Welcome To Tampa Bay Downs!

Thrilling Thoroughbred racing. Daily no-limits action and big-money tournaments in The Silks Poker Room. A golf practice facility unique to the area, and the racing world.

All combine to make Tampa Bay Downs the premier multi-entertainment destination on Florida's west coast. As the track enters its 97th anniversary season, 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 19861987 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 on the third floor of the Grandstand Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-2 a.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 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. IIt is one of seven graded stakes conducted annually at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Oldsmar oval was able to boast a third graduate to win the Kentucky Derby in 2017 when Always Dreaming, winner of a maiden special weight race here that January, captured the Run for the Roses.

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 in recent seasons with the unveiling of a bright, redesigned circular driveway entrance, a revamped tote board, a new highdefinition video board and other upgrades to fan comfort and convenience. Prior to the start of the 2018-2019 season, Tampa Bay Downs installed new AmTote International wagering terminals throughout the facility and members of the track’s Maintenance Department and outside contractors installed a NuCore waterproof, vinyl plank floor throughout the Grandstand. Workers also redesigned the main Grandstand entrance to enhance the ease of access and egress for patrons. Racing fans, horse lovers and the Tampa Bay community embrace the Downs for its distinctive, country fair-style charm and welcoming ambiance.

At the outset of the 2018-2019 meeting, a museum-like display called "Tracking Our History" was unveiled inside the main Grandstand entrance, consisting of a video retrospective and a glass-enclosed collection of memorabilia, newspaper articles and milestones from 1926 to the present day.

Along with the rest of society, Tampa Bay Downs was severely challenged by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic during the 2019-2020 meeting, forcing the track to race without spectators after its March 15 card. The track was granted two extensions by the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, with the additional dates providing much-needed relief to horsemen and horsewomen and the backstretch community. The extra dates resulted in a 111-day meeting, the longest in Oldsmar oval history.

During the 2021-2022 meet, Tampa Bay Downs overcame numerous challenges to show significant gains in all-sources wagering handle, attendance and total purse money.

There truly is no better place for fun-seekers and thrill-chasers to "Live It Up!"

Physical Address

Contact Information

Mailing Address

11225 Race Track Road P. O. Box 2007

Tampa, FL 33626 Oldsmar, FL 34677

Telephone Numbers

Main Number 813.855.4401

Racing Office 800.200.4434

Main Fax 813.854.3539

Web and E-mail Address www.tampabaydowns.com service@tampabaydowns.com

Directions

From I-275:

Take Tampa Airport exit. Follow signs to Veterans Expressway. Take Expressway to Exit 4 (Hillsborough Avenue). Turn west on Hillsborough Avenue. Travel approximately 10 miles to Race Track Road. Make a right on Race Track Road and travel 1 mile to Tampa Bay Downs.

From Pinellas County:

On U.S. Highway 19, go to the intersection with State Road 580 at Countryside Mall; go east on State Road 580 about 6 miles to the stoplight at Race Track Road; go left on Race Track Road, 1 mile to Tampa Bay Downs.

From St. Petersburg:

Take the Bayside Bridge north to McMullen Booth Road; go east on State Road 580 about 4 miles to the stoplight at Race Track Road; turn left on Race Track Road, 1 mile to Tampa Bay Downs.

From Pasco County:

On U.S. Highway 19, go to the intersection with Tampa Road (State Road 584); go east on Tampa Road 7 miles to the stoplight at Race Track Road; turn left on Race Track Road, 1 mile to Tampa Bay Downs.