Kentucky Derby preps highlight Tampa Bay Downs meet

More than five months of live racing action gets under way Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla., where track officials are hoping more classic winners will further promote their brand.

Always Dreaming and Tapwrit competed at Tampa in preparation for their respective victories earlier this year in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, and with 28 stakes worth a track-record $3.65 million on tap for the 2017-18 meet, there will be no shortage of equine talent for fans to follow and evaluate.

The two biggest dates on a schedule that runs through May 6 are Feb. 10 and March 10, when the Sam F. Davis and Tampa Bay Derby will anchor respective cards filled with stakes. Both of those races are Kentucky Derby points events.

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Racing will be conducted three days a week (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday) until Dec. 31, when Sunday action will be added. Two Thursdays (Feb. 15 and 22) also are on the schedule, while Easter Sunday (April 1) will be dark.

Antonio Gallardo dominated the jockey standings for three consecutive seasons before opting to ride at Aqueduct last winter. He has returned to renew his rivalry with six-time Tampa riding champion Daniel Centeno. They head a jockey colony that also includes such capable regulars as Ronnie Allen Jr., Pablo Morales, and Willie Martinez.

The lengthy roster of trainers not only includes such mainstays as Gerald Bennett, who topped the standings at the 2016-17 meet with 50 winners, but numerous high-profile conditioners who occasionally ship their runners across the Florida peninsula from Gulfstream Park and its satellite training facilities. That group includes Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown, Bill Mott, and Christophe Clement. Among the newcomers is Mike Stidham, who is splitting his stable between Fair Grounds and Tampa.

Bennett, 73, personifies the character of this fan-friendly track.

“You have a lot of nice people who come here on a daily basis who love this place and love racing,” Bennett said. “This is our home and we have a lot of friends here. It’s a good atmosphere for racing. This business is about horsemen, the people in the racing office, and the track employees working together to put out a product the public enjoys.”

The highlights of the 10-race opener, which starts at 12:25 p.m. Eastern, are an optional $100,000 claiming turf sprint that serves as a prep for the Lightning City (race 10), along with the first legs in the Tampa Turf Test starter-handicap series (races 6 and 8). The first four stakes of the meet all will be run on Dec. 16.

A 30- by 17-foot high-definition video board stationed above the infield tote board has been added this season, and the track has released a mobile app that facilitates on-site wagering and other customer services.

The forecast for opening day calls for sunny skies and a high of 73. Richard Grunder once again is back to call the races.