OLDSMAR, Fla. – Just prior to the opening of the 2013-14 Tampa Bay Downs meeting, trainer Jamie Ness was asked for an assessment of his expectations for the season. “I think we’ll have a good meeting but we’ve had a long year,” Ness said. “Many of our horses need a little break, and we’re also leaving some horses up north, so while I’m cautiously optimistic, I also realize it will be tough this winter.” Fast-forward three-plus months. Moving into the final six weeks of the current stand, Ness, who has either won or shared the training title seven straight years since the 2006-07 meeting, is leading the pack again. Through Sunday’s racing program, the Ness stable has sent out the winners of 35 races to hold a 13-win lead over Gerald Bennett. While the Ness juggernaut has slowed a bit from 2011-12, when the stable won a record 79 races at that meeting, the winners keep on coming. Even though Ness runners are making fewer starts than before, they are still hitting the winner’s circle at a solid rate. Last meet, Ness runners won at a 34 percent clip at Tampa Bay. This meet, they are winning at a 27 percent average, still a very solid win percentage for any outfit. Ness was asked recently if he was surprised at how well the stable was doing considering his preseason observations. “Well, we made the transition down here with less of a slowdown than I thought we might,” he said. “And we were able to make some good claims and keep the momentum going. The shortage of horses makes it tougher and tougher to find good horses to claim. For instance, five years ago a $20,000 claiming race here would have 10 or 11 horses in it and you could find a horse that ran midpack that you could claim and do some good with. Now that same race has six or seven horses and a horse that’s off the board probably isn’t worth the money. But if we can keep somewhere between 25 and 35 percent in our win percentage, we can do all right.” Ancil invited to Royal Ascot Tampa Bay Downs will be represented at Royal Ascot this summer. Representatives from Royal Ascot, considered by many to be the best week of racing in the world, have tendered an invitation to Ancil, who set a Tampa course record for five furlongs en route to victory in the $100,000 Turf Dash Stakes in her last start. Ancil is eligible for both the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at six furlongs and the King’s Stand at five furlongs, but trainer Joan Scott said it’s likely Ancil will race in the King’s Stand. First-time starter sizzles Trainer Gerald Bennett has a 21 percent success rate with first-time starters, and his most recent graduate, 3-year-old colt Classic Salsa, scored in dazzling fashion in Saturday’s first race. Classic Salsa drew away from heavily favored Category into the stretch, covering the first six furlongs in 1:09.68 before hitting the wire 8 1/2 lengths in front after 6 1/2 furlongs in a sparkling 1:16.23. He was awarded an 80 Beyer Speed Figure. ◗ Last Friday’s eighth race had the look of a minor stakes, and the first three finishers in that mile turf event all look as though they could have a future. Ex Pirate emerged from a three-horse blanket finish with a head decision over fast-closing Special Envoy, who had looked very professional winning his last, and Explore, who had been haltered out of a sharp win from his career debut in his last, was just three-quarters of a length back in third. ◗ The battle for leading rider rages on. Ronnie Allen Jr., who has been at the top of the standings for much of the meeting after early leader Fernando De La Cruz was sidelined for six weeks after fracturing his wrist in a spill, posted a four-bagger Saturday, topped off by a crafty performance aboard Dress the Part in the $50,000 Wayward Lass Stakes. Antonio Gallardo, who has been dogging Allen for the top spot for some time, came right back Sunday with a four-bagger of his own. Through Sunday’s card, Allen has 82 victories, eight more than Gallardo.