Renegade gets the photo after sweeping the field in the Sam F Davis, Ben Baugh Photo
Ben Baugh
Mystic Lake continues the magic in Minaret and Zany gets serious in Suncoast
OLDSMAR, FL – Repole Stable’s and Robert and Lawana Low’s Renegade stamped themselves as a classic contender with a victorious effort in the 1 1/16-mile $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes on February 7, 2026 at Tampa Bay Downs.
It was the 46th running of the stakes race, named after the circuit’s former president, and Renegade, a son of Into Mischief, left no one in doubt after a tough finish that saw him come off the pace to win by 3 ¾ lengths.
Todd Pletcher’s charge was paced to victory by Irad Ortiz, Jr., the third of his three stakes wins on the day.
“Todd and his team have done a great job,” said Renegade co-owner Mike Repole. “He went to Florida right after the Remsens and really liked Palm Beach Downs. He trained great. Todd sent me every work, it was great. I own the Lows’ horse. I’m happy to work with them. He’s a very special horse.”
Renegade had finished second to Paladin in both of his previous starts, at Aqueduct in the Remsen Stakes (Gr.2) on December 6, 2025, and earlier that year the bay colt was runner-up behind the Gun Runner colt, conditioned by Chad Brown. In a first special weight match, where Renegade was disqualified and placed second in Belmont at the Big A.
However, the colt in Sam, bred by Robert and Lawana Low, was unstoppable. F Davis.
Renegade flew to Palm Beach Downs on January 31, 2026 and worked four furlongs in 48.87. The colt was purchased during the Keeneland Association Sept. 2024 Yearling Sale from the Taylor Made Sales Agency by Repole Stable for $975,000.
“I think distance and age will be his friend,” Repole said.
Renegade’s mother, Spice is Nice, is a son of the 2007 Horse of the Year and 2008 Curlin. Spice is Nice, bred by B Flay Thoroughbreds, fed by Robert and Lawana Low, and conditioned by Todd Pletcher, won the 2021 Allaire DuPont Distaff Match Series Stakes (Gr. 3) at Pimlico.
Pelican bet
A durable campaigner, Pennsylvania-bred Concrete Glory made the 41st start of his career in the 42nd running of the $125,000 Pelican Stakes.
The 7-year-old dark bay gelding by Bodemeister is owned by Big Frank Stable and was ridden to victory by the jockey who has ranked first in wins for the past nine years, 2017-2025, Irad Ortiz Jr., who scored a two-length win in the Pelican, covering the six furlongs in 1:09.74. Saffie Joseph Jr. conditions Concrete Glory with whom he has a great affinity due to his charismatic nature, and the feeling is mutual.
“He accomplished so much,” Joseph said. “He’s a cool horse to be around, personality-wise. Personality-wise, he’s my favorite horse in the whole stable. I have way better horses than him, but to see how he does things. He’s really cool to be around. He gives it his all. When you’re with him, he’s so smart. He knows me. The stable knows he’s my favorite horse.”
Concrete Glory turned in a shot on January 30, 2026, three furlongs, in 36.35. It was the fastest work of the 26 horses that covered that distance that day.
It was Concrete Glory’s first win, with a bankroll of $583,249, with 16 wins, eight seconds and two-thirds, from 41 lifetime starts.
Concrete Glory initially earned the black type with a second-place finish in the six-furlong Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes on February 22, 2025.
Carl L. Hess Jr. purchased Concrete Glory for $14,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2019 Mixed Sale from the consignment of Northview Stallion Station.
Suncoast Bets
Repole Stable’s Zany was by far the best in the best in the 45th running of the $125,000 Suncoast Stakes, winning by 2 3/4 lengths under the confident handling of Irad Ortiz Jr., and kicking clear in the stretch after riding off the pace early in the race.
Todd Pletcher’s filly began her sophomore campaign with a commanding victory, having capped her junior year with a victory in the Demoiselle Stakes (Gr. 2) at Aqueduct on December 6, 2025, winning by 8 ½ lengths, where she was also piloted by Irad Ortiz Jr.
Zany broke her first ask, with another impressive score of 6 ½ lengths under Emisael Jaramillo at Gulfstream Park. The chestnut daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah delivered a bullet job at Palm Beach Downs on Jan. 31, 2026, covering a half-mile and recording a time of 47.97, the best time of 30 horses at the distance.
Zany was purchased by Repole Stable for $350,000 at the Taylor Made Sales Agency’s 2024 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Zany’s dam, Mo’ Green, owned by DJ Stable and who bred Zany, was conditioned by John Servis and won the 2017 Top Flight Invitational Stakes (Gr.3).
Minarets
The 5-year-old mare Mystic Lake demonstrated her athletic prowess with a height score of 7 ½ in the 45th running of the $125,000 Minaret Stakes. Saffie Joseph Jr. trained the winner, which is owned by the partnership of Miller Racing LLC, BAG Racing Stables, LLC and Stefania Farms, LLC. Flavien Prat, winner of the Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding jockey, guided the Florida-bred to victory the past two years. She covered the six furlongs in 1:10.34. It was the 12th career victory for Mystic Lake, who has now earned $1,537,517.
“She’s a consistent mare. She’s five now and she started her 2026 campaign well,” Joseph Jr. said. “Hopefully she continues to move forward from here.”
The mare flew three furlongs at Palm Meadows on January 30, 2026, in 38.60.
Mystic Lake is no stranger to winning stakes races at Tampa Bay Downs, with her first stakes win coming in the 2024 Gasparilla Stakes and two and a half months later she would win the Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Stakes Fillies Stakes. The daughter of Mo Town broke her maiden at Woodbine on September 9, 2023, while campaigned by C2 Racing, LLC and Stefania Farms, LLC.
Her second campaign proved to be one for the ages, winning the Miss Preakness Stakes (Gr. 3), Charles Town Oaks (Gr. 2) and the Sugar Swirl Stakes. It was her four-year-old campaign that really turned heads, however, as Mystic Lake won the Inside Information Stakes presented by MyRaceHorse.com (Gr.2), then reeled off four straight stakes wins with scores in the Memorial Day Sprint Stakes at Lone Star, Dashing Beauty Stakes at Delaware Park, the Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes at Charles Town and Liberty Bell Stakes at Parx Racing.
Mystic Lake is out of the unraced chestnut mare Salty Soul. Tom McCrocklin purchased Mystic Lake from the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company 2022 October Yearling Sale for $3,500. Turf Express Racing Properties purchased the horse from McCrocklin’s consignment at the OBS 2023 March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale for $130,000.
“She’s just a hard hitter, she’s got a lot of talent, she brings her game every time,” McCrocklin said. “She doesn’t need a specific track. She’s traveled all over North America. At this point, she’s an old pro. She’s one of our Hall of Fame graduates that we’re proud of.”
One to watch
Icon Racing’s Kokomotion broke her first in the 9th race. The daughter of Quality Road is trained by D. Whitworth Beckham and is out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Zee Drop.
Tom McCrocklin purchased Zee Drop for $82,000 from Timber Town’s consignment at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Summer Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale.
“I bought her for Little Red Feather,” McCrocklin said. “I believe she is in the stakes (2nd in the 2020 Goldikova Stakes (Gr. 2). Now she is the dam of what appears to be a promising Quality Road 3-year-old.”
Kokomotion brought $22,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. Icon Racing purchased the filly at the 2025 OBS Spring 2-Year-Olds Sale for $340,000 from De Meric Sales.
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