The road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby took an interesting turn Saturday as Owen Almighty dominated the Grade 3, $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby with a powerful front-running performance. The victory, achieved with a confident ride from jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., secured valuable Derby qualifying points — yet Owen Almighty’s ultimate destination on May 3 at Churchill Downs remains unclear.
Allowed to set a soft pace, Owen Almighty turned the 1 1/16-mile race into a one-sided affair, drawing away in the homestretch to win by 3 1/2 lengths over dual Grade 1 winner Chancer McPatrick. The late-running Hill Road finished third, another 2 3/4 lengths back, while favored Patch Adams settled for fourth in the seven-horse field.
Ortiz, brimming with excitement in the winner’s circle, recounted the pivotal moment of the race.
“I tapped him on the shoulder when they started getting close to me,” Ortiz said, grinning. “And whoosh.”
“Whoosh” indeed — Owen Almighty responded with a blistering acceleration that secured his first graded-stakes victory in a swift 1:42.30 — the second-fastest Tampa Bay Derby time ever, trailing only Tacitus’ 1:41.90 mark from 2019.
The win brought redemption for the Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing colt, who had previously finished first in the Pasco Stakes on January 11 but was disqualified. He followed that disappointment with a runner-up finish behind John Hancock in the Sam F. Davis Stakes on February 8. This time, however, there was no doubt.
Despite earning $210,000 for his Tampa Bay Derby win and establishing himself as a viable Kentucky Derby contender, Owen Almighty’s trainer Brian Lynch remains hesitant about stretching him out to the 1 1/4-mile classic distance. Lynch hinted that the colt may instead target the Pat Day Mile (G3) on Derby day.
“I’m still thinking about what’s best for him,” Lynch said. “The Pat Day Mile might be the right spot.”
However, Payton Boersma, COO of Flying Dutchmen, seems more Derby-focused.
“He really showed what he’s made of today,” Boersma said. “He’s going to be really tough going into that Derby — the Kentucky Derby, of course.”
With Derby points in hand and an impressive résumé, Owen Almighty’s path remains uncertain. But for now, his dominant performance at Tampa Bay Downs has thrust him into the spotlight — and possibly into the starting gate on the first Saturday in May.
Saturday’s crowd of 7,810 enjoyed an electric race day atmosphere, contributing to a total all-sources wagering handle of $17,630,538 — the second highest in track history. The on-track handle reached $863,599, further underscoring the growing excitement as Derby season heats up.
