Why Vinceremos Should Win the Tampa Bay Derby

Why Vinceremos Should Win the Tampa Bay Derby: The Tampa Bay Derby takes place Saturday, March 8, 2014 at Tampa Bay Downs in sunny Florida and features Vinceremos, the 2014 Sam F. Davis Stakes winner who is named after Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center. Even if you barely know a thing about horseracing, following a horse named Vinceremos down the Kentucky Derby Trail must be good luck, and here is why…

The Todd Pletcher trained Vinceremos most recently won the Sam F. Davis Stakes with regular jockey Edgar Prado at Tampa Bay Downs on February 1, 2014 by a nose just barely beating Harpoon. Exactly one month earlier the three-year-old dark brown colt crossed the finish line first at Gulfstream Park. Vinceremos placed second in his first career start on November 30, 2013. With impressive workouts at Palm Meadows Training Center, experts agree that Vinceremos has what it takes to win the 2014 Tampa Bay Derby.

All expert opinions aside, Vinceremos, who is co-owned by WinStar Farm & Twin Creeks Racing Stable, has something else entirely different that sets him apart from every other Tampa Bay Derby contender. Vinceremos is named after “Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center” in Loxahatchee, Florida. The son of WinStar Farm President/CEO & Racing Manager Elliot Walden graciously volunteered at Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center and gave the young colt Vinceremos the powerful name.

Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center “serves children and adults with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities in Palm Beach County through unique equine partnerships. The movement of the horse both soothes and strengthens, and many find their voice at Vinceremos.”

So basically, the more successful Vinceremos performs down the 2014 Derby Trail, the more attention Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center will receive. The more awareness the Riding Center receives, the more kids they can help! If you haven’t found your 2014 Derby horse, Vinceremos is it!

Randy Gullatt of Twin Creeks Racing Stable tells us that Vinceremos is “almost like a dream” and said, “He’s a ‘doin’ horse with a beautiful walk and plenty of class. More than anything though, he’s a fighter.”

Regarding the racing state of Vinceremos, Randy Gullatt added, “He gets out there and does just what he needs to do. We’re hoping as he matures he’ll learn to do more. His times and his speed figures all say one thing but we know he’s a lot better than his races.”

Vinceremos is described as a colt that “tries” and “digs in.” He’s a “hearty animal that never gives up.” In most ways, this also describes the children that seek therapy at Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, and their parents.

Aimee Tompkins, a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse in Palm Beach County, is the mother of Adison who sought treatment at Vinceremos Riding Center. Aimee Tompkins recalls, “I know firsthand what parents go through when their expectations of having a child can change in an instant. On October 20, 2009 that instant was now my own. My daughter Adison was born with an undiagnosed genetics syndrome. Every parent wants the best for their child, but when you have a child with special needs that “best” becomes astronomical. When Adison turned a year old and was not even attempting to walk yet; physical, occupational and special instruction, were well ingrained in our daily schedule.”

Aimee Tompkins added, “I have known about Vinceremos and therapeutic horseback riding my whole life. In school I wrote papers on the benefits of horses and those with disabilities. Little did I know those days would come full circle for me. When Adison was 15 months-old I called Vinceremos and said ‘when can we start?’”

Just like anything difficult in life, treatment at Vinceremos wasn’t easy for Adison at the beginning. Aimee Tompkins explains, “She was 21 months-old when she got on her first horse. She cried the whole time. The volunteers played music and sang to her but she didn’t care. She cried and cried until they got her down. She cried for the next three sessions. All of a sudden at the fourth session she loved it. She mounted Misty May and looked straight at me with the biggest smile ever and waved bye-bye! That’s when I cried and cried and cried. It was amazing to see how much she loved being on the horse. For the first time she had her own “thing.” It made her so proud of herself it gave her confidence and at the same time it was helping to strengthen her little body. And that made me so happy for her. Almost two months to the day after getting on Misty May for the first time……….. Adison took her first two unassisted steps!”

Aimee Tompkins tells us she has always followed and watched the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes but will pay extra attention to Vinceremos this year saying, “I do love to watch the big races! I would love to attend the Triple Crown races someday! I always watch them. It’s really awesome there is a horse named Vinceremos this year. The name has such a strong powerful definition.”

Vinceremos will surely have a few new fans cheering for him at the Tampa Bay Derby! The 2014 Tampa Bay Derby will award the first place finisher 50 points towards a chance at the 2014 Kentucky Derby. Post time for the $350,000 1 1/16 mile GII Tampa Bay Derby is set for 5:25 PM EDT and is the 11th race of the day on Saturday, March 8, 2014.

Lady and The Track would like to wish Vinceremos and jockey Edgar Prado the best of luck in the Tampa Bay Derby. We would also like to encourage all of the lucky ladies at the track this weekend to donate their winnings to Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center by clicking here. Click the following links to learn more about Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, Twin Creeks Racing Stable, and WinStar Farm.

Related Links:
What to Wear to Tampa Bay Derby
See Updated Race Results Tampa Bay Derby 2014

Tampa Bay Derby 2014 Post Positions & Odds
1 Ring Weekend 15/1 Centeno/Motion
2 Surfing U S A 3/1 Lezcano/Pletcher
3 Matador 8/1 Leparoux/Casse
4 Coltimus Prime 15/1 Boulanger/Nixon
5 Conquest Titan 7/2 Bridgmohan/Casse
6 Vinceremos 4/1 Prado/Pletcher
7 East Hall 10/1 Leyva/Kaplan
8 Cousin Stephen 9/2 Castellano/Brown
9 Hy Kodiak Warrior 10/1 Saez/Navarro
10 Tuscan Getaway 20/1 Rocco, Jr./Griffith