Expert Pick of the Week: 2023 Tampa Bay Derby

Mar 10, 2023 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

A large field of 12 sophomores will travel 1 1/16 miles on the main surface in Saturday’s $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G3). The 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series contest will reward the top-five finishers with qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 structure.

Conditioner Todd Pletcher has a strong pair in the field, led by fantastic allowance winner Tapit Trice, who will be making his stakes debut in the event. The gray colt has improved in each of his lifetime races to date and seems poised to make a major impact in his first run over the surface. He is the Expert Pick of the Week.

By Tapit, the $1.3 million yearling purchase was unveiled in November at Aqueduct and rallied from a tardy start to be third while facing a nice group traveling at one mile. Returning for his juvenile finale at the same venue and at the same trip, the expensive colt got up gamely late over a muddy, sealed strip to graduate while recording a sharp final time in the process. In his latest offering, the Kentucky-bred took command in early stretch and drove clear to a widening, eight-length allowance victory beneath Luis Saez at Gulfstream Park.

Tapit Trice is bred to run all day and is out of a stakes-winning dam who is a half-sister to champion Jaywalk. He sports a fine catalog page, has moved forward in each race run to date, and the gray has also trained in forward fashion in advance of his stakes debut, as well. The tactical three-year-old will be tracking the tempo from the second or third flight early before being asked for his best in the lane. Saez retains the ride.

Shesterkin, also from the Pletcher shedrow, finished runner-up to the top selection in his second career performance and rates a chance with expected improvement in his third lifetime outing. The $330,000 son of Violence led at every call in a sharp score at first asking in the winter and will add blinkers for Saturday. The dark bay Kentucky-bred is cut out to love a route of ground, and I expect him to be a dangerous contender turning for home while always forwardly placed. Edgard Zayas will be in the silks aboard the colt.

Classic Legacy ran a decent fourth in the Sam F. Davis S. (G3) in his latest showing and will move up while making his second local appearance. The Bill Mott pupil displayed a fine turn of foot as a two-year-old and could be a real threat inside the final furlong with Irad Ortiz Jr taking the reins.

An exacta with #6 Tapit Trice on top of #3 Classic Legacy and #9 Shesterkin in the 2023 Tampa Bay Derby is the Best Bet of the Week.