McCraken remained undefeated by winning Saturday’s Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs. The favorite’s impressive run from off the pace to win going away at 3 to 2 odds attracted betting in the Wynn Las Vegas Kentucky Derby futures where the son of Ghostzapper is now the 6 to 1 favorite.
The 12-race Tampa card was featured in Canterbury’s Road to Kentucky Contest. Total available contest points surpassed 2,500. McCraken, in the double point Derby prep, was worth 228 points with high points in that race coming from second-place finisher Tapwrit at 9 to 1 for 268 points.
The top R2K score was earned by Dick Hall who amassed a total of 1,700, more than 60 percent of the total available. Hall had the winner in the opener for 208, hit Pazzaluna in race 5 for 582, and had Tapa Tapa Tapa in race 8 for another 292. Hall also had Tapwrit and scored points in nine of the 12 eligible races.
This Saturday the Road passes through Golden Gate Fields with the double-point Derby prep race the El Camino Real. Entry to R2K is always free. Entry deadline is first post at Golden Gate.
Final Week for HPWS Super Satellites
The Thursday through Saturday (Feb. 16-18) Horse Player World Series Super Satellite contest will be the final chance to win a $100 entry to the Feb. 25 HPWS Satellite. Players can buy into that satellite for $100 but can also win an entry through the super satellites for just $10. The Feb. 25 contest will send top players to The Orleans Casino for the annual Horse Player World Series at the end of March. The HPWS is expected to offer more than $800,000 in prize money. There is a history of Minnesotans performing well in the HPWS. Bart Solomon, now a Vegas resident, won the 2011 HPWS and nearly $300,000.
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