Domestic Product gets up in blanket finish to Tampa Bay Derby

Mar 10, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Trainer Chad Brown already has a top Kentucky Derby (G1) contender in Sierra Leone, and stablemate Domestic Product just boosted his own profile in Saturday’s $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G3). The Klaravich Stables homebred got up on the wire to deny No More Time in a frenetic finish at Tampa Bay Downs.

The madcap stretch run came after a lengthy pre-race delay. When the horses were still in the paddock, the tote system went down at Tampa and several other tracks, and fans weren’t able to place bets. As the delay wore on for more than 30 minutes, the Tampa Bay Derby contenders were patiently waiting, and track management ultimately decided to go ahead with the race.

The result came down to the top two choices on the morning line. No More Time, pegged as the 7-5 early favorite, was just nabbed by Domestic Product, who was set at 8-5.

Domestic Product picked up 50 more Derby points, giving him a total of 60. The dark bay was coming off a fast-finishing second in the Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park, where he split the winning Hades and the third-placer, champion Fierceness.

No More Time, the front-running winner of the Sam F. Davis (G3) at this track and 1 1/16-mile trip last out, did not duplicate those tactics here. Instead, he was on hold in second in the early going, attending Good Money through glacially slow fractions. Domestic Product was drafting another couple of lengths back, full of run but kindly deferring to jockey Tyler Gaffalione’s timing.

Once the field rounded the far turn, the race morphed into a sprint for home. No More Time was asked to quicken, and he responded to grab a narrow advantage from pacesetter Good Money. But the stalking Grand Mo the First also rallied boldly wider out, and on his inner flank, Domestic Product unleashed his strong kick. Heartened advanced from further back on the rail, despite the race shape being all against him.

Approaching the wire, Domestic Product managed to nip No More Time, who added 25 points for his tough-beat second. No More Time’s overall tally stands at 45.

DOMESTIC PRODUCT comes out on top in a thrilling photo finish in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby, earning 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby! @TampaBayDownsFL pic.twitter.com/fFS4XWqSds

— TDN (@theTDN) March 9, 2024

Grand Mo the First was a near-miss third in the tight photo, opening his Derby account with 15 points. Good Money held fourth (10 points) from Heartened (five points), both making their stakes debuts following local maiden wins.

Domestic Product stopped the clock in 1:45.47, a reflection of the leisurely early tempo of :25.25, :51.14, and 1:16.21. His resume now reads 5-2-1-0.

The Kentucky-bred is by Practical Joke, who finished fifth in the 2017 Kentucky Derby for Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence. Domestic Product is out of Goods and Services, a daughter of the valiant campaigner Paynter.

The other scoring race on Saturday was part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, the $101,500 Santa Ysabel (G3) at Santa Anita. Kinza remained undefeated with a five-length jaunt as the 1-2 favorite, but she is ineligible to accrue points because trainer Bob Baffert is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc.

Points were allocated to respective second through fifth-placer finishers in the Santa Ysabel – Where’s My Ring (25 points), She’s a Tempest (15 points, for a total of 21), Ultimate Authority (10 points), and Shiloh’s Mistress (five points).