OLDSMAR, Fla. – Sole Volante paid immediate returns on a recent private sale when racing to a 2 1/2-length victory Saturday in the Grade 3, $200,000 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs. Majority interest in Sole Volante was purchased by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing after the Karakontie gelding finished third last month in the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park. By winning the 1 1/16-mile Davis, Sole Volante not only recouped a substantial portion of the investment but also earned 10 qualifying points toward the May 2 Kentucky Derby. Sole Volante surged past the previously unbeaten Independence Hall in winning for the third time in four starts, paying $13.60 when finishing in 1:42.60 over a fast track. Luca Panici was aboard for trainer Patrick Biancone. “We have known from the beginning that he’s a pretty special horse,” said Panici, based year-round at Gulfstream Park. “He showed today what he can do.” :: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter A fast pace unfolded in the 40th Sam Davis, with Premier Star and Chapalu dueling on early fractions of 23.34 and 46.52 while speeding far ahead of the other five 3-year-olds down the backstretch. Into the far turn, however, they began to tire noticeably, and Independence Hall, always in a prime stalking spot under Jose Ortiz, appeared poised to run his unbeaten streak to four races. Sole Volante, however, was in full flight after saving ground on both turns. After angling out to take aim at Independence Hall, he glided past without much of an argument. “Sometimes these things work out,” said Dean Reeves, who heads the partnership that bought a 60 percent interest from Andie Biancone, the trainer’s daughter, and the Limelight Stables Corp. of Sam Villardito. “We cut a good deal and we’re excited about what’s ahead.” Reeves, a major proponent of legalizing racing in his home state of Georgia, is best known as the owner of Mucho Macho Man, winner of the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita. After Independence Hall, the 7-10 favorite, there was a gap of 11 1/4 lengths back to Ajaaweed, the 3-1 second choice, in third. Ajaaweed, making his first start since finishing second in the Remsen in December, trailed for much of the way before making a belated run. Rounding out the order were Tiz Rye Time, No Getting Over Me, Premier Star, and Chapalu. Albert Park was an early scratch. The Davis is the third-to-last 17-point prep (10-4-2-1) toward the 146th Derby, with the Feb. 15 El Camino Real and Feb. 17 Southwest still to come. All other races will offer higher point values. The Davis comes four weeks ahead of the annual Tampa showcase, the March 7 Tampa Bay Derby, an 85-point qualifier. Reeves and Biancone said it was likely Sole Volante would return here for that race. Biancone, based at the Palm Meadows training center about an hour north of Gulfstream Park on the other side of the Florida peninsula, now has two Derby prospects. The other, Ete Indien, ran second to Tiz the Law in the Feb. 2 Holy Bull. Sole Volante won his first two starts, both on turf, before finishing third in the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man in his dirt debut. “We love him a lot,” said Biancone. “He’s fantastic on the turf, and in America, the life is the dirt, so I ran him at Gulfstream just to see if he could handle it and let him take some kickback. What he did today was really good.” Biancone originally bought Sole Volante as an unraced 2-year-old as a 22nd birthday present for his daughter at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. in April 2019. “I said if I can get him for $22,000, I’ll buy him, and we got him for $20,000,” he said. The $2 exacta (2-4) paid $28.40, the $1 trifecta (2-4-1) returned $30.90, and the 10-cent superfecta (2-4-1-7) was worth $26.15. The Davis was the 11th of 12 races and part of a 50-cent pick five (races 8-12) that returned $435,029. The odds on the winning horses in the sequence were 16-1, 5-1, 21-1, 5-1, and 12-1. Independence Hall and Premier Star were the only individual interests in action while Pool 2 of the Derby Future Wager was open this week. The pool closes Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern. Mike Trombetta, trainer of Independence Hall, said Ortiz told him the colt’s tongue-tie came loose in the post parade. “I’m not saying that as an excuse,” said Trombetta. “I’m going to have to watch the replay and take it all in.” Independence Hall was well behaved going to the post, as opposed to how he conducted himself before his victory in his prior start, the Jan. 1 Jerome at Aqueduct, where he was very difficult to saddle when unruly. “He was a little excitable today, but he wasn’t terrible,” said Trombetta. “We’ll have to see where we go from here.”