Prior to the Oaks, Song for Annie and Megans Bluff raced one-two around the turf course, with the former lasting for a neck win in the $100,000 Hillsborough. Queen's Inside Affair rallied to finish third, a neck ahead of 9-10 favorite License Fee. (Charts, Equibase)
Quick Tip took the lead on the second turn under jockey Richard Migliore and held off the late charge of Southern Fiction to win the $150,000 Florida Oaks (gr. III) Sunday at Tampa Bay Downs.Quick Tip's Florida Oaks win marks the second straight year a filly bred by William S. Farish and trained by Neil Howard won the 1 1/16-mile race. In last year's renewal, subsequent Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Secret Status, bred by Farish in partnership with J. Elkins and W. Webber, held off March Magic to win the lone graded stakes race on the Downs' racing calendar. Horses trained by Howard have a history of doing well on Tampa Bay Downs' biggest day; Sneaky Quiet won the 1995 Oaks and Parade Ground took the 1998 Tampa Bay Derby. Both those horses were also bred in part by Farish.Migliore went on to complete the Florida Oaks-Tampa Bay Derby double on Harold Queen's Burning Roma. The Oaks-Derby double has been completed by a jockey twice before since 1995, when the races were first run on the same day. Pat Day last accomplished the feat in 1998 on Pantufla in the Oaks and Parade Ground in the Derby.Quick Tip (Unaccounted For--Mystic Moves, by Green Dancer) raced on Lasix for the first time in the Oaks and worked four furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs on Wednesday in a bullet :48 3/5. Quick Tip was the only horse shipping in to Tampa Bay Downs showing a work over the sometimes tricky strip. The win was the second in six starts for the Farish-owned filly, who earned $90,000 for her efforts.Quick Tip completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.36, a half-length clear of Southern Fiction. Emery Board finished third, followed by Morning Sun, Courageous Maiden, Rich Peace, Classy Place, Chinsegut, and Bigcuz.Quick Tip returned $10, $5.40, and $3.80 and led a $100.20 exacta.