John Hancock’s gritty victory over Owen Almighty in Saturday’s $250,000 Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs earned the 3-year-old Constitution colt his first 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) and also gave him his first stakes victory.
John Hancock, who won his debut exactly one month ago at Tampa and has earned $138,560, owned by WinStar Farm LLC and CHC Inc.
John Hancock and Owen Almightly hooked up in a speed duel right from the outset of Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile contest. John Hancock led narrowly through a half-mile in :46.23 and six furlongs in 1:10. 49. Owen Almighty made a big charge down the lane and got in front with a sixteenth to run, but John Hancock fought back to win by a half-length in a stakes-record time of 1:42.27, also less than a second from the track record.
“It was his first time facing winners, it was the second start of his life, it was his first time going long,” trainer Brad Cox said. “It was a lot to ask from a young horse. He took a lot of pressure and stayed on well. I’m very, very impressed with him. He fought off a horse (Owen Almighty) that had multiple starts and was a stakes winner. It was a big, big move forward for him and I’m very proud of the effort.
John Hancock is Constitution’s second stakes winner and fifth stakes horse of 2025. He is the latest foal out of Scribbling Sarah, also the dam of John Hancock’s half-sister Speech, winner of the Ashland S. (G1).
