(Tampa Bay Downs’ starting gate / Photo by Holly M. Smith)

(Trainer Mark Casse / Photo by Coady Photography)

Tampa Bay Downs will kick start its’ “Road to the Kentucky Derby” program this Saturday when it plays host to the 11-race Festival Preview Day card, headlined by the Grade III, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the dirt.

Both the Suncoast Stakes, for the 3YO fillies, and the Sam F. Davis are part of a points system leading to Churchill Downs in Louisville the first weekend of May.

The Suncoast will be awarding points to the first five finishers toward qualifying for the Longines Kentucky Oaks on May 5, and the Sam F. Davis awarding points to the top five toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 6.

Points for both races will be awarded on a 20-8-6-4-2 scale.

Trainer Mark Casse has two entrants in the Sam F. Davis, Champions Dream and Classic Car Wash. Champions Dream, who closed fast to be second to Zydeceaux here by a neck on Jan. 14 in the Pasco Stakes, is “definitely a much better horse now than he was (then),” Casse said.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione has the  riding assignment on Champions Dream.

There is little debate Dreaming of Kona is much improved since last seen here on Dec. 3, when he finished third in the Inaugural Stakes without threatening the top two. Dreaming of Kona returned to action on Jan. 1 at Gulfstream in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes, finishing a half-length behind Legacy Isle and being elevated to the win position via disqualification because Legacy Isle drifted out late, impeding Dreaming of Kona’s momentum.

Back home, Dreaming of Kona settled in nicely before turning in a blistering 4-furlong breeze of 46 4/5 seconds on Jan. 18 with Spieth aboard, the best of 43 workouts that day at the distance. “He galloped out very strong and was under a minute (for 5 furlongs),” trainer Aldana Spieth said.

“He’s doing very good now, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he has progressed (since the Mucho Macho Man). He was already very professional, but I think a lot of stuff clicked for him after that race. The shipping, the different environment, he handled everything well,” Spieth said.

“If he knew halfway what he is supposed to do at that point, he is probably up to 75 or 80 percent now. But he is still learning and enthusiastic about everything, and he is very focused. He loves to train and be out there and do his thing.”

Dreaming of Kona, whose career record of 2-for-3 includes his maiden victory Oct. 17 at Presque Isle Downs in his career debut, was named for Kailua-Kona, that portion of the island of Hawaii that has bedazzled travelers for centuries. Spieth said his different shades of coloring brought the rocky island paradise to mind, resulting in the colt’s nickname of “Rocky.”

The nickname has evolved to have a double meaning, Spieth said. “”We didn’t have any horses to go in company with him (during workouts), because he knocked them all out and they couldn’t work with him again. So Scott joked that he was like (fictional prize fighter) Rocky Balboa.”

One thing is for certain: There are a lot of punchers entered in the Sam F. Davis Stakes whose KO prowess has yet to be established.

Saturday, then, is a good time for backyard brawling.

Here is the full field for the Sam F. Davis Stakes in post position order, with horse, trainer and jockey listed:

  1. Worthington, Michael Maker, Pablo Morales; 2. Prairie Hawk, Saffie A. Joseph, Jr., Samy Camacho; 3. Classic Legacy, Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado; 4. Laver, George “Rusty” Arnold, II, Jose Morales; 5. Groveland, Eoin Harty, Daniel Centeno; 6. Classic Car Wash, Mark Casse, Emisael Jaramillo; 7. Dubyuhnell, Danny Gargan, Jose Ortiz; 8. Notah, John P. Terranova, II, Antonio Gallardo; 9. Champions Dream, Mark Casse, Tyler Gaffalione; 10. Dreaming of Kona, Aldana Spieth, Scott Spieth; 11. Litigate, Todd Pletcher, Luis Saez; 12. Zydeceaux, Ramon Minguet, Samuel Marin.