Trainer Mike Dini has been running horses at Tampa Bay Downs since 1997 but he’s never had a better meet at the Oldsmar track than this year. His 26 wins from 148 starts – which has him third in the standings – topped his previous meet high of 23 which he’s accomplished twice. “All my owners that breed horses are breeding better horses than they did before,” said Dini, who expects to have 50 horses this summer at Monmouth Park when the 2-year-olds come in. There are still six weeks left in the Tampa meet for Dini to improve his numbers and he has a shot to do just that Wednesday when he sends out Fully Authorized in a first-level allowance/optional $75,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds going six furlongs on dirt. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  Fully Authorized, a son of Authentic, has had most of his success on turf, winning a maiden race at Monmouth and an allowance at Tampa on Dec. 13. Dini returned him to dirt in this condition on Feb. 26 where he finished fourth behind repeat winner Statesman. That race was at a mile and 40 yards. Dini said the turf allowance wouldn’t fill which is why he ran Fully Authorized on the dirt. Considering the race was won by Statesman – who is heading to the April 5 Wood Memorial – Dini wanted to try Fully Authorized again on the dirt while cutting him back in distance. “I thought he made a nice move, the kid [jockey Jesus Castanon] may have had him a little wide,” Dini said. “He’s working well on the dirt, the only other time he sprinted was at Monmouth and I don’t know if he liked the racetrack.” Dini said he would have run Skyloft in this spot but that horse, who has won three straight races at Tampa this winter, is dealing with a bruised foot. Fully Authorized will likely have to beat a pair of runners from trainer Ron Potts, who has Speight the Snow and Shadow Factor entered. Potts had Speight the Snow entered in this same condition on Feb. 12 but scratched him. Speight the Snow has made all five of his previous starts over the synthetic surface at Presque Isle. Shadow Factor finished third in this condition going seven furlongs on March 2 in his first start on dirt after making his first four starts over synthetic. Troops, trained by John Vinson, ran into the likes of John Hancock and Garamond in maiden special weight races at Tampa before dropping in for $32,000 claiming and winning on Feb. 15. El Tinmarin, Riding a Dream, and Deportivo complete the field. Trombetta eyes Classic repeat Last year on Tampa’s Florida Cup Day, trainer Michael Trombetta won a pair of stakes, about an hour apart, with Crystal Quest and Forever Souper. Sunday, when Tampa hosts Florida Cup Day for the 22nd time, Trombetta will bring Forever Souper back seeking a repeat victory in the Turf Classic. The Turf Classic is one of six stakes, each worth $110,000 and restricted to Florida-breds, on the program which will be drawn Thursday. The Turf Classic was the second in what became five wins from eight starts for Forever Souper in 2024. He won three stakes on turf and two on synthetic, including the Presque Isle Mile. “I’ve always wanted to win the Presque Isle Mile and he was the horse that got it done for me,” Trombetta said. Trombetta feels Forever Souper is equally adept on turf and synthetic, but believes the synthetic races come up slightly easier. “The synthetic narrows down the window a little bit,” he said. “There are a lot more good turf horses out there than there are synthetic. I think the advantage shifts to him on the synthetic.” Trombetta believes the Turf Classic is a good starting point for Forever Souper, who worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds Sunday over the Tapeta track at Gulfstream Park. Crystal Quest, who won the Sophomore Turf Stakes for Trombetta on last year’s Florida Cup Day card, is entered to run Saturday in a first-level allowance race at Gulfstream Park. That horse, last seen running fifth in the Hawthorne Derby last Oct. 6, drew post 12 in a field that drew 16 runners, but is limited to 12 starters. Pure Class, who won last year’s NYRABets Sprint, is among the nominees for this year’s NYRABets Sprint. Pure Class, trained by David Fawkes, finished second in this year’s Marion County Florida Sire Stakes. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.