Bought for $975K, Renegade wins Sam F. Davis for Pletcher, Ortiz

Renegade produced a late, authoritative rally to capture the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.54 and winning by 3 3/4 lengths under Irad Ortiz Jr. The Into Mischief colt earned 20 Road to the Kentucky Derby points and, with the result, moved into serious consideration on the Derby leaderboard.

Settled near the back of the nine-horse field early, Renegade bided his time as Wayne's Law set the pace through the early stages. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. launched a four-wide bid around the far turn, carrying Renegade from seventh into contention at the top of the stretch. After a brief tussle with the pacesetter, Renegade asserted himself and drew off, with Wayne's Law holding second and The Puma finishing third. Renegade carried 122 pounds and improved his record to 4 starts: 1-2-1, with career earnings now listed at $199,000.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who extended his record in the Sam F. Davis with this victory, praised the colt's performance. “I was very pleased with his race,” Pletcher said. “I thought it was impressive considering he got shuffled back a little bit and was then pretty far back on a track that seemed like it was playing kindly to horses up close. He had to put in a pretty wide move, but I thought he really leveled off the last part (of the race) and finished up strongly. I thought it was a perfect start to his 3-year-old campaign.”

Renegade is a homebred for Robert and Lawana Low who remained in partnership with Repole Stable after the colt was purchased for $975,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September sale. He is out of graded-stakes winner Spice Is Nice, by Curlin, and represents a high-profile cross: Into Mischief over Curlin. The pedigree is notable in the market and the breeding shed - the Into Mischief-Curlin cross has produced strong results, including 18 winners from 22 starters and multiple stakes scorers, and this was counted as one of Into Mischief’s many black-type winners.

Owner Mike Repole reflected on the race and the colt’s future. “It wasn’t an easy race,” Repole said. “But he got a nice pace up front. He was wide, but I think Irad knew he had the best horse. It is better sometimes to be wide and not caught in traffic than to get caught in traffic and be the best horse. Todd has done a great job with this horse and we think he can get better with age and more distance. If this is any indication, I am pretty excited.”

The official race chart lists the purse at $210,000, with a winner’s share of $120,000 and $50,000 to the runner-up; some outlets reported $200,000 or $250,000, but the charted payouts align with the $210,000 figure. Renegade also picked up his first black-type win in the process, overcoming a past blemish when he had been disqualified after finishing first in an October maiden race.

Beyond the immediate result, the race underscores several industry trends. High-dollar yearlings by leading sires continue to dominate early three-year-old preps, and connections like Repole and Pletcher are increasingly strategic in mapping Derby paths for well-bred colts. For racing fans, Renegade’s performance offers both a compelling on-track story and a market signal about pedigree value entering the spring. With 20 qualifying points in hand and connections bullish about added distance, Renegade now figures into the conversation as the Road to the Kentucky Derby progresses.