Eliot Ness headed a group of lawmen nicknamed the Untouchables in their fight to enforce prohibition in the Roaring Twenties but there could be another untouchable lurking at the quaint little track known as Tampa Bay.

Enter Jamie Ness, who is trying to repeat as leading trainer this year after not only winning the title here, but also at Presque Isle in 2009.

He was 37 winners better than the next trainer at the meet hitting at 33% and is sure to have a great Tampa season.

So far this year, he won with 7 of his first 22 starters and 10 others have been in the money.

As an omen toward his meteoric rise, Ness saddled his first winner in 2000 at Canterbury and that runner's name was Blue Rocket.

Like so many racing fans and bettors, he was shown the game by his grandfather, who took Jamie to the track when he was 4 and the rest, as they say, is history.

He broke his teeth learning from his training Dad.

Ness has some traits that must be followed. He is awesome right off the claim to the tune of 40% with a slight flat-bet profit and almost as good 2nd off the claim.

He can also get horses to win off an extended layoff and in second off the layoff situations around 30% of the time.

He doesn't really concentrate on young horses, so beware when thinking about betting his juveniles but is adept when taking the blinkers off and equally successful on the cut back in distance and on the stretch out.

There are two angles where Ness is extra dangerous and where bettors should double up. He has enough good horseman in him to keep a horse going good once he peaks and wins and when he takes a runner and conditions the animal on grass, then spots him in a dirt race, it is usually an all-out go.

Up until now he has done it with numbers and with cheaper stock, but according to a piece written by Doug McCoy, which could very well change this year.

Ness: "We had a fantastic year, there's no question about it.. but as proud as we are of having won as many races as we won, the economics of the business dictate that we've got to point toward more quality stock. And when you've got a higher level of quality, you're not going to be racing them as often as your cheaper stock, so people shouldn't be surprised to see us make fewer starts and possibly win fewer races."

In theory, that is all fine and good but if one could interview the recently deceased Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel, he'll be the first one to tell you that it takes time to make a transition like that and it can't be done just out of will, but has to be done with quality, highly-backed owners, and there lies the rub.

It's not easy to make a living from the claiming box, and then all of a sudden become the next Todd Pletcher or Steve Asmussen.

The educated guess from this end is that Ness will strive to improve his stock and point toward more and more stakes but when push comes to shove, you have to be able to look yourself in the mirror and tell the truth.

The truth will likely be another potent year.