With Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, the Speightstown colt shook off his bad luck and earned valuable points toward the Kentucky Derby
Irad Ortiz Jr.'s face was filled with excitement as he sought out trainer Brian Lynch in the winner’s circle after Owen Almighty's scintillating victory in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G3, $400,000).
"I tapped him on the shoulder when they started getting close," the jockey said, his voice a mix of excitement and amazement. "And ‘whoosh!’"
And whoosh, indeed. The 3-year-old colt accelerated like a freight train, extending his margin to 3 ½ lengths over dual G1 winner Chancer McPatrick, with Hill Road rallying for third, another 2 ¾ lengths behind, while the betting favorite Patch Adams finished fourth in the seven-horse field.
The final time of 1:42.30 for the mile-and-a-sixteenth distance was the second fastest in race history, trailing only Tacitus’ 1:41.90 in 2019.
The thrilling finish to the 45th edition of Tampa Bay Downs’ signature race capped off a spectacular day of racing, featuring a track record by Skippylongstocking in the Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes (G3) and a stakes record by Nitrogen in the Florida Oaks (G3). With 7,810 fans on-site and an all-sources handle of $17,630,538, the day was a resounding statement that Thoroughbred racing remains alive and well.
For Owen Almighty, redemption was sweet. After being disqualified from victory in the Pasco Stakes (Jan. 11) and finishing second to John Hancock in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3, Feb. 8), he secured his first graded stakes win, banking $210,000 and earning 50 Road to the Kentucky Derby points. However, trainer Brian Lynch has hinted that the colt may be better suited for seven-furlong or one-mile races going forward.
But in the winner’s circle, Payton Boersma, Chief Operating Officer of Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing, seemed to have other plans.
"He really showed what he’s made of today," Boersma said. "He’s going to be really tough heading into the Derby... the Kentucky Derby, of course."
For Lynch, who previously won this race in 2022 with Classic Causeway, the decision is still up in the air.
"There will be discussions, but if it were up to me, I’d stick to the plan and target the Pat Day Mile (G1) on Derby Day," he said in a TV interview.
Still, he was savoring the moment. "I’m thrilled. He’s run two huge races here, and of course, this Derby is the highlight of the meet. It was great to see him win the way he did. This was a strong group, and while the Kentucky Derby winner could come from this race, today he was the best."
As for Ortiz, Lynch kept it simple: "I didn’t give him any instructions. I just told him something I learned from Bobby Frankel: ‘Class horse, class rider. You two are a perfect match.’ Irad was just waiting at the quarter pole—he knew he had plenty of horse."
A multiple G1-winning rider, Ortiz was visibly elated after the victory. Perhaps it’s that natural enthusiasm that fuels his brilliance.
"I always knew he had this kind of performance in him, but he just needed some adjustments," he explained. "Last time, we used smaller blinkers, and it wasn’t enough. I spoke with Brian, and we decided to go with fuller blinkers today, and I think they really helped.
"When I tapped him on the shoulder at the quarter pole, he grabbed the bit, and I thought, ‘This is what I was looking for.’ I knew he had more, but he hadn’t really given it to me until today. Before, he was just waiting on other horses, looking around.
"But today, when I tapped him, he took off, and I said, ‘Let’s roll!’ I wasn’t waiting for anyone, and he wasn’t waiting for anyone. That was huge."
