OLDSMAR, FL. – Tampa Bay Downs horsemen and horsewomen will be competing for more money than ever when the 2024-2025 meet begins on Wednesday, Nov. 20, with an extra emphasis on raising the profile (and the bank accounts) of Florida-breds.
The Oldsmar oval has boosted purses for its schedule of 26 stakes races by $350,000 to $3,810,000, with $960,000 of the stakes total provided by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association (FTBOA) through its registered Florida-bred and Florida Sire Stakes (FSS) programs.
“We’ve always had competitive stakes races, and this extra money will really help,” said Allison De Luca, the track’s Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “Our track surfaces, both the dirt and the turf, are big factors, and Autumn Charley, our stakes coordinator, works hard to get quality nominations and put together strong fields.
“We made a few changes schedule-wise a couple of years ago, and I think that has also helped,” De Luca said.
Overnight purses, which rose 36 percent last season to $211,535 per racing day, are starting at the same level as last year, thanks to a purse enhancement from the state of Florida administered through the Florida-Bred Incentive Fund—FTBOA. Under the provisions of the FBIF—FTBOA, eligible Florida-breds earn additional purse money in all maiden special weight races and allowance races by finishing first, second or third.
Average daily purses are projected to be between $245,000-$250,000 per day, with about $212,000 being earmarked for the overnight program.
“Tampa Bay Downs’s well-placed purse increases combined with FTBOA-added incentives, all powered by recent Florida state legislation, helped drive a 33-percent increase in Florida-bred maiden special and allowance performers last race meet,” said Lonny Powell, the CEO of the FTBOA. “It was an easy decision for FTBOA to continue these incentives into the new season.”
With all that money waiting to be paid to state-breds and their rivals, Tampa Bay Downs is currently accepting stall applications for the upcoming meet, which runs through May 3. Stall applications are due by Monday, Sept. 16 and are available on the track’s website at www.tampabaydowns.com
The stakes schedule gets underway on Saturday, Dec. 7 with the $125,000, 6-furlong Inaugural Stakes for 2-year-olds and the $125,000, 6-furlong Sandpiper Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. Both races have been increased by $25,000 and are among 11 stakes that will be contested for more money than last season.
Ten stakes races have received $25,000 in open purse increases. Meanwhile, the FTBOA is adding $25,000 in new funding for eligible horses finishing first, second or third in the Grade III Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes and the Columbia Stakes on the turf, both on March 8, as well as the Wayward Lass on Jan. 11 and the Minaret Stakes on Feb. 8.
Those enhancements will give the FTBOA an involvement in all 26 stakes.
Other stakes to see purse increases include the Pasco Stakes and the Gasparilla Stakes, both on Jan. 11, from $125,000 to $150,000; the Leinster Turf Dash and the Leinster Lightning City Stakes on the turf, both on Feb. 22, from $100,000 to $125,000; and the Pelican Stakes on Feb. 8, from $100,000 to $125,000.
Total available stakes purses for the March 8 Festival Day program will be an all-time track record of $1,075,000, with the FTBOA contributing $175,000 of that amount for eligible runners. Total guaranteed purse money for the Grade III, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, the Grade II, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes on the turf and the Grade III, $200,000 Florida Oaks on the turf will remain the same.
Horses eligible for the FTBOA purse supplements include all horses foaled in Florida and registered with the FTBOA. To be eligible for FSS money, a horse must be registered with the FSS program and must be the offspring of a registered Florida stallion.
The FTBOA also provides full funding for both the $100,000 FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes and the $100,000 FTBOA City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes, both on Dec. 14.
Whereas in past years FTBOA and FSS funds in Oldsmar stakes races, in most cases, have been paid only to the winner (provided it met the qualifying standards), all stakes this season (with the exception of the Florida Cup races on March 30) will distribute 70 percent of available funds to the winner if eligible, 20 percent to the runner-up and 10 percent to the third-place finisher.
The FTBOA has added a feature on its website that allows Florida Thoroughbred stakeholders to confirm a horse’s current FTBOA Florida-bred registration status and Florida Sire Stakes eligibility, as well as to verify registered Florida stallions. The Registry Search can be found at www.ftboa.com/registrysearch and allows users to search and sort foaled-in-Florida Thoroughbreds by name, dam name, sire name or foal crop.
