Tampa: Skyway Festival Day is Saturday

HorseRacingFLA Staff Report

The Friday race card is underway at  Tampa Bay Downs, starting a weekend that looms as the biggest yet at its 2016-2017 meet.

Scheduled post is 4:55 p.m. for Friday’s tenth and final race.  The main track is listed as fast and the turf is listed as firm.

Saturday is the annual Skyway Festival Day, with three stakes races.  First post is 12:12 p.m. for the  11-race card.

*The $100,000 Pasco is seven furlongs on dirt for 3-year-old males. It is the third race with scheduled post of  1:12 p.m.

Chance of Luck heads a seven-horse field.  On Dec. 3, he won the six-furlong Inaugural Stakes at Tampa. Erick Rodriguez has the return mount for trainer Gerald Bennett.

*The $50,000 Wayward Lass is 1 1/16 miles on dirt for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up. It is the seventh race with scheduled post of 3:12 p.m.

No Fault of Mine and Royal Jewelry are among likely favorites in the eight-horse field.

*The $100,000 Gasparilla is seven furlongs on dirt for 3-year-old fillies.  It is the ninth race with scheduled post of 4:15 p.m.

The nine-horse field is headed by R Angel Katelyn, winner of the six-furlong Sandpiper at Tampa Bay on Dec. 3.   Edwin Gonzalez has the return mount for Gerald Bennett.

On Saturday morning, we will have a stakes race preview by staff writer Monique Welch.