Tampa Bay Downs will offer the most lucrative stakes program in the track's history–highlighted by the $350,000 GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby–during its 2016-2017 season, it was announced Monday. The meet, which begins Nov. 26, will feature a total of 24 stakes, six of them graded, as part of a nearly $3-million package.
The March 11 Tampa Bay Derby is a perennial stepping stone to the GI Kentucky Derby, and it will be joined by the Feb. 11 $250,000 GIII Sam F. Davis S. as a “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points qualifying event in 2017. Both fixtures anchor the two biggest days of racing on the Tampa Bay Downs calendar. New to the Mar. 11 Festival Day card is the $75,000 Columbia S., a one-mile turf event for 3-year-olds, while purses for the Apr. 2 Florida Cup card have been increased by 33%.
“The increase in stakes purses for the upcoming season reflects the ongoing interest in our racing program throughout the Thoroughbred industry,” said Vice President and General Manager Peter Berube. “While our graded stakes, especially the 3-year-old races, garner most of the attention, our stakes schedule offers tremendous value for horses in all categories.”
The complete schedule can be found at the track's website.
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