Kentucky Derby prep: Cox, Pletcher colts lead Sam F. Davis field

Despite maiden status, Renegade the one to beat in Sam F. Davis

His maiden status notwithstanding, Renegade is very much the horse to beat in Saturday's Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Renegade is one of three maidens in the nine-horse Sam Davis, a race advertised as having a $250,000 purse, though $50,000 of that is reserved only for Florida-breds. Of more importance, perhaps, is the 42 qualifying points the Sam Davis offers its top five finishers (20-10-6-4-2) toward the May 2 Kentucky Derby.

Kentucky Derby prep: Cox, Pletcher colts lead Sam F. Davis field

Three-year-old colts trained by Todd Pletcher and Brad Cox, who have combined to win the Kentucky Derby three times, compose one-third of a nine-horse field for Saturday’s $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes, one of four stakes races on Tampa Bay Downs’s annual festival preview day card.   The 46th edition of the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds on the main track offers 20-10-6-4-2 qualifying points for Kentucky Derby 2026.   The Sam F. Davis is the ma…