Musket Man, winner of the 2009 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) and Illinois Derby (gr. II), and third place finisher in both the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) will make his first start of the 2010 season in the $75,000 Super Stakes Feb. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Musket Man has not raced since the Preakness after going to the sidelines with a bone bruise on his left foot. The 4-year-old Yonaguska colt has been working well coming up to the Super Stakes, recording bullet workouts over the Tampa Bay Downs surface on Dec. 12, Dec. 24, and Jan. 21 for owner Eric Fein and trainer Derek Ryan. The colt will have the services of Daniel Centeno, who rode him to victory in the Tampa Bay Derby.
Joining Musket Man in the Super Stakes is Guam Typhoon, a 4-year-old Distorted Humor colt owned by Elaine Jones and trained by Ian Wilkes. Guam Typhoon has earned $149,370 in his nine-race career and won his last start in an $80,000 allowance optional claiming event at Churchill Downs.
Also slated to run is War Fighter, runner-up in the 2009 Ohio Derby (gr. II) and was most recently third in the Jan. 10 Pelican Stakes at Tampa. The Florida-bred Repent gelding is under the care of past leading Tampa Bay trainer Jamie Ness.