Tampabay downs media guide 16-0273-JK2

Welcome To Tampa Bay Downs!
Exciting Thoroughbred horse racing, daily no-limits games in The Silks Poker
Room and professional shot-making instruction and amenities at The Downs
Golf Practice Facility combine to make Tampa Bay Downs the premier multientertainment
destination on Florida’s west coast. As the track’s 91st anniversary
season approaches, its remarkable history is worth another look.
Matt J. Winn, legendary promoter of the Kentucky Derby, teamed with Ohio
investor Harvey Myers to bring horse racing to the “Top of the Bay” in 1926. Since
then, Tampa Bay Downs has provided area sports fans and visitors with live racing
action during the winter and spring months, while in 2013 adding an annual twoday
Summer Festival of Racing held each June 30 and July 1.
Originally opened as Tampa Downs, the racetrack was renamed Sunshine Park
in 1947. It entered the “modern” era that year with the installation of an electric
starting gate, photo-finish camera and electronic tote board. The racetrack
became popular with sportswriters who came to the area to cover baseball spring
training. Legendary scribes Grantland Rice, Red Smith, and Arthur Daley were
devoted regulars, with Rice nicknaming the track the “Santa Anita of the South.”
In 1965, the facility was acquired by a group of Tampa sportsmen and renamed
Florida Downs. It became Tampa Bay Downs 15 years later after another change
in ownership. The current owners assumed the reins before the start of the 1986-
1987 meeting, heralding a period of unprecedented growth that has raised the
track’s profile throughout the Thoroughbred racing world.
In the spring of 1997, Mrs. Stella Thayer, President and Treasurer of Tampa
Bay Downs, announced plans for the installation of a 7/8-mile turf course with a
quarter-mile chute. The course was completed in the spring of 1998 and the first
turf race was contested on Kentucky Derby Day, May 2, 1998. Ever since, the
track’s turf racing program has been a boon for horsemen and patrons alike.
Tampa Bay Downs launched The Downs Golf Practice Facility in 2003 as a stateof-the-art,
first-of-its-kind golf practice and wagering facility. The 22 acres of fully
lighted golf property include 270 yards of open range for full-swing shots, plus
putting and short-game areas. The Downs Golf Clubhouse features a fully stocked
pro shop, snack bar and wagering terminals, complete with numerous TV monitors
to catch all the action.
The opening of the 2003-2004 season saw the debut of The Silks Poker Room.
In July of 2007, the Florida Legislature granted Tampa Bay Downs permission to
operate The Silks Poker Room year-round. It is now open daily on the third floor of
the Grandstand from 10 a.m.-4 a.m.
The track’s profile skyrocketed in 2007 when Street Sense used his thrilling nose
victory in the then-Grade III Tampa Bay Derby as a springboard to winning the
Kentucky Derby. In 2010, third-place Tampa Bay Derby finisher Super Saver
triumphed in the Run for the Roses, and the Tampa Bay Derby was awarded
Grade II status the following spring. It is one of six graded stakes conducted
annually at Tampa Bay Downs.
During the 2011-2012 meeting, bettors heralded the introduction of Trakus, an
electronic system which displays the position and location of each horse during a
race. Prior to the start of the 2013-14 season, the grandstand was remodeled to
include a pub-style gathering place, Riders Up!, with marble countertops, a candyapple
redwood finish and a variety of craft beers, and the Metro Deli, resembling
an old-time, big-city eatery.
The improvements have continued the past few seasons with the unveiling of a
bright, redesigned circular driveway entrance, a revamped tote board and other
upgrades to fan comfort and convenience. Racing fans, horse lovers and the
Tampa Bay community embrace the Downs for its distinctive, country fair-style
charm and welcoming ambiance.
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