Tampa Bay Downs

For the most part, Tampa Bay Downs survived Hurricane Milton relatively unscathed. According to Margo Flynn, the track's vice president of marketing, the grandstand suffered only minimal damage. Milton hit the west coast of Florida just a few weeks after the area was hit hard by Hurricane Helene. Milton made land fall at 8:30 p.m. in Siesta Key, Florida about 77 miles south of the track. The storm did not begin to subside until around 11:15. Flynn also reported that the main track and the turf course came through the...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Lammas at graded level at Golden Gate Fields. Golden Gate Veteran Earns Career High In San Fran Ronald Charles and Samuel Gordon's Lammas (GB) (Heeraat {Ire}), a regular for many years at Golden Gate, earned another graded win when taking Saturday's GIII San Francisco Mile S. (video). Trained by Manuel Badilla, the Peter Onslow-bred 7-year-old gelding was an 10,000gns buy-back as a weanling...

9th-TAM, $53k, Msw, 3yo, 1mT, post time: 4:37 p.m. ET Pennsylvania-bred JOYANT (Wootton Bassett {GB}) gets her career started here for owner/breeder Erdenheim Farm and trainer Arnaud Delacour. The filly's dam Cintra (Ire) (Camacho {GB}), an unraced daughter of European Broodmare of the Year Bordighera (Alysheba), was purchased by James Wigan's London Thoroughbred Services for 420,000gns ($570,730) on behalf of Erdenheim at the 2019 Tattersalls December Mare Sale and she produced a Kingman (GB) filly the following spring, visiting this outstanding stallion prior to her export. The listed-placed Bordighera was...

3rd-TAM, $53K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 1:18 p.m. ET CARTUCHO (Gun Runner) tied for the ninth highest return during the 2022 Keeneland September Sale when selling to bloodstock agent Mike Ryan for $1.2 million. The debuting bay colt's ownership group includes his breeder Three Chimneys Farm, William H. Lawrence and Walmac Farm. He is trained by Chad Brown. Cartucho is out of GISW Malibu Prayer (Malibu Moon). She was a $2 million 2011 Keeneland November purchase for Besilu, who also acquired her dam--SW Grand Prayer (Grand Slam)--at the same sale for...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This column is highlighted by the victory of Royalty Interest in Central Florida. Le Havre Fave Gets The Job Done Klaravich Stables' Royalty Interest (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) scored the second win of her career at Tampa Bay this past weekend (video). Bred by China Horse Club International, the bay sold for €50,000 to Seth Klarman's operation during the 2021 Arqana October Yearling Sale. The fourth foal out of stakes winner Dusky...

It's still not clear exactly what went wrong Saturday when a tote failure impacted several tracks, including Tampa Bay Downs. The Oldsmar, Florida track took a huge hit when it was forced to run the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby as a non-wagering event and to also cancel the last race of the day. Tampa Bay Downs Vice President and General Manager Pete Berube estimates that the track lost as much as $4.5 million in handle because betting wasn't available. There was a massive telecommunications network failure Saturday afternoon...

In a GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby delayed more than 30 minutes due to a tote issue plaguing much of the East Coast, Klaravich Stables homebred DOMESTIC PRODUCT (c, 3, Practical Joke--Goods and Services, by Paynter) won in a wild scramble at the finish. Recent GIII Sam F. Davis S. winner No More Time (Not This Time) was nosed out for the win and held second over recent Swale S. third Grand Mo the First (Uncle Mo), while pacesetter Good Money (Good Magic) just missed the board. The final...

Sent off a lukewarm favorite at 5-2, Chiefswood Stable's homebred 3-year-old filly WASKESIU (f, 3, American Pharoah--Finn's Girl, by Bernardini) sat a perfect ground-saving trip just behind the speed, tipped out in the lane and finished determinedly for a maiden stakes success in Saturday's GIII Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs. Winner of her turf debut at Aqueduct Nov. 18 and a slow-starting third in the Jan. 6 Ginger Brew S., the Ontario-bred took advantage of her low draw in gate four to tuck in at the fence to take...

Even though he won the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, no one was ready to declare that Storm the Court (Court Vision) was a star in the making.  After all, he was 45-1 that day at Santa Anita and the field for that year's Juvenile was one of the weakest in the history of the race.  But nobody could have predicted what was to become for that year's 2-year-old male champion, an epic losing streak that has lasted now for more than four years and 20 races. Storm the Court...

A tax package that will extend racing and breeding incentives in the state of the Florida, was approved Friday by Florida Legislature according to a release by the FTBOA. HB 7073, which was initially enacted in 2023, continues to provide state funding for HISA along with $20m in purses and/facility improvements split between Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. It also gives $5m to the FTBOA for use as racing and breeding promotions and an additional $2.5m for Florida-bred racing incentives. In total, HB 7073 gives a boost of over...

Trainer Chad Brown has started but three horses in the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, none of which has finished better than sixth, but in the form of Klaravich Stable's Domestic Product (Practical Joke), he could very well be getting his picture taken Saturday afternoon. Having won his maiden over nine furlongs at second asking at Aqueduct in late October, the next logical step was the Dec. 2 GII Remsen S., but he caught a rain-affected strip he may not have preferred and faded through the final furlong to...

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and Tampa Bay Downs will highlight accredited aftercare during Saturday's card, which features the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. The track will honor TAA with a named race on the day's undercard. Following the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance named race, a presentation will be made in the winner's circle and winning connections will be given a TAA blanket and gift bag with branded merchandise. A representative from TAA will also be on-site to host the winners of the VIP Experience from the "Off to the Races" online...