Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 19, 2025. Mark it down. Tampa Bay Downs throws open the gates for its 100th anniversary season. A century of racing at the Oldsmar oval, and you know what? It’s not just a feel-good milestone; it’s a signal that real racing is back on the winter circuit, where the focus stays on the horses and the game. Forget the corporate nonsense you get elsewhere—Tampa keeps it simple and tough, which is exactly how I like it.
Here’s the deal: The meet runs through May 3, 2026, so we’ve got 90 days of Florida sun, competitive fields, and a track that makes champions. Let’s look at what we’re going to be watching for this season.
What to Look For: It’s All About Quality and Cash
This isn’t a sleepy fairgrounds meet anymore, and the horsemen know it. Tampa has always been a proving ground, and this year, the incentives are high enough to attract serious quality.
- The Big Money: The Stakes Program is Loaded.
- The headliner is always the $400,000 Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on Festival Day, Saturday, March 7. That’s a serious Kentucky Derby points race, and let’s not forget Tampa has produced a Kentucky Derby winner in Street Sense and other Triple Crown horses. The one who wins this is a player, plain and simple.
- Also on that huge card? The Grade 2, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes and the Grade 3, $200,000 Florida Oaks, both on the turf. The whole day is a million dollars in purses. We’ll be watching these preps to see who goes on to win the big ones later in the year.
- Don’t overlook Festival Preview Day 46 on February 7, featuring the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (another Kentucky Derby prep) and the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes (a Kentucky Oaks prep). This is where the contenders separate from the pretenders.
- The Turf Course: The Open Secret.
- You want to know why Chad Brown, the late Christophe Clement, and Shug McGaughey have consistently shipped horses here instead of just running at Gulfstream? Because Tampa’s turf course is immaculate and fair. It’s a seven-furlong oval with a chute, and it’s a test for any grass horse. When a major barn ships one here, they mean business. Pay close attention to the runners that come out of those big-stakes turf races in January and March. They are often pointed to the Breeders’ Cup.
- Jockey and Trainer Battles:
- The top stables, trainers, and jockeys are back. Last year’s riding champion, Samuel Marin, is set on winning another title. This isn’t a one-man show, though. This is a tough, competitive colony, and the deep southern Florida shippers will make every race a battle. Look for the local trainers like Gerald Bennett to get out to a quick start. Consistency is King here, so watch who starts building momentum in December and January.
- The Florida-Bred Boost:
- This is a big one. Florida-bred horses are running for an additional $1 million in purse money this season. That means more quality in the overnight races—the Maiden Special Weights and Allowance races are going to be sharp. This is where you find future stakes winners, and the higher purses mean bigger fields and better value for us at the windows.
The Bottom Line
A hundred years is a hell of an achievement in this game. Tampa Bay Downs has survived because it respected the bettors, the horsemen, and the integrity of the racing. It’s a proper racetrack, period.
We’re getting nine races for the opener, and the weather is going to be perfect. Free admission, post time at 12:40 p.m. Forget the gimmicks and the noise. Get your sheets out, and let’s cash some tickets. The centennial season starts now.
Past the Wire Staff
Tampa Bay Downs Photo:
