Tampa Bay Downs will increase purses for all non-stakes purses by approximately 10% beginning Dec. 16. The increase will be $1,500 for maiden special weight and allowance races and $1,000 for claiming and starter races.
“Thanks to the efforts of former [Tampa Bay Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association] President Bob Jeffries and the approval of their board, we were able to build a substantial cushion in the purse account before the current meeting,” Tampa Vice President and General Manager Peter Berube said. “Our export [simulcast] business has been strong since racing returned on Nov. 25 and is up 29% to date. We were projecting a 30-35% decrease in on-track wagering on live and simulcast racing to start the meeting and those projections have been correct, but the actions of the Tampa Bay HBPA and the popularity of our signal across the country enable us to feel comfortable raising purses starting next week.”
Through the first six cards since the 2020-2021 meeting resumed, Tampa Bay Downs has averaged $3,719,055 in daily interstate wagering. The total wagering handle on Saturday's 10-race card was a Cotillion Festival Day record $6,128,282, of which $5,702,369 was through interstate wagering.
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