Tampa Bay Downs

Facing down a heavy favorite, Disruptor (Gun Runner) was extremely game down the lane in the GIII Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday. Named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', at second asking a little over a year ago when he graduated by 9 1/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park, Disruptor tried deeper waters in the GI Curlin Florida Derby and finished a well-beaten fifth. The chestnut took a break for the rest of the year and returned to training in early December at Todd Pletcher's...

Spendthrift Farm's 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' Further Ado (Gun Runner), a smashing 20-length maiden winner at Keeneland last fall and workmanlike winner of the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 29, launches his 3-year-old campaign in Saturday's GIII Esmark Tampa Bay Derby. The $275,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $550,000 OBS April breezer has posted six workouts at trainer Brad Cox's Payson Park base for his return, including a bullet five furlongs in 1:01 (1/28) Feb. 21. Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call from post...

With a field size of just over 130, the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) meeting smashed their previous attendance record as they convened the 30th annual conference at Tampa Bay Downs on Sunday, Mar. 1. Over the course of the three-day event, members soaked up presentations centered on integrity issues for equine athletes, traded their craft with one another through fellowship and made new connections that will be essential once they return to their respective jurisdictions. A survey of the Tampa roll call reflects the organization's regional diversity that emanates...

Over the course of the past two seasons, Abraham Gardea has been steadily picking up momentum as a trainer, spending much of his time along the Southern Florida circuit of Tampa and Gulfstream Park while shipping to Colonial Downs in New Kent, Virginia for summer racing. After taking out his training license in 2018, the Chihuahua, Mexico native made a brief return to private training sector before returning to the racetrack in 2024. Collecting his first career victory at Tampa midway through that racing season, he registered a personal career...

A new, $1-million Florida Sire Racing Incentive Program for 2026--providing win incentives to owners and breeders of FSS-eligible 2-year-olds at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs--has been announced by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association. Each 2-year-old winner of a maiden special weight, allowance, allowance optional claiming or stakes race at either track during calendar year 2026 will earn a $25,000 racing incentive paid directly by the FTBOA--$20,000 to the winning owner and $5,000 to the breeder. The new program replaces the Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds. "The...

5th-TAM, $55k, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 2:49 p.m. ET HUMILITY (Justify) fetched $400,000 as a short yearling at the 2024 Keeneland January Sale and returned for that auction house's September Sale to bring $1 million from the partnership of CHC, Maverick Racing and Siena Racing. A half-brother to a pair of black-type runners, the May 20 foal is out of a half-sister to Negligee (Northern Afleet), champion of her generation in Canada in 2009 and winner of that year's GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes. Peter Brant's Arizona Territory (Tapit)...

   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 Immortalised at Gulfstream Park. Romanised Colt Ageless At Gulfstream Sean Feld and Starry Night Racing's Immortalised (Romanised) made it two wins from three starts, after taking a Gulfstream contest on Thursday (video). Trained by Brendan Walsh, the three-year-old colt was bred by Elevage Haras de Bourgeauville. Sold for €37,000 to Feld Family Finds out of Arqana's Vente d'Elevage in 2023, the February foal...

The Florida House of Representatives on Feb. 11 passed the controversial decoupling bill backed by Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs that would allow either track to cease live racing while retaining their respective casino and card-room privileges. The 77-34 decoupling vote was largely split along party lines, with Republicans mostly in favor of it and Democrats mostly against it. The roll call came at the very end of a four-hour legislative session on Wednesday, and the eight minutes of discussion preceding its passage consisted of only one representative speaking...

It's been three weeks since our last GI Kentucky Oaks Top 10, and a lot has happened. But no one stepped up with the type of explosive performance that would have shaken up the standings. We've dropped four horses from our original poll. Mythical (St. Patrick's Day) just wasn't good enough in the GIII Forward Gal Stakes. Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) has been injured and has been taken off the Oaks trail. Percy's Bar (Upstart) hasn't had a workout since Jan. 6, which doesn't bode well for her making the...

Hall of Fame trainer King Leatherbury, whose career spanned eight decades and included 52 training titles combined at Pimlico and Laurel, has passed away. He was 92 and died Tuesday at his home. "He's one of a kind, said one of his twin sons, Taylor Leatherbury. "There's never been a man more appropriately named than my father." Born in Shady Side, Maryland, Leatherbury was raised on a farm where his father had horses. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in business administration, Leatherbury went to work...

   Though it was hardly a surprise that a bill that would allow decoupling at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs was advanced Tuesday by the Florida House Commerce Committee, it was not good news for the troubled Florida racing industry. Having now been advanced by two House committees the bill, HB 881, can be scheduled for floor consideration and a vote by the full House membership. Expectations are that the bill will pass in the House. For the horsemen and the breeders, last week's news means that they will...

Neither the Suncoast Stakes nor the Sam F. Davis Stakes, both run at Tampa Bay Downs, are graded stakes races, but that doesn't seem to bother trainer Todd Pletcher. He has made it no secret that he loves to put some of his best 3-year-old candidates on the Tampa route to Churchill Downs, and he will be doing so again on Saturday. Zany (American Pharoah), currently ranked No. 1 in the TDN's Top 10 poll for the GI Kentucky Oaks, will make her 3-year-old debut in the Suncoast, where she...