No More Time Stamps Ticket to Kentucky Derby – The road to the 2024 Kentucky Derby, a pinnacle event that captivates legal online betting enthusiasts, gained clarity this past weekend as No More Time galloped to a decisive win in the $200,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The talented 3-year-old colt earned 20 qualifying points for the Run for the Roses, vaulting him to sixth on the leaderboard. While the Derby is still months away, and anticipation builds in the legal online betting community, No More Time served notice he could be a major player in the chase for the garland of roses, sparking interest among fans and bettors alike.
Bouncing Back from Troubled Trip
No More Time entered the Sam F. Davis on the heels of a disappointing fifth-place run in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park in early January. The runner-up finish two starts back in his career debut followed by a dominating 6 3⁄4-length victory in October stamped No More Time as a rising star. But the Mucho Macho Man dulled some of that shine.
A nightmarish start doomed the handsome son of Not This Time in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man. No More Time hopped at the break, ducked toward the rail, and found himself well behind the field. Jockey Paco Lopez admirably hustled No More Time into contention on the turn before flattening in the stretch.
Sam F. Davis offered a shot at redemption. Benefitting from a clean break, No More Time grabbed the early lead and never looked back. He turned aside a challenge from West Saratoga in the stretch and held off late runner Agate Road to prevail by 1 1⁄4 lengths.
Trainer Jose D’Angelo admitted the Mucho Macho Man was more of a fitness builder for his young charge. Sam F. Davis proved No More Time has the raw talent to compete at the highest levels.
No More Time Stamps Ticket to Kentucky Derby – Surging Up Triple Crown Leaderboard
The Sam F. Davis awards Derby qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers. No More Time’s convincing score netted him 20 points, launching him from well down the list to sixth. The well-bred colt has plenty of company on the leaderboard, with Heavy Roller, Courageous Comet, Cake Walk, and After Midnight among those ahead of him.
But the Derby picture tends to shift week-to-week at this stage. No More Time gained crucial experience and should only continue improving as distances stretch out. His sire Not This Time nearly pulled a monumental upset in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, coming up just a neck short behind champion Classic Empire. That ability to carry speed over longer trips appears inherent in No More Time.
Path Forward
D’Angelo indicated the Tampa Bay Derby on March 9 could be next for No More Time. The 1 1/16-mile race offered Derby qualifying points to the top four and would provide a key test over the main track where the Sam F. Davis was contested.
Should No More Time continue his ascent, a start in the April 1 Florida Derby would be logical. That would pit him against the top East Coast sophomores on the familiar Gulfstream surface. Victories in both Tampa and Florida could potentially put No More Time in the Kentucky Derby favorite’s role.
But there is still ample time for the Derby outlook to take shape. No More Time took a positive step in Sam F. Davis. He will need to back that up with another top effort in March to solidify his credentials. What is clear for now is that the talent is there for this exciting colt to make an impact on racing’s biggest stage.
Final Impressions
In a matter of months, No More Time transformed from an unheralded $40,000 yearling into a graded stakes winner. He possesses a stout pedigree as a son of Not This Time and has shown rapid development under D’Angelo’s patient handling.
The Sam F. Davis runaway immediately stamps No More Time as a Kentucky Derby contender. His speed figures require significant improvement to match the division’s elite. But continuing to stretch out in distance should move those numbers north.
No More Time remains a work in progress, a sentiment that holds particular interest for enthusiasts of horse racing betting picks. The raw ability is evident, and the ceiling appears sky-high at this stage. He still must prove himself against the best of his generation. However, the buzz growing around this talented sophomore is well-deserved, making him a name to watch closely in the coming months on the Triple Crown trail, especially for those invested in horse racing betting picks.
