Classic Causeway is all set for his role as the favorite in the Tampa Bay Derby after having his final prerace breeze Saturday at the Palm Meadows training center on the Atlantic Coast. Classic Causeway was a dominant winner of the Feb. 12 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs. The chestnut colt went five furlongs in 59.80 seconds in preparing for the Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby, to be run Saturday as the annual Festival Day showcase at Tampa in Oldsmar, Fla. “We’ve been fortunate to not miss a beat with him,” said trainer Brian Lynch. “He’s had two strong workouts and is on schedule to return to a track he showed he really liked. We’re looking forward to it.” :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports Classic Causeway will have Irad Ortiz Jr. back aboard for the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Derby, a 50-20-10-5 qualifier toward the May 7 Kentucky Derby. The Sam Davis has been his only race since he distinguished himself as a Derby hopeful in three starts at 2. He is scheduled to ship Thursday from Palm Meadows. The last horse to win both the Davis and Tampa Bay Derby was Destin in 2016. A capacity field of 12 3-year-olds appears likely when entries are drawn Wednesday afternoon. Foremost among the expected opposition is Shipsational, the New York-bred colt who was second in the Davis. Shipsational breezed a half-mile in 47.60 seconds Sunday at Tampa for trainer Eddie Barker. Manny Franco will ride for the first time. Others confirmed are Belgrade, Golden Glider, Grantham, Happy Boy Rocket, Major General, Midnight Chrome, Spin Wheel, The Skipper Too, and Trademark. Major General, one of a handful of Tampa Derby prospects for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, will be making his first start since winning the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs in mid-September. Javier Castellano will ride. Pletcher, easily the leading trainer in Tampa Bay Derby history with six wins, said he also is considering sending over at least one of his other 12 nominees to the race from his Palm Beach Downs base. The Tampa Bay Derby is the only Kentucky Derby qualifier between now and the final weekend of this month. The UAE Derby (100-40-20-10) and Louisiana Derby (100-40-20-10) both will be run March 26, a day ahead of the Sunland Derby (50-20-10-5). The 42nd Tampa Bay Derby is one of five stakes, all but one of them graded, on the biggest day of the five-month 2021-22 meet. The others are the Grade 2 Hillsborough, the Grade 3 Florida Oaks, the Grade 3 Challenger, and the Columbia. Chad Brown said he intends to run three horses in the $200,000 Hillsborough, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares – Bleecker Street, Kalifornia Queen, and Rocky Sky. Brown has won four of the last 10 runnings of the Hillsborough. “Every year this race presents a good opportunity for us because their turf course is so nice and the timing is very good,” said Brown, whose shippers from Palm Meadows and Payson Park have racked up a 14-for-31 record at the Tampa meet. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2022: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Three-year-old fillies expected for the $150,000 Florida Oaks going 1 1/16 miles on the turf include the Brown pair of Spicer and Dolce Zel, along with Mrs. Barbara, Ambitieuse, and Vergara. Purses listed here do not include bonuses for Florida-breds finishing in the top six placings. Ortiz, who is scheduled to return to action Thursday at Gulfstream Park after serving a five-day suspension, has mounts in all five stakes. Ontrack admission for Festival Day is $15, which includes a mystery mutuel voucher worth from $5 to $1,000. Walk-up admission on race day will be available. First post has been set for noon Eastern. Two allowances on tap A pair of $31,000 allowances on opposite ends of a nine-race Wednesday card will help kick off another four-day race week at Tampa. Race 2 is a one-mile turf race that drew just six older horses eligible for hybrid conditions. Arnaud Delacour has the two program favorites with the uncoupled duo of Chez Pierre (7-5) and Talk Or Listen (8-5). Race 8 drew a well-matched field of fillies and mares going seven furlongs on the main track, with Willoughby Gap, Lady Jean, and East Wing among the top contenders. First post is 12:14 p.m. Eastern. Sunshine and a high of 85 are in the Oldsmar forecast. ◗ Pablo Morales rode seven winners last week, including four Sunday. Morales starts the week trailing only Samy Camacho in the meet standings, 59-51. Gerald Bennett holds his customary lead atop the trainer standings with 24 wins from a meet-high 156 starts.