Tampa Bay Downs announced significant gains in most key categories for the 2021-2022 season when compared to 2018-2019 (pre-pandemic) — including average daily bet handle all sources and totals the amount paid to the horseman.
While the increase isn’t surprising given the line-up ahead of 2020-2021, Peter Berube, Vice President and General Manager of the track, sees much to be encouraged as the Oldsmar oval solidifies its position as one in the country’s most popular winters Purebred simulated signals.
“Our Thoroughbred racing product has been very well received, by both Tampa Bay area fans and the nationwide simulcast market,” said Berube.
“The Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby card (on March 12) generated nearly $21 million in bets, up 36% from the previous record of $15.2 million set last year and is the most best of any racetrack in the country that day.”
To gauge the success of the meeting, Berube compared the final figures with both the 2020-2021 season and the 2018-2019 numbers.
This season’s total all-sources processing over the 89 race days is $401,467,564, up 1.72% from last season and 18.62% above the 2018-2019 mark. The total live on track is $16,324,991, which is 23.41% more than last season and 2.98% more than 2018-2019.
The starting salary is $64,317, up 10.19% from last season and 28.08% in 2018-2019. The average grip per race is $488,998.
Berube said the behind-the-scenes efforts of many of the players were a key factor in the song’s growing popularity. Berube said: “The Racing Office, led by (Racing Minister) Allison De Luca, has done a great job of aggregating highly competitive cards and making owners and coaches aware of it all. everything Tampa Bay Downs has to offer,” Berube said.
“Our track maintenance team, led by Tom McLaughlin, doesn’t mind anyone in maintaining both surfaces to an excellent level. (Group Sales Manager) Nicole McGill and her staff He continues to come up with innovative ways to attract new fans, which are essential to our continued growth.”
A crowd of 7,756 attended Saturday’s season-ending Kentucky Derby Day card, which featured nine “live” Tampa Bay Downs races generating a total bet of more than $4.7 million. After that, most fans continued to watch the Derby match, which beat Rich Strike 80-1, on the jumbo video board in the yard.
“It’s been great for all of us to see the tremendous enthusiasm for horse racing on big race days like the Kentucky Derby and the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby,” Berube said.
Thoroughbred racing will return to the Tampa Bay Downs on June 30 and July 1 for the 10th annual Summer Racing Festival.
Tampa Bay Downs paid out $18,204,465 in wallet funds in 2021-2022, up 8.02% from 2020-2021 and 17.03% from 2018-2019. The average daily wallet distribution of $204,545 is a record.
“Race racing is an expensive business and the costs associated with participating have increased over the past few years,” says Berube. “For us to continue to develop our product, we need to continue to focus on ways to increase stakes, which drive increased wallets.”
Mimicking a trend at most North American racetracks, the average field size per race has dropped from 8.27 horses a race last season to 7.86. Berube said the decrease in average field size was mainly due to a steady decrease in crop size in North America, from 28,420 heads in 2010 to an estimated 19,200 heads in 2021.
As horses become increasingly difficult to find, more Tampa Bay Downs riders than ever have chosen to retool their stables through claim races, allowing them to purchase horses at a preset price. The all-time Oldsmar oval record of 351 horses has been confirmed (131 more than last season) at a total cost of $3,970,000.
About 30% of the claimed horses have been searched by multiple riders, leading to “shakes” (withdrawal of winning claims that slip out of the box) to identify new owners.
On the track, the 3-year-old Classic Causeway black horse won both third place Sam F. Davis Stakes and second place Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby to secure a spot in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, where he was 11th. Undefeated pitch specialist (6v6) Bleecker Street, a 4-year-old boy who has won both Hillsborough Level III and Level II Endeavor Stocks, returns to action on Friday. advance at Churchill Downs for a Class III Share. presented by TwinSpires.
Diving apprentice Madeline Rowland, 18, from Landenberg, Pa., became a virtual sensation overnight, winning 34 races while completing her high school education online. She finished in 9th place in the track standings. Known to family, friends and now beloved followers – as Maddie, she was named Salt Rock Tavern Rider of the Month in April and closed the season. by riding the four winners of the Kentucky Derby Day.
Samy Camacho is the track’s top driver with 85 winners, good for a second straight and third title in the past four years. Gerald Bennett claimed his seventh consecutive coaching title and eighth overall with 36 wins.
The top owner entering the Summer Racing Festival (June 30 card, for record-keeping purposes, officially the last day of the 2021-2022 meeting) is Endsley Oaks Farm with 24 wins. Endsley Oaks, of Brooksville, Fla., Owned by Bob and Jill Jones.
Three horses had the most wins at the meeting, with four horses: 3-year-old Katies a Lady, owned by Terry E. Davie and trained by Kathleen O’Connell; 10 years old, gelding Native Hawk, owned and trained by Juan Arriagada; and gelding Tony Small, 6, owned by Mark Hoffman and coached by Maria Bowersock.
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