The Columbia Stakes

Purse $125.000 – For Three Year Olds

One Mile – Turf

Tampa Bay Downs – March 7, 2026

New surface? No problem for Simple Man, who captured The Columbia Stakes at odds of 84-1! This victory pushed his earnings to $97.960 and gave Aer Stables their first win in the race. Forecasted storms moved out of the area, leaving the field intact with no late scratches. Connections were pleased to see the weather cooperate after opting to scratch from the Colonel Liam Stakes because of the bad weather. Although one victory came on dirt and this one on turf, both of Simple Man’s wins for his new owner have come around two turns, suggesting the added distance may be the key to his success. Congratulations to the winner:

Winner: Simple Man – (Aer Stables, B. Curtis) Simple Man traveled strongly throughout the whole race and always appeared full of run. After breaking quickly from the gate, he got an early position sitting right behind Harbor Lights who was the early pace setter. With each stride down the backside, the gap to the leader began to shrink. His move came at the 3/8 pole, when Simple Man took command and began to draw clear. At the top of the stretch, he was in front by two lengths and no one was able to catch him. The clock stopped for the mile in 1:33.26.

Second Place: Montauciel – (Waldo, I. Castillo) No doubt an encouraging second place for this colt after running eleventh in his last race. Montauciel didn’t have much speed out of the gate, which left him in the back of the pack around the first turn. He started picking off horses one by one down the backside while being four wide and found himself in third entering the stretch. Despite making up ground late, a wide trip throughout the race proved too much to overcome. He’s definitely one to keep an eye on.

Third Place: New Yorks Finest – (Big Jd Racing, S. Elliott) This three-year-old by State Police had a similar trip to Montauciel, but was down on the rail. He was sitting mid-pack for a good portion of the race and was stuck with nowhere to go around the far turn. At the quarter pole, New Yorks Finest finally found some room to run on the inside, but it was too late to win at that point. It was a frustrating trip, though he’s sure to get his second stakes victory soon.

Fourth Place: Westerly Invasion – (Nakamura Stables, F H. Da Silva) For the first time on the grass and first race since the gelding, Westerly Invasion delivered a solid performance. After breaking from the gate, he dove straight down to the rail, sitting in ninth place around the first turn and backstretch. Traffic eased at the 3/8 pole, giving a clear path into the stretch. Due to being shuffled to the back of the field at the start, he was only able to make up four lengths and finish fourth. This start presented several first-time tests, and he handled them exceptionally well. Expect continued improvement.

– AJM

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded