Tampa Bay Downs set to commence 91-day winter/spring meet

Tampa Bay Downs will welcome fans and horsemen back for another season of

racing excitement when the Oldsmar, Florida, oval opens Saturday with two

upgraded stakes races and reduced takeouts.

A strong lineup of stakes races enhances the 91-day Tampa Bay meet. The

stakes program is headlined by the biggest race day of the year on March 12,

2011, with the 31st renewal of Festival Day. The Bay Area's biggest race day

features the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), which was awarded Grade 2 status for the

first time as well as a purse boost to $350,000 for its 2011 edition. The Tampa

Bay Derby has become a major stop on the Triple Crown trail, with two of its

participants -- Street Sense and Super Saver -- winning the Kentucky Derby (G1)

in the last four years. Also on the Festival Day card are the $150,000

Hillsborough S. (G3) and the $75,000 Suncoast S. for three-year-old fillies.

The $150,000 Tampa Bay S. (G3) was given a Grade 3 status for the first time

for 2011, following last season's epic stretch battle between Grade 1 winner

Karelian and multiple Eclipse Award champion Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat). 

"We've worked hard to make the stakes program here as competitive and

exciting as possible, and it is gratifying to see Tampa Bay Downs continue to

become a major destination for the country's finest horses and horsemen," Racing

Secretary Allison DeLuca said of the upgrades to the Tampa Bay Downs stakes

program. "We're looking forward to another thrilling season."

The 2010-11 race meeting will see a decrease in takeout for Pick 3, Pick 4,

Super Hi-5 and Pick Six wagering to 18 percent from last year's 19 percent

rate.  The decrease in takeout has been an ongoing trend at Tampa Bay Downs for

the past several years as the track aims to reward the players that that support

the Tampa Bay Downs product.

Also new this year is a 50-cent Pick Three wager, which along with 50-cent

Pick Fours, 50-cent Trifectas, and 10-cent Superfectas make Tampa Bay Downs a

favorite handicapping destination for horseplayers. Tampa Bay Downs will build

upon large field sizes, with goals to increase upon last season's average field

size of 8.95 horses per race, once again enhancing the horseplayers'

experience. 

To celebrate opening day on Saturday, Tampa Bay Downs will offer free

Grandstand admission to all patrons. Additionally, the traditional Opening Day

Breakfast will begin at 8 a.m. (EST) in the Backyard. For $6.95, guests can

enjoys a hot breakfast buffet, along with a free program for the afternoon's

races, a free handicapping guide for Tampa Bay Downs's 85th racing season, a

handicapping seminar as well as the chance to interact with trainers and jockeys

as horses enjoy their morning workouts trackside. For more information or to

make reservations, please call 813-855-4401.