Amira’s Prince 3yo drinks in maiden romp at Tampa Bay Downs

It took Mike Allen and Whiskey Dash just one race to get acquainted at Tampa Bay Downs.

After a less-than-satisfying debut at six furlongs on May 10, in which he finished a distant fifth, Whiskey Dash responded to the guidance of the veteran rider and broke his maiden at the same distance in his second try yesterday. The victory gave Amira’s Prince his seventh winner of 2020 and Joe and Helen Barbazon another breeders’ award, their fifth in about two weeks.

Allen shot the 3-year-old gelding to the lead within two jumps out of the gate, and Whiskey Dash never gave it up. He posted fractions of :23.03 and :46.89, turned away a lone challenge on the turn for home, then scooted off in the lane to win by nearly seven lengths, “geared down” as announced Richard Grunder called it. The $13,000 OBS June 2-year-old paid $27.60 and earned a check for $6,670 at a time when Tampa’s purses are way down due to the absence of on-track wagering.