in class, with a 21% winning percentage when he does it. Jockey Vicky Baze will ride.

                              

Race 6 – Tam

#7 Steve Came Thru (6-1): Trainer Kathleen O’Connell drops this gelding in class and cuts him back from two turns to 7 furlongs. Jockey Ronnie Allen Jr. jumps back on and he has had success with this 5-year-old earlier in the meet.

 

Race 8 – Tam

#9 Dealingatthegate (6-1): Trainer Edward Williams has good numbers at Tampa with stretching a horse out for the first like he is doing with this gelding. Good grass rider Daniel Centeno jumps, which is a positive sign.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs opinions for Friday, April 8

 

Race 4 – Tam

#8 Skyfirm (3-1): Trainer Jason DaCosta has been a 39% trainer in dirt routes at Tampa in the past and he gets leading rider Antonio Gallardo to ride here.

                              

Race 5 – Tam: #3 Starship Bellagio (30-1) 

One gets the feeling trainer Dennis Ward is hoping this one comes off the grass. Ward is 22% with horses moving up two or more classes. This filly doesn’t have a win on the turf but she does have a win on an off track. Hmmm.

                     

Race 10 – Tam

#3 Chilham Court (6-1): We’ve espoused what a good meet Kathleen O’Connell has had this year and here she teams up with jockey Ronnie Allen Jr. and they are a 24% combination.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs opinions for Wednesday, March 23

Not a great card, but weather looks Ok until at least Friday so races should stay on the grass. Sorry missed Sunday, but buy the Buzz from HorsePlayer Now because I gave out a $46 horse in Scarlett Del.

 

Race 3: #5 Rapo (4-1)

Big jockey change here as Tom Proctor puts Ronnie Allen Jr. on instead of Cecily Evans. Allen is 36% with Proctor as this colt takes a drop in class.

 

Race 6: #6 Chelsie’s Chapel (5-1)

This mare has six lifetime wins over this track and has been right there in her last couple of races. Trainer Barbara McBride cuts her back from 7 furlongs and she should be better for it.

                                

Race 9: #3 Copper Coins (8-1) (turf only)

This This gelding is new to Kathleen O’’Connell’s barn and he has never been on grass or gone two turns so she must have seen something in training to pick this as his comeback spot. Also, she entices leading rider Antonio Gallardo to ride and he’s 25% with her.

 

Race 10: #9 Bayshore Boy (5-1)

Trainer Jason DaCosta has a huge 52% stat when he goes sprint-route-sprint. The gelding takes a drop in class and jockey Fernando De La Cruz stays aboard.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs opinions for Friday, March 11

Preview: Field sizes are finally improving, but everyone is waiting for Saturday’s big Tampa Bay Derby card. On the dirt, trainers to watch are Gerald Bennett (37-119), Jamie Ness (22-84), Kathleen O’Connell (19-91), Dale Bennett (14-47) and Dennis Ward (11-92).

 

Race 2 – Tam

#1 Burley Blaise (6-1) 

Trainer Ian Wilkes races him into shape and this one has been overmatched at Gulfstream Park so Wilkes ships north and drops. Wilkes is 33% when he moves a horse down in class two of more levels.

                              

Race 7 – Tam                

#8 Wicked Rascal (9-2) 

This gelding was overmatched in a minor stakes at Gulfstream Park but he’s back and if he shows the speed he did previously at this track with jockey Antonio Gallardo, he could be gone.

                                

Race 8 – Tam                

#6 Peej (8-1) (turf only) 

Trainer Chris Block is 24% with horses coming off a 90-plus day layoff. This gelding is also coming out of a key Churchill Downs race that has produced three next out winners.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs opinions for Sunday, March 6

Preview: The turf races continue to provide value on the cards as the dirt races are filling up as much as they did earlier in the meet..

 

Race 5: #6 Pete’s Pita (12-1)

Interesting jockey switch here as second-leading jockey Daniel Centeno takes over on this gelding which is 0-for-5 at the meet but has a pair of thirds at this level.

                              

Race 8: #5 Cardinal Cove (5-2) (turf only)

This filly has been overmatched at Gulfstream Park so trainer Kathleen O’Connelll ships her north to a course she won over two years ago. Leading jockey Antonio Gallardo jumps on.

 

Race 10: #1 Hemakingabigscene (4-1)

Finished second at the level in his last race and draws inside for trainer Stephen Lyster and jockey Pablo Morales.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs opinions for Wednesday, Feb. 24

Preview: Not a great card as the five-day racing weeks start to take their toll. Just nine races and some smallish fields for this track. Tread lightly.

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Race 4: #2 Just My Game (10-1) 

Trainer Kathleen O’Connell is winning 23% of her races here. This filly has run all of here races at Gulfstream Park and if she returns to the form of the race two back, she wins this.

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Race 6: #2 Love Your Humor (6-1) 

This is strictly a jockey-trainer combination angle. This gelding takes a drops in class for trainer William Connelly, who was 2-for-2 with jockey Scott Spieth last year.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs opinions for Saturday, Feb. 20

Nice big Saturday with 11 races and the smallest field is eight horses so there are plenty of chances for prices.

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Race 3: #10 Skiffs Brewmeister (5-1)

This gelding has run 55 career races and never run on the main track. Trainer Kathleen O’Connell ships him up from Gulfstream Park looking to regain his confidence. She is 16% dropping a horse two or more class levels. Jockey Victor Lebron jumps on this closer.

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Race 7: #5 Mister Nofty (turf only) (6-1)

It appears trainer Keith Nation has been looking to go two turns with this son of Scat Daddy all along. Offspring of Scat Daddy with 15% of the time first effort on the grass and Nation is 18% first on turf. He gets leading rider Antonio Gallardo aboard.

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Race 10: #4 Nate the Natural (turf only) (8-1)

This gelding has a pair of third on this turf course and gets a huge jockey upgrade to Daniel Centeno, who has been hot the last three weeks. Trainer Michele Boyce is winning 23% of her races here this winter and has this one spotted well.

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FAIRGROUNDS

Race 11 (Grade II Risen Star Stakes: 1.#4 Bistraya (15-1), 2. #10 Airoforce (5-2), 3. #13 Candy My Boy (15-1), 4. #6 Gun Runner (6-1). LONG SHOT: #7 Its All Relevent (15-1).

It’s time for the 50-point races on the Kentucky Derby trail so a win in any of these races pretty much gets you in the starting gate on the first Saturday of May. We’re going with an upset here as Bistraya ships in off a maiden victory in Southern California. Jockey Edwin Maldonado comes along for the ride. Candy My Boy is interesting but that post is a killer.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

 

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Horse racing, Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs opinions for Wednesday, Feb. 10

Preview: Not a great card, but hopefully they will be back on the grass after a full week not on the green stuff. On the jockey front, leading rider Antonio Gallarado had a bad week with just two winners. Ronnie Allen Jr. had seven winners followed by Daniel Centeno and Fernando De La Cruz with five each.

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Race 3: #1 He’s the Dude (turf only) (6-1)       

They tried to get this gelding on the grass in his debut, but it was taken off and trainer Larry Rivelli claimed him out of that effort. Rivelli is 28% with horses off a 90-day layoff or longer.

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Race 5: #5 Calm (turf only) (15-1)

Another filly that set to debut on turf but it was rained off. Trainer Dane Kobiskie is 24% first time turf and brings her up from Gulfstream Park West and drops her into a maiden claimer for the first time. The 3-year-old is also coming out of a race that has produced four next out winners.

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Race 6: #1 Lisa’s Secret (5-2)

Trainer Kathleen O’Connell has had a big meet and this filly comes out of a key race. O’Connell is 30% with jockey Antonio Gallardo, who is due to have a big day.

 @Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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Horse racing, Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs opinions for Saturday, Feb. 6

Preview: Lots of horses on this card so the prices should be pretty good. Hope for good weather. They were off the turf on Friday, Hopefully, it will dry out for today’s action.

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Race 3: #2 Course I’ll Wynn (turf only) (10-1) 

This horse is likely to scratch as she is re-entered on Sunday so check the scratches. Trainer Kathleen O’Connell has had a big meet and she tries to get this mare to go two turns in her second race off a long layoff. O’Connell is 19% second off the layoff and second start with a new trainer. Looks like worth the play.

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Race 5: #5 Shake (turf only) (4-1)

Trainer Christophe Clement sends his second string to Tampa and usually has some success. He’s 1-for-3 at the meet and gets great turf rider Daniel Centeno to ride. They have a winner together at the meet.

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Race 11: #4 Imageiseverything (15-1)

Trainer Aldana Gonzalez and jockey Scott Spieth have been quite the combo at this meet, winning at a 38% clip. Gonzalez is 26% second off the layoff so the price is right.

@Jeff_Nahill on Twitter

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