TOP-NOTCH RACING, FAMILY FUN GO HAND-IN-HAND AT OLDSMAR OVAL
While the anticipation builds to a fever pitch for Saturday’s Festival Day 35 program, there is no shortage of fun and excitement on tap for the remainder of March and April as Tampa Bay Downs continues to celebrate its 89th anniversary season.
Top Triple Crown candidates will be on display late Saturday afternoon in the 35th edition of the Grade II, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby, a 3-year-old main-track event that has produced a pair of Kentucky Derby winners in Street Sense (2007) and Super Saver (2010).
Also on the Festival Day card are two turf races for female Thoroughbreds: the Grade III, $200,000 Florida Oaks for 3-year-old fillies and the Grade III, $150,000 Hillsborough Stakes for older fillies and mares. Throw in the $60,000 Challenger Stakes for older horses on the dirt, and it’s easy to see why this shapes up as one of the most thrilling and memorable days in track history.
So, what do we plan for an encore? Start with Sunday’s Family Fiesta Day celebration in the Picnic Pavilion Area adjacent to the paddock. Our track mascot, Mouse the Miniature Horse, will be on the grounds and available for pictures, and there will be games, pony rides, inflatable slides and plenty of good food.
Family Fiesta Day is hosted by Univision Television, with a Latin flavor, and is also scheduled Sunday, March 22. On the remaining Sundays this month, March 15 and March 29, Tampa Bay Downs will hold Kids and Family Day, with Mouse and the same brand of fun to be experienced this weekend.
On the racing front, the fourth and final round of the Tampa Turf Test starter handicap series, featuring races for both males and females, will be contested Saturday, March 28. There is a good chance 6-year-old gelding Brother Pat, owned by the Jagger Inc., stable of Jamie and Mandy Ness, will attempt to become the first horse in the event’s history to sweep all four legs.
The following Saturday, April 4, is Florida Cup Day, an annual celebration of the Sunshine State’s excellence in breeding and raising Thoroughbreds.
Inaugurated in 2003, the Florida Cup consists of six $75,000 stakes races: the Hilton Garden Inn/Hampton Inn & Suites Sprint; the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore; the Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies; the Sophomore Turf; the Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf; and the Tampa Turf Classic.
Visitors to Tampa Bay Downs are also encouraged to take the elevator to the third floor to dine and play in our opulent Silks Poker Room, or to hit a bucket of balls at The Downs Golf Practice Facility. Those options help make the Oldsmar oval the premier multi-entertainment destination in the Tampa Bay area.
Plan now to enjoy a fun-filled day of Thoroughbred racing and “Live it up at the Downs!”
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