Tampa Bay Downs

Pete Aiello, the regular announcer at Gulfstream, will take over the Santa Anita booth in place of Frank Mirahmadi while the latter is in New York to call the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. Aiello also served as the replacement during last year's festival in New York. Jason Beem, the regular Tampa Bay Downs announcer, will replace him at Gulfstream for this weekend. "I feel honored that Frank and the Santa Anita team invited me back out this weekend," Aiello said. "The Great Race Place is aptly named and...

Seven 3-year-old males have assembled to contest the annual renewal of the GIII Penn Mile Stakes over the turf on Friday evening. Look for D J Stable's MSW Alpyland (Vekoma) to garner quite a bit of interest by the betting public. Starting back in January, the gelding captured a pair of black-type wins when he took home the hardware in the Dania Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park and in the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The Mark Casse trainee finished fourth in the GI American Turf Stakes on the...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Sandtrap at Aqueduct. Lope De Vega Fillies Capture Aqueduct Affairs Named a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard in her Salisbury debut for Ralph Beckett in September of 2024, Sandtrap (Lope De Vega) made her American bow a winning one at Aqueduct on April 18 (video). Trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of Zindaya (More Than Ready) races for Bridlewood Farm. Bred by...

Leonardo and Jhonardo Sanchez lived out the pinhooking dream last spring when selling a filly by Tiz the Law--purchased for $70,000 the previous fall--for $1.05 million at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's April 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. The dream only got sweeter when the filly, Dandona, won the GIII Florida Oaks in the colors of Tagermeen Racing early last month. The father-son team behind Laureles Racing will hope to repeat the success at this year's OBS April sale when they offer a daughter of Tapit (hip 384) through the Kings...

When Chad Brown presented Michael Dubb the opportunity to buy into a 2-year-old filly who had raced just once in France last summer, the trainer admitted the price tag might be the only concern. Dubb and partners Steven Bouchey, Thirty Year Racing and Michael Caruso ultimately went ahead with the purchase and Parfois (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) looked an absolute bargain when unleashing a monstrous turn of foot to take her stateside debut at Tampa Bay Downs Sunday to earn 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' honors (video). "She was...

Injuries and a suspension levied by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) have limited Paco Lopez's mounts over the last several months, but he is healthy again, has served his suspension and is ready to resume his career. Lopez will begin his comeback on Apr. 1 at Tampa Bay Downs, reports his agent, Jose Garcia. Lopez received a six-month suspension from HISA Sept. 23. In announcing the suspension, HISA issued a statement, which read: "The suspension stems from Mr. Lopez's violation of the terms of his conditional reinstatement, related...

In an effort to create greater opportunities for Florida-breds, the Florida HBPA will put up $2 million that will go toward both raising purses for Florida-breds and creating new stakes races for horses bred in the Sunshine State. Owners and trainers with Florida-breds will have their first opportunity to collect a portion of the $2 million Apr. 25 when six state-bred stakes races, each worth $100,000, will be offered on the Gulfstream card. The HBPA's decision to promote and fund Florida-bred stakes races comes after the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Take A Breath in California. Santa Ana Glory For Bated Breath Filly Take A Breath (Bated Breath) dropped her nose on the line to capture the GIII Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita Park on March 15 (video). Bred by Highgate Stud, the four-year-old filly is raced by Chivalry Thoroughbred Racing and Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners. A 135,000gns buy-back out of the Tattersalls...

The Florida Legislature's 2026 regular session concluded with decoupling legislation again failing to reach Governor Ron DeSantis's desk, according to a press release from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association on Friday. HB881 passed the House but companion bill SB1564 never received a hearing in the Senate. A special session is expected to finalize the state budget. Lonny Powell, the FTBOA's CEO, said in a statement that, "Decoupling has stalled again. Once more, the FTBOA and our industry partners defended Florida's Thoroughbred industry. We thank the industry partners who...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Indigo Woods at Fair Grounds. Blue Is the Colour Larry Rodgers and Coast Racing's Indigo Woods (Blue Point) prevailed by a half-length and maintained her perfect record in the Allen Black Cat LaCombe Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds on March 7 (video). A winner of a Churchill maiden in October, the Brendan Walsh trainee was bred by Tinnakill House. The 10th foal out...

The two new names on the GI Kentucky Derby trail each exemplify one of the principal alternatives to what nowadays feels like the ideal route, namely to exploit the imbalances of the commercial market with a breed-to-race program. Nobody having ever operated one of those on a scale as lavish as the one that produced Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the choice between these other models is strictly practical. If you can run to $2.4 million for a Saratoga yearling, as did Speedway Stable for the Into Mischief colt we now know...

A Baffert longshot in a Santa Anita maiden race (that isn't a misprint) tops this week's list. 5). MAYKOMOTION, TAM, 3/7, 7 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 84 (c, 3, by Vekoma--Maymont, by Unbridled's Song) O-Bona Venture Stables and Bianco Stable. B-Dominique Damico (Fla). T-George Weaver. J-John Velazquez. He couldn't match strides with the likes of Jackson Hole in his first start in December, but outran these from the start and was drawing away through the final quarter. His five half-siblings to race have been predominantly cheap claimers, but this...