The Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs may be a Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve prep, but it also serves as a valuable steppingstone to the richer March 9 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, which offers 50 qualifying points to the winner.

In the case of the Davis, there will 20-10-6-4-2 points on the line for the top five finishers among a large field of 12 in the 1 1/16-mile stakes.

1. El Principito (50-1, morning-line odds): Showed speed and tired in the seven-furlong Pasco Stakes here. Even with the rail, two turns seems a tough challenge for him.

JOCKEY: Gabriel Maldonado; TRAINER: Michael Laurato

2. Tireless (12-1): Broke his maiden here at Tampa in most recent start and hails from top connections. Can’t be ignored in this spot.

JOCKEY: Antonio Gallardo; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

3. Patriot Spirit (6-1): Won a six-furlong stakes here but his initial try in a one-mile stakes was not inspiring. Should be part of the early pace but may not hang around until the end.

JOCKEY: Samy Camacho; TRAINER: Michael Campbell

4. Crazy Mason (10-1): Showed a nice closing kick to win an allowance race here and should have little trouble with the distance. Looks like a main threat.

JOCKEY: Mychel Sanchez; TRAINER: Gregg Sacco

5. No More Time (7-2): Was a competitive fifth in Gulfstream’s Mucho Macho Man Stakes last time. Figures to be well-suited by the two turns and should not be ignored.

JOCKEY: Paco Lopez; TRAINER: Jose D’Angelo

6. Agate Road (5-1): A Grade 2 winner on turf makes his dirt debut in the Sam F. Davis. As a son of Quality Road, the switch may not bother him. Definitely an intriguing possibility given the connections.

JOCKEY: Jose Ortiz; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

Click image to purchase shirt.

7. Copper Tax (5-1): Didn’t fire on a muddy track in the Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct. Before that, his efforts were promising. Workouts indicate he might be poised for a bounce-back effort.

JOCKEY: Charlie Marquez; TRAINER: Gary Capuano

8. Everdoit (30-1): Tired and wound up sixth in the Mucho Macho Man, but his two best efforts are at Tampa and he could be a horse for course.

JOCKEY: Huber Villa-Gomez; TRAINER: Kevin Rice

9. Change of Command (3-1): Comes off a pair of wins at Gulfstream Park and seems to be getting better with each start for a Hall of Fame trainer. Has enough speed to stay close to the pace and has already won at the distance. There’s much to like here.

JOCKEY: Tyler Gaffalione; TRAINER: Shug McGaughey

10. West Saratoga (8-1): Was a distant second in the Pasco Stakes and will need to take a big step forward here to be a top contender.

JOCKEY: Jesus Castanon; TRAINER: Larry Demeritte

11. Fulmineo (15-1): Was second to Crazy Mason here in an allowance race but the post position could be tough to overcome at this distance.

JOCKEY: Daniel Centeno; TRAINER: Arnaud Delacour

12. Elysian Meadows (15-1): Is undefeated in two starts but has yet to race beyond 6 ½ furlongs. Looms a tough assignment from this post, though being trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott is a big positive.

JOCKEY: Junior Alvarado; TRAINER: Bill Mott

THE PICK: Change of Command

LIVE LONGSHOTS: Crazy Mason, Tireless

SUPERFECTA: 9-6-4-2