Tipsheet: 2024 Sam F. Davis Stakes

A total of 12 sophomores will travel 1 1/16 miles on Tampa Bay Downs main surface in Saturday’s $250,000 Sam F. Davis S. (G3). The top five finishers will earn qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis in the 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series event. 

Sam F. Davis Stakes Picks

• #5 No More Time
• #8 Change of Command
• #12 Elysian Meadows
• #6 Agate Road

Sam F. Davis Stakes Wagers

• $15 win and place #5 No More Time
• $5 exacta key box 5 with 6,8,12 
• 50-cent trifecta 5,8 with 5,6,8,12 with all

Sam F. Davis Stakes Contenders

#1 EL PRINCIPITO: Accelerate sophomore was a debut winner but has failed to hit the board in five subsequent events leading up to this race. The Florida bred appears to be outclassed on this occasion. 

#2 TIRELESS: Pletcher pupil has shown improvement since moving to the dirt two back and gets a look as a later developing colt. The expensive son of Not This Time showed an affinity for the oval when graduating here most recently, and another move in the right direction will make him an exotics contender with Antonio Gallardo in the irons. 

#3 PATRIOT SPIRIT: Constitution colt bagged the Inaugural S. on the surface at six panels last time out and will try to prove capable of handling two turns in this run. This Michael Campbell trainee surely has ability, and the Kentucky bred did move up with the removal of blinkers in his latest offering, so he is one to consider at a price with Samy Camacho retaining the ride. 

#4 CRAZY MASON: Interesting Coal Front colt had a nice juvenile campaign and prepped for Saturday with a tally on the oval in his most recent showing. The Greg Sacco charge has flashed considerable ability on numerous occasions, and the gray will be doing his best work in the lane as a contender with Mychel Sanchez riding. 

#5 NO MORE TIME: Top pick was a fine graduate going one mile at Gulfstream Park two back prior to running a decent fifth in the Mucho Macho Man S. in his last effort. The dark bay son of Not This Time has trained in swift fashion in the interim, and the dark bay seems poised to put his best foot forward on Saturday with Paco Lopez taking the reins. 

#6 AGATE ROAD: Grade 1 winner has raced on the green in his last four runs on the sod and is very interesting on the move to the main strip against this cast. The $650,000 son of Quality Road did run a nose second on debut on the main strip at Saratoga, so the surface change might be to his benefit with Jose Ortiz riding. This Kentucky-bred colt will stalk the pace in the early going. 

#7 COPPER TAX: Two-time stakes winner showed little in the Remsen S. (G2) in his 2023 finale and lands in this spot for his three-year-old debut. The Gary Capuano trainee is a tricky read in a field of this quality, but the bay colt will show speed and could be dangerous if he clears the field early on. 

#8 EVERDOIT: Kevin Rice charge was unplaced while going off at odds of 54-1 in the Mucho Macho Man S. in his latest performance, and he looks to be in a more difficult spot in this one. The gray gelding will be a pace factor, but I don’t expect him to be in the hunt late. 

#9 CHANGE OF COMMAND: Shug McGaughey pupil comes in with a pair of wins in succession and will be a prime win player with further improvement on Saturday. The expensive son of Into Mischief showed heart in his allowance coup at Gulfstream Park in advance of his graded debut, and the colt has the early foot to get the jump on the deeper closing types in the field, as well. Tyler Gaffalione will be in the stirrups. 

#10 WEST SARATOGA: Iroquois S. (G3) victor was a distant second in the Pasco S. on the oval in his seasonal bow and will move up off of that try in this endeavor. The gray son of Exaggerator has the early pace to overcome the tricky post, and he could be well placed at the top of the lane beneath Jesus Castanon. 

#11 FULMINEO: Bolt d’Oro colt flashed potential as a two-year-old and was last seen finishing a smart second in a local allowance try for Arnaud Delacour. The Maryland-bred colt will have to get faster to be in the mix late in the big cast, but he owns a nice turn of foot and can’t be totally dismissed with Daniel Centeno riding. 

#12: ELYSIAN MEADOWS: Bill Mott trainee is 2-for-2 from a pair of sprint tries to begin his career and has a lot of appeal to me despite drawing widest of all. The son of City Light has closed swiftly in both of his tallies, and the Empire State-bred colt showed his versatility most recently when forcing the early pace, which will give pilot Junior Alvarado options in the early stages of the tilt.