GRADE 3 SAM F. DAVIS

STONESTREET Stables’ Ocean Knight remained undefeated in two starts and made an impressive start to his three-year-old campaign in his stakes debut, taking the $250,000 Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs on January 31st.

The son of Curlin just got up in time by a neck over determined 28/1 shot Divining Rod in the one-mile, one-testf test, scoring on a fast track with Irad Ortiz Jr aboard.

It was the first start for Ocean Knight since his only other outing, a maiden special weight at Aqueduct Racetrack on December 13th, which he won by a determined four and a quarter lengths going six furlongs. The Kiaran McLaughlin-trainee was nevertheless favoured at odds of 8/5 in a field of 12 for the step up in class.

VERY EXCITING

“Irad rode him great, but he was wide and he had to make a couple of moves to get position,” said Neal McLaughlin, brother and assistant to the winning trainer. “He gutted it out down the stretch. For a lightly raced young horse, it’s very exciting. We hope to bring him back here on March 7th for the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby. We will talk to the owners and are not afraid to go anywhere with him, but if we like the surface here and can have a good experience, why not come back?”

Bred in Kentucky by Thor-Bred Stables, Ocean Knight was a $320,000 purchase from the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co’s March sale of selected two-year-olds in training.

“We knew he was fast. He had been hauling everything else around the training centre all year long,” said Stonestreet owner Barbara Banke, who along with her late husband, Jess Jackson campaigned two-time Horse of the Year Curlin. “(On the turn for home), we thought he had had it. He was clear, but he was wide and it’s tough to run down speed.

“Any time I can race a Curlin like this one, I would. They’re sturdy and they’re fast. It does bring back memories.”