Daytona Bis the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Sunday’s 440-yard, $100,000 Sam Abbey Memorial Invitational Championship, one of four stakes on Hialeah Park’s 10-race program.

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HIALEAH, FL—FEBRUARY 24, 2015—Daytona B, a graded stakes winning 4-year-old son of all-time leading sire First Down Dash owned by Gregorio Garcia Garza, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Sunday’s 440-yard, $100,000 Sam Abbey Memorial Invitational Championship, one of four stakes on Hialeah Park’s 10-race program.

Trained by Rolando Almanza, Daytona B drew the rail post and will be ridden by Ramon Sanchez. The gelding is coming off of a 3-year-old campaign in which he earned $163,081 from eight starts, and his four wins included a one-length victory in the 400-yard, $200,000 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G2) at Prairie Meadows.

Daytona B’s nine opponents include Mesa Marvel and Jessies First Down. A 4-year-old gelding by champion Foose owned and trained by Ricardo Martinez, Mesa Marvel prepped for this race with a one-length win in the February 7, 440-yard Sawgrass Stakes at Hialeah.

Manuel Gutierrez has been named to ride Mesa Marvel from post 2.

Jessies First Down is a 4-year-old FDD Dynasty gelding trained by Judd Kearl for owner Ted G. Abrams of Houston, Texas. The gelding outran his 15-1 odds to win the 440-yard, $205,000 Hialeah Maturity on January 18.

Jessies First Down drew post 9 and will be ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo.

World Wide Promotion Enterprises LLC’s Dashin Beduino, a 5-year-old gelding by the Chicks Beduino stallion Gros Orielle trained by Javier Amoedo, has won three of five races, including two stakes, since he was claimed for $10,000 at Evangeline Downs on November 15, 2013. Dashin Beduino ran second, a neck behind winner Dash Master Jess, in last year’s Sam Abbey Invitational.

The Sam Abbey Invitational Championship honors the memory of Sam Abbey, the longtime racing secretary at Hialeah Park who was killed in an automobile accident on February 19, 2013. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds--

1. Daytona B (Ramon Sanchez), 5-2
2. Mesa Marvel (Manuel Gutierrez), 6-1
3. Charvet (Alex Baldillez Jr.), 8-1
4. Dashin Beduino (Osdany P. Leal), 3-1
5. Eye Get The Blues (Oscar Delgado), 10-1
6. Arbeka Raincloud (Brian Theriot), 10-1
7. Fire And Corona (Omar Reyes), 8-1
8. Testing The Ice (Roberto Valero), 6-1
9. Jessies First Down (Rodrigo S. Vallejo), 5-1
10. Paint Candy Flying (Yordanis Amaro), 12-1.

Also on Saturday, a full field of 10 sophomores, including fastest qualifier Moonin The Eagle, has been entered back in the 440-yard, $100,000 South Florida Derby.

A gray son of champion One Famous Eagle trained by Rolando Almanza, Moonin The Eagle has won two of three outs and has earned $93,163 for his owner, Gregorio Garcia Garza. The colt’s race record includes a second-place finish in the 400-yard, $418,000 Hialeah Derby on January 18.

Ramon Sanchez will ride Moonin The Eagle from post 2 in the South Florida Derby. His opponents include second-fastest qualifier Seize The Win, a colt by PYC Paint Your Wagon trained by Matt Frazier for owner Glenn Graff. Seize The Win scored a one-length victory in the Hialeah Derby.

Seize The Win drew post 8 and will be ridden by Shanley Jackson.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds--

1. De Mille (Manuel Gutierrez), 20-1
2. Moonin The Eagle (Ramon Sanchez), 5-2
3. Ipolito (Osdany P. Leal), 12-1
4. Girls Can Dash (Rodrigo S. Vallejo), 6-1
5. Dashing Clouds (Yordanis Amaro), 20-1
6. Red Corona Warrior (Gerardo Garrido), 5-1
7. Roaster (Raul Gutierrez), 20-1
8. Seize The Win (Shanley Jackson), 3-1
9. Louisiana Legends (Oscar Delgado), 10-1
10. Jumpn Streak (Roberto Valero), 12-1.

Ramon Correa Maya’s The Star Alert, a stakes winner during the current meet, is one of eight distance specialists entered in the 1,000-yard, $40,000 Sailfish Stakes.

Conditioned by Ricardo Martinez, The Star Alert is coming off of a convincing seven-length victory in the 1,000-yard, $25,000 Key West Stakes at Hialeah on February 8. The 9-year-old gelded son of the Carson City (TB) stallion Beat The Feet (TB) drew post 3 and will be ridden by Yordanis Amaro.