Sat Mar 15 19:30:01 2008

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War Pass finishes last in Tampa Bay Derby

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Oldsmar, FL (Sports Network) - In one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, Eclipse Award winner War Pass lost as the 1-20 favorite in Saturday's $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby. The 2007 champion two-year-old actually finished last in the 1 1/16 mile race, won by Big Truck.

Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile champ was pinched at the start of the race and could never get comfortable under jockey Cornelio Velasquez. Taking the early lead in the race was Make Me Zach, followed by Gentleman James and War Pass.

Up the backstretch, Gentleman James had the lead with Make Me Zach second and Cigar Man running in third. War Pass was struggling on the outside in fourth, the first time in his career he wasn't on the lead.

Around the turn for home, War Pass made a move into third, but was unable to advance pass the leader -- Make Me Zach.

Down the stretch, War Pass could not keep up with field and was eased to last in the seven-horse field. Big Truck, ridden by Eibar Coa, went on to win by a neck over Atoned with Dynamic Wayne finishing third.

Rounding out the order of finish was Make Me Zach, Cigar Man, Gentleman James and War Pass.

The time for the Tampa Bay Derby was 1:44.25 on a fast track.

Owned by Eric Fein, Big Truck collected $180,000 with the victory. The colt has won three of seven lifetime starts for $336,880. He was coming off a second-place result in Tampa Bay Downs' Sam F. Davis Stakes in February.

Big Truck is trained by Barclay Tagg, who saddled Funny Cide to win the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

Big Truck returned $16.40, $5.80 and $25.20. Atoned paid $6.60 and $27.80, and Dynamic Wayne paid $76.40 to show. Of the show wager total of $765,884, $717,212 was bet on War Pass.