Tampa Bay Downs facts for kids
Aerial view of Tampa Bay Downs from the east.
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| Location | Oldsmar, Florida |
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| Coordinates | 28°02′54″N 82°38′44″W / 28.04833°N 82.64556°W |
| Owned by | Stella F. Thayer, Howell Ferguson |
| Date opened | 1926 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred |
Tampa Bay Downs is a famous place in Florida, USA, where Thoroughbred horses race. It's located near Tampa in a town called Oldsmar. This race track first opened in 1926. Over the years, it has had a few different names, like Tampa Downs, Sunshine Park, and Florida Downs and Turf Club.
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About Tampa Bay Downs
Tampa Bay Downs is the only Thoroughbred horse racing track on the west coast of Florida. Besides live horse races, it also offers simulcasting (watching and betting on races from other tracks), a poker room, and a golf practice area.
When Does Racing Happen?
The racing season at Tampa Bay Downs usually runs from late November to early May. Races are held most Wednesdays, Fridays, and weekends during this time.
What Does the Track Look Like?
The main track is a dirt oval that is one mile (about 1.6 kilometers) long. There's also a special grass track, called a turf course, which is seven furlongs long (about 1.4 kilometers). This turf course even has a quarter-mile inner chute, which is like a shortcut for some races.
History of Tampa Bay Downs
Tampa Bay Downs has a long and interesting past. It first opened in 1926 as "Tampa Downs." It was started by an investor from Ohio, Harvey Myers, and a famous horse racing figure, Matt J. Winn.
Changes Over the Years
- In 1943, during World War II, the United States Army used the track as a training place.
- In 1946, the track was renamed "Sunshine Park." Modern features like an electric starting gate, a photo finish camera, and an electric scoreboard were added.
- During the 1950s, many famous sportswriters visited the track. They called it the "Santa Anita of the South," comparing it to a very famous track in California.
- In 1965, the track's name changed again to "Florida Downs and Turf Club."
- Finally, in 1980, it became "Tampa Bay Downs," the name it still has today.
Important Moments
- On February 12, 1981, a 17-year-old jockey named Julie Krone won her first race here. She later became a member of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame.
- In 1983, the track started holding races for Arabian horses, but this program ended in 2003.
- The current owners, Stella F. Thayer and her brother Howell Ferguson, bought the track in 1986.
- In 1998, Tampa Bay Downs added its popular grass track. The first race on this new turf course was held on May 2, 1998, the same day as the Kentucky Derby.
- The track has also added a golf practice area called The Downs Golf Practice Facility.
Record-Breaking Days
Tampa Bay Downs has seen many exciting days with large crowds and lots of betting.
- On May 5, 2007, a record 11,014 people attended on Kentucky Derby Day. A horse named Street Sense, who had won the Tampa Bay Derby, went on to win the Kentucky Derby that year.
- A new attendance record of 12,746 people was set on March 15, 2008, during Festival Day.
Famous Horses at Tampa Bay Downs
Many famous horses have raced at Tampa Bay Downs before going on to win major races. These include:
- Street Sense (2007 Kentucky Derby winner)
- Super Saver (2010 Kentucky Derby winner)
- Gio Ponti (Eclipse Award winner)
- Drosselmeyer (Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic winner)
- Fort Larned (Breeders' Cup Classic winner)
- Tepin (Eclipse Award winner)
- Always Dreaming (Kentucky Derby winner)
- Tapwrit (Belmont Stakes winner)
Recent Upgrades
Before the 2007-2008 racing season, Tampa Bay Downs made several improvements. These included:
- Installing an elevator in the Grandstand.
- Opening a new Silks Poker Room.
- Adding a Party Suite with new TVs.
- Creating the Legends Bar, which features a museum-like display about the famous racehorse Seabiscuit.
- Upgrading the stalls in the saddling barn for the horses' safety and comfort.
- Renovating the Racing Office and the track kitchen.
In 2011-2012, the track installed Trakus, an electronic system that shows the exact position of each horse during a race on TV screens. Tampa Bay Downs also started a "green initiative" to become more environmentally friendly.
Horse Racing at Tampa Bay Downs
Tampa Bay Downs hosts many exciting races throughout its season.
Festival Day
The biggest day of the year is usually "Festival Day." The main race on this day is the Grade II, $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby. This race is for 3-year-old horses and is a mile and a sixteenth long. Other important races on Festival Day include:
- The Grade II, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes for older female horses on the turf.
- The Grade III, $200,000 Florida Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on the turf.
- The $100,000 Challenger Stakes.
- The $75,000 Columbia Stakes.
Important Stakes Races
Tampa Bay Downs holds several "stakes races," which are special races with higher prize money. These races are often grouped by their "Grade," which shows how important they are in the racing world.
- Grade II Races
- Tampa Bay Derby
- Hillsborough Stakes
- Grade III Races
- Endeavour Stakes
- Sam F. Davis Stakes
- Tampa Bay Stakes
- Florida Oaks
- Challenger Stakes
- Other Listed Races
- Columbia Stakes
- Gasparilla Stakes
- Inaugural Stakes
- Lightning City Stakes
- Minaret Stakes
- Pasco Stakes
- Pelican Stakes
- Sandpiper Stakes
- Suncoast Stakes
- Turf Dash
- Wayward Lass Stakes
