Saturday’s $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs is the signature prep for the 2021 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve at the Oldsmar, Fla., track and brings together a competitive field of 3-year-olds vying for a total of 85 qualifying points for the May 1 run for the roses, 50 of them going to the winner.

The 12- horse field is headlined by Candy Man Rocket, who earned 10 Derby points when winning the local prep for the Tampa Bay Derby, the Sam F. Davis Stakes, on Feb. 6. The Grade 2, 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Derby will be broadcast live on the “America’s Day at the Races” show on FS2, with a scheduled post time of 5:25 p.m. ET.

Read on for information about each of the Tampa Bay Derby starters.

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1. My Liberty (30-1)

Jockey: Tomas Mejia

Trainer: Maria Mejia

Owner: Thoroughbred Champions Training Center

Career record: 4 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $23,900

Earnings per start: $5,975

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 87

Kentucky Derby Points: 0

Pedigree: Tapizar – Liberty Lunch, by Flatter

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: My Liberty comes into a big class test in the Tampa Bay Derby off of a head win in a seven-furlong maiden race on this track on Feb. 12. He improved substantially off of his 3-year-old debut in January at Gulfstream Park, where he was last of eight and defeated by 20 ¾ lengths. In his Tampa win, this Tapizar colt gamely dueled for the lead throughout with the eventual runner-up, and he earned a decent 87 Equibase Speed Figure. Having said that, he’ll be facing a far tougher group Saturday, including several other horses that prefer to race on or near the lead. It might be in jockey Tomas Mejia’s best interest to take My Liberty off the pace and try to make a late rally, as he nearly won a six-furlong sprint at Gulfstream Park last summer with that running style after he was bumped and steadied early. No matter how the race plays out, My Liberty is a deserved longshot in the Tampa Bay Derby and will be hard pressed to hit the board.

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2. Super Strong (8-1)

Jockey: Antonio Gallardo

Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.

Owner: Sonata Stable

Career record: 1 start – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $25,891

Earnings per start: $25,891

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 82

Kentucky Derby Points: 0

Pedigree: Super Saver – Srikinglybeautiful, by Smart Strike

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This son of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner and Tampa Bay Derby third-place finisher Super Saver is an absolute wild card in Saturday’s race. He ships to the continent from Puerto Rico, where he won his only start on Dec. 19. That was a seven-furlong stakes race at Camarero Race Track, and he came from off the pace on a sloppy track to score by 2 ½ lengths. There’s no doubt that he’ll be making a major jump up in class in the Tampa Bay Derby as Saffie Joseph Jr. takes over training duties from Puerto Rico-based Raymond Morales, and his 82 Equibase Speed Figure earned at Camarero will need to improve by about 15-20 points to give him any chance at hitting the board. Still, his pedigree for running long is encouraging: while his mother was a stakes-placed sprinter, she’s part of a family of several accomplished two-turn stakes winners, led by two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and influential sire Tiznow. Based on his pedigree and the fact that he’s a closer in what could be a hot-paced race, Super Strong is worth a look Saturday as a trifecta and/or superfecta filler at good odds.

Eclipse Sportswire

3. Candy Man Rocket (2-1)

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

Trainer: Bill Mott

Owner: Frank Fletcher Racing Operations

Career record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $144,824

Earnings per start: $48,275

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 94

Kentucky Derby Points: 10

Pedigree: Candy Ride – Kenny Lane, by Forestry

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Press the pace/stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Candy Man Rocket has a good chance to be the post-time favorite in the Tampa Bay Derby based on his one-length win in the Sam F. Davis Stakes on Feb. 6. He tracked Boca Boy’s early pace in that 1 1/16-mile race and made his winning move on the far turn under Junior Alvarado, opening up on the field in early stretch. Candy Man Rocket did not finish the Sam F. Davis especially fast, but he held off stablemate Nova Rags by a length and improved to 2-for-2 in his 3-year-old season following a blowout win in six-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 9. This Candy Ride colt is in the hands of a Hall of Fame trainer in Bill Mott, who is renowned for his patience and attentiveness to his horses’ needs, and he’s posted two solid workouts at Payson Park Training Center since his Sam Davis victory. If Candy Man Rocket can take the next step Saturday and bump his Equibase Speed Figure up about 10 points, he stands a good chance to visit the Tampa Bay Downs winner’s circle again as, on paper, this race sets up well for his stalking style and he’s already shown an affinity for the track. Mott won the 1997 Tampa Bay Derby with Zede and the 2019 renewal with eventual Kentucky Derby third-place finisher and Belmont Stakes runner-up Tacitus.

Bob Coglianese/Gulfstream Park

4. King of Dreams (20-1)

Jockey: Samy Camacho

Trainer: Juan Carlos Avila

Owner: Victoria’s Ranch

Career record: 2 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $25,200

Earnings per start: $12,600

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 96

Kentucky Derby Points: 0

Pedigree: Air Force Blue – Cabbage Key, by A.P. Indy

Color: Bay

Running style: Pacesetter

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Owner Victoria’s Ranch (retired Major League Baseball All-Star Victor Martinez), trainer Juan Avila and jockey Samy Camacho jumped on the Derby trail in last year’s Tampa Bay Derby when King Guillermo switched from turf to dirt and posted a 49.20-1 shocker. They’re back this year with King of Dreams, who ships in from Gulfstream Park off of a sharp win in a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden race on Jan. 30 that generated a 96 Equibase Speed Figure. Can lightning strike twice for these connections? King of Dreams made his first start on a sloppy dirt track in December at Aqueduct and finished a well-beaten seventh, but that race is easy to set aside. He’s been working steadily on dirt at Gulfstream since breaking his maiden, and if he can repeat his turf effort on Tampa Bay Downs’ quirky main track, he could spur another jubilant celebration in the winner’s circle for Martinez, Avila, and their families and friends Saturday afternoon. Look for Samy Camacho to be aggressive and put King of Dreams on the early lead from the fourth post position, although he should have company contesting the pace with Boca Boy, Promise Keeper, and possibly Puerto Rico shipper Super Strong.

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5. Boca Boy (15-1)

Jockey: Angel Arroyo

Trainer: Cheryl Winebaugh

Owner: Kenneth Fishbein

Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third

Career earnings: $311,400

Earnings per start: $62,280

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 84

Kentucky Derby Points: 1

Pedigree: Prospective – Baliwink, by Gimmeawink

Color: Bay

Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This gelding by 2012 Tampa Bay Derby winner Prospective set the pace in the Sam F. Davis Stakes but gave up the lead on the far turn and finished fourth behind Candy Man Rocket, defeated by four lengths. Prior to the Sam Davis, he won twice at Gulfstream Park and finished second once and third once, all races occurring last summer and fall during his 2-year-old season. In his final 2020 start, he won the 1 1/16-mile FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality Stakes by two lengths, and in fact Boca Boy is 2-for-3 on sloppy tracks, which could aid him Saturday as the forecast calls for a 80% chance of showers in Tampa. Overall, Boca Boy is a longshot win candidate in the Tampa Bay Derby, although if he improves in his second start of 2021 he should be a pace factor during the first half-mile at least.

Lauren KIng/Coglianese Photo

6. Awesome Gerry (15-1)

Jockey: Hector Diaz Jr.

Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.

Owners: John Fanelli, Cash Is King, LC Racing, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch

Career record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third

Career earnings: $76,850

Earnings per start: $12,808

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 86

Kentucky Derby Points: 0

Pedigree: Liam’s Map – Star of Munster, by Tribal Rule

Color: Gray or roan

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Awesome Gerry disappointed in his first attempt at securing Kentucky Derby points when he finished seventh in the Holy Bull Stakes on Jan. 30, beaten 17 lengths by Greatest Honour. He started out his career with two consecutive wins last summer and fall and then ran decent in three stakes races to close out his 2-year-old season, finishing second in the seven-furlong Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs and third in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Both of his wins came at sprint distances and his pedigree also suggests he should perform best around a mile at the longest. Those credentials make Awesome Gerry a longshot in Saturday’s Tampa Bay Derby along with both of trainer Saffie Joseph’s other contenders.

Moonlite Strike (inside) (Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photo)

7. Moonlite Strike (20-1)

Jockey: Daniel Centeno

Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.

Owner: Sonata Stable

Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $54,900

Earnings per start: $13,725

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 93

Kentucky Derby Points: 0

Pedigree: Liam’s Map – Twinkling, by War Chant

Color: Bay

Running style: Press the pace/stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Moonlite Strike disappointed in his most recent start, a fourth-place effort in the Jan. 22 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park and ships from Saffie Joseph’s South Florida base to Tampa Bay Downs for another try on the Derby trail Saturday. The Liam’s Map colt was bothered on the first turn of the Smarty Jones and saw his Equibase Speed Figure drop to 71 after he posted 93 and 83 numbers in wins at Gulfstream Park West and Gulfstream Park, respectively. Truthfully, none of the horses in the Smarty Jones was a threat to runaway winner Caddo River, so it’s reasonable to expect Moonlite Strike to rebound and put in a better effort Saturday, especially since he’s been posting swift workouts at Palm Meadows Training Center for Joseph in recent weeks. Overall, though, Moonlite Strike profiles as a second-tier contender in the Tampa Bay Derby and he’d need to improve substantially against this competitive field to have a chance at the upset. Daniel Centeno won the 2009 Tampa Bay Derby on Musket Man and the 2014 renewal aboard Ring Weekend.

Coady Photography

8. Hidden Stash (4-1)

Jockey: Rafael Bejarano

Trainer: Victoria Oliver

Owner: BBN Racing

Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 2 thirds

Career earnings: $121,062

Earnings per start: $24,212

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 89

Kentucky Derby Points: 2

Pedigree: Constitution – Making Mark Money, by Smart Strike

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Stalker/closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Hidden Stash seeks improvement in his second 3-year-old start Saturday after closing late to grab third in the Sam F. Davis Stakes behind Candy Man Rocket and Nova Rags. He had a solid juvenile campaign in 2020 on the Kentucky circuit, winning his last two starts at Keeneland and Churchill Downs in 1 1/16-mile races. His Equibase Speed Figures have maxed out over his last three starts in the high 80s, and he’ll need to boost those in the Tampa Bay Derby to have any shot at winning. Overall, though, Hidden Stash fits in well with this field and figures to put in a good effort, and he could carry attractive odds as a win candidate at post time due to the presence of Candy Man Rocket and two Todd Pletcher-trained runners. There’s enough speed lined up to benefit his off-the-pace running style, and he’s also got one of the best pedigrees in the field, as a son of hot young sire Constitution and from a female family that includes such luminaries as current star Maxfield, prolific sires Sky Mesa and Bernstein, and several other graded stakes winners in route races.

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9. Unbridled Honor (20-1)

Jockey: Julien Leparoux

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owner: Whisper Hill Farm

Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $21,050

Earnings per start: $7,017

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 85

Kentucky Derby Points: 0

Pedigree: Honor Code – Silvery Starlet, by Unbridled’s Song

Color: Gray or roan

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Unbridled Honor joins Promise Keeper as live win contenders in the Tampa Bay Derby from Todd Pletcher’s barn. This Honor Code colt has two advantages over his stablemate: he’s got a win on Tampa’s love-it-or-hate-it main track, having scored by a half-length in a one mile and 40-yard maiden race on Feb. 6; and his stalking running style could be a major benefit in a race with several front-running types, including Promise Keeper. He improved his Equibase Speed Figure by 15 points in his win at Tampa after finishing a well-beaten fourth to subsequent Withers Stakes winner Risk Taking in his final 2-year-old start, and a similar jump will be required Saturday for this Whisper Hill Farm homebred to reach the winner’s circle. He’s got some class in his pedigree to give him a boost, as his dam is a half-sister to Haskell Invitational winner Roman Ruler and Cigar Mile winner El Corredor. Pletcher, who is a finalist for the 2021 Racing Hall of Fame class, holds the record for wins in the Tampa Bay Derby with five: Limehouse (2004), Verrazano (2013), Carpe Diem (2015), Destin (2016), and Tapwrit (2017).

Michael Burns/Woodbine Photo

10. Helium (6-1)

Jockey: Jose Ferrer

Trainer: Mark Casse

Owner: D. J. Stable

Career record: 2 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $77,763

Earnings per start: $38,882

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 93

Kentucky Derby Points: 0

Pedigree: Ironicus – Thundering Emilia, by Thunder Gulch

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Helium makes his 3-year-old debut in the Tampa Bay Derby after posting two wins in seven-furlong races on Woodbine’s synthetic Tapeta Footings surface. He hasn’t raced since Oct. 18, when he romped by 4 ¼ lengths in the Display Stakes, and has been working steadily over the winter at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida for Mark Casse, who won the Tampa Bay Derby in 2012 with Prospective. It’s anyone’s guess how Helium will handle the challenges of making a surface switch, coming off a four-plus month layoff, and taking a class and distance hike. His pedigree is turf-oriented as sire Ironicus was a two-time Grade 2 winner in grass route races and dam Thundering Emilia, by 1995 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Thunder Gulch, won stakes races on turf in Peru and the United States at 1 1/16 miles. Helium’s half-sister also won a one-mile Group 1 race on dirt in Peru in 2019. Helium’s pedigree, demonstrated ability from his juvenile season, and connections make him worthy of consideration in exotic bets for the Tampa Bay Derby at the least, and an intriguing win candidate at what should be solid odds.

Lauren KIng/Coglianese Photo

11. Promise Keeper (8-1)

Jockey: Luis Saez

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owners: Woodford Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm and Rockridge Stud

Career record: 2 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $26,000

Earnings per start: $13,000

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 90

Kentucky Derby Points: 0

Pedigree: Constitution – Mira Alta, by Curlin

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Pacesetter

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This lightly raced colt is one of the main challengers to Candy Man Rocket in the Tampa Bay Derby as he matches up against that foe again after losing to him two races back at Gulfstream Park. Promise Keeper stalked the pace in that six-furlong maiden race on Jan. 9 but never mustered a rally, while Candy Man Rocket raced in second early before moving to the lead and romping by 9 ¼ lengths. In his second start, Promise Keeper turned in his own impressive effort at Gulfstream, setting the pace and romping by five lengths in a one-turn mile race on a sloppy track. He improved his Equibase Speed Figure from 71 in his debut to 90 in his second start, and another speed figure jump in the Tampa Bay Derby will put him right in contention for the win. The forecast for rain on Saturday also is a plus for this Constitution colt from the female family of graded stakes-winning routers Owendale and Great Hunter. Trainer Todd Pletcher holds the record for wins in the Tampa Bay Derby with five: Limehouse (2004), Verrazano (2013), Carpe Diem (2015), Destin (2016), and Tapwrit (2017). WinStar Farm co-owned Carpe Diem and also co-owned and bred 2018 winner Quip.

Coady Photography

12. Sittin On Go (20-1)

Jockey: Roberto Alvarado Jr.

Trainer: Dale Romans

Owner: Albaugh Family Stables

Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $169,520

Earnings per start: $33,904

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 91

Kentucky Derby Points: 10

Pedigree: Brody’s Cause – Set’n On Ready, by More Than Ready

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Sittin On Go ships to Tampa Bay Downs in what may be a last-ditch effort to stay on the Kentucky Derby trail. Back in September, he won the first qualifying points race for Derby 147, the Iroquois Stakes Presented by Ford at Churchill Downs, to sit atop the early leaderboard. After that upset victory, however, Sittin On Go has finished ninth, sixth, and sixth in major Derby prep races, defeated by a total of 34 ¼ lengths. He did have an excuse for his 17-length defeat in the Jan. 30 Holy Bull Stakes (his 3-year-old debut), as he stumbled at the start and was never involved. Still, Sittin On Go has much to prove in the Tampa Bay Derby after showing so much early promise. He came from behind to win the Iroquois and there appears to be enough pace lined up Saturday to set up his closing rally, but based on his form over the past several months a minor award appears to be his ceiling.