Brad Cox would rather give him more than four weeks between starts after he ran such a hard effort, according to a report by David Grening of Daily Racing Form. John Hancock, in only his second career start, endured a long duel with the more experienced Owen Almighty and edged away to beat that foe by a half-length in stakes-record fashion. The Tampa Bay Derby is scheduled for March 8, four weeks to the day after the Sam F. Davis.
Report: John Hancock likely will bypass Tampa Bay Derby
John Hancock, who earned his first 20 points toward Kentucky Derby 2025 after winning the Sam F. Davis Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, probably will skip the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby.
John Hancock had been in training with Cox last summer, according to the report, but Cox backed off because of how he was moving. He returned to training in the autumn and notched a three-length victory in his Jan. 8 debut, a six-furlong dirt sprint at Tampa Bay Downs. He won his two-turn debut in the Sam. F. Davis as the 5-2 betting favorite, a slim choice over the 2.6-1 Owen Almighty.
Races that would be better spacing, according to Grening’s report, include the Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 22, the Arkansas Derby (G1) on March 29 or the Florida Derby (G1) on March 29. A week later, on April 5, the Blue Grass (G1) and the Wood Memorial (G2) are on the calendar. All of these later prep races offer 100 points to the winner, virtually assuring them a spot in the Kentucky Derby.
