Thursday Thoughts with Jason Beem for May 8, 2025

A good Thursday morning to you all! Obviously everyone has thoughts and opinions on the Preakness (G1) and Sovereignty passing on it and waiting for the Belmont. Well, I won’t pile on to that discussion here in this column. Instead I wanted to take a little time to discuss the end of our season down here at Tampa Bay Downs as we completed our 99th year of racing. Next February will be the 100th anniversary and we’re already planning a fun celebration.  

This was my fourth year getting to call the races at Tampa Bay Downs and as we run a lot of days each meet, sometimes the meets can kind of run together in terms of memories and experiences for me personally. Certainly you remember the big races and this year’s Tampa Bay Derby (G3) was no exception, as Owen Almighty dominated with a strong win. He actually competed in all three of our local preps. He was DQ'ed from a win in the Pasco, recorded a hard fought second behind John Hancock in the Sam F. Davis, and landed his biggest career win in the Derby. He’s a cool horse and I do think he’s going to make some noise when he cuts back this summer. Maybe the best part of the Tampa Bay Derby was that people were able to bet on it this year. Shout out tote company! 

To me one of the big stories of the season was the emergence of Samuel Marin as our leading rider. The 23 year-old is just in his fourth year and he’s made big steps forward in wins and earnings with each passing year. He’s already got 92 wins this calendar year and should be set for a big summer at Monmouth and Mid-Atlantic tracks. He consistently made good riding decisions in races, finishes very well, and I just noticed so often on closers he’d save ground on the grass and find a lane to get up in the final yards. I’m not the best judge of riding talent, but he stood out this year in my opinion, and not just because he was atop the standings. I think he’s got a big future. 

One thing that makes Tampa unique in my opinion is that it’s still a family-owned track and so many people who work there have been there for a long time. It does have a family business feel to it and to me I think that comes through when you join us at the track. It’s not a big destination track like a Saratoga or Keeneland, but every year it’s fun to see people make it out and talk about how much they enjoy a day at the races there. Like any track I think there’s things we can do better and improve on and hopefully we can do that as we build to our 100th season next year. 

For me personally, the job here has always represented something more personal. I’ve been public about my struggles with anxiety and depression and those battles took me out of announcing from 2015 to 2018. I really did give up on the idea of ever announcing again or ever living anywhere but Seattle as my world just got so small. But some fill-in opportunities at Gulfstream Park West and Monmouth Park led to getting the Colonial job and I found the love for calling races again as I worked on my mental and physical health. Getting the Tampa job allowed me to fill out my work calendar, buy a house, and start a new life here in Florida. So it really does mean so much to get to be a part of this racing community here. 

And I look forward to seeing you down here in 2025-2026!