The doors will open for business at Tampa Bay Downs on Wednesday for the start of their winter/spring meeting. This West Coast Florida venue has grown in stature in recent years, especially with their three-year-old program, and 2014 should offer more of the same action and excitement.
The centerpiece of the meeting is the Grade II, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby, a traditional stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands. Oldsmar’s showcase for budding 3-year-old stars will be joined on the blockbuster March 8 Festival Day card by the Grade III, $200,000 Florida Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on the turf course and the Grade III, $150,000 Hillsborough Stakes for older fillies and mares, also on the turf.
Sophomores will have a key prep race to get to the Derby, which comes in the form of the $250,000 Sam F. Davis S. (G3) on February 1.
Tampa Bay Downs’ 88th season of Thoroughbred racing resumes Dec. 4, 2013, continuing on a full-time basis through May 4, 2014 before concluding June 30. Tampa Bay Downs offers full, competitive fields, some of the country’s most dynamic trainers and skillful jockeys, and thrilling live action as well as simulcast racing and wagering!
Tampa Bay Downs 2013-2014 Meet Information
Dates: December 4, 2013 – May 4, 2014
Tampa Bay Downs horse racing schedule:
Post Times: post time for the first race is 12:25 p.m. ET, unless otherwise noted
Tampa Bay Downs Racetrack Information
Main track (dirt): 1 mile, oval with 3/8 and 7/8 mile chutes
Width of stretch: 75 feet
Composition: Sand and clay composition
Turf: 7/8 mile in circumference with a 1/4 mile chute
Width of stretch: 80 feet
Composition: Tifton #419 Bermuda turf
About Tampa Bay Downs Racetrack
Tampa Bay Downs is the only Thoroughbred race track on the West Coast of Florida, and is known as one of America’s oldest and most well-maintained racetracks. Tampa Bay Downs first opened its doors in 1926 under the name of Tampa Downs, and has since had a long and colorful history. The present owner purchased the track in 1986, and since then Tampa Bay Downs has been continually improving.
Tampa Bay Downs added its 7/8th mile grass track, complete with a ¼ mile chute, in 1998, and has become one of the most popular turf courses in North America. The millennium brought even more amenities to Tampa Bay Downs, including the Downs Golf Practice Facility, which allows patrons to practice their swing while viewing and wagering on simulcast racing; as well as The Silks Poker Room, the card room that has become one of the hottest spots in town. Both are open 7 days a week.
Tampa Bay Downs Racetrack is pleased to once again partner with Lambholm South for Cotillion Festival Day Presented by Lambholm South, Festival Preview Day Presented by Lambholm South and the Lambholm South Race of the Week!
The Oldsmar oval is scheduled to resume live racing in December of 2011. Prior to the opening of Tampa Bay Downs’s 85th racing season in December of 2010, the Tampa Bay Derby received a purse boost to $350,000 and a new Grade II status, cementing the race as a major stop on the Triple Crown trail.