PRESS RELEASE

OCALA, FL—Gilligan Racing LLC announced today that it continues to make significant progress toward the development of a new world-class Thoroughbred racing facility in Marion County, Florida.

Gilligan Racing has identified several potential racetrack sites in Marion County and is actively evaluating those locations as part of the next phase of the project.

Importantly, Gilligan Racing has an exclusive agreement with Ocala Thoroughbred Racing (OTR), a wholly owned division of the Florida Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, involving Florida’s only available Thoroughbred racing permit per Florida statute, providing a unique foundation from which to pursue the development of a new racing facility.

The group has also been working with prominent Thoroughbred owner, breeder and racetrack developer Ron Winchell, Marc Falcone and their team, bringing substantial racing, development and operating experience to the effort.

For Gilligan Racing, the decision to focus on Marion County began long before the recent attention surrounding the future of Thoroughbred racing in Florida.

“When very few people believed a new racetrack could or should be built in Marion County, we did,” said Gilligan Racing partner John Morgan. “We believed the Horse Capital of the World® was exactly where the future of Florida racing belonged. We put our time, energy and resources behind that belief. Now others are recognizing what we saw from the beginning — Marion County is the place.”

Gilligan Racing believes the project represents an opportunity extending well beyond the racetrack itself. It is about horses, breeders, owners, trainers, farms, jobs, tourism, equine infrastructure and preserving an extraordinary Florida industry for generations to come.

Marion County has an equine culture, history and concentration of Thoroughbred talent that simply cannot be replicated. Gilligan Racing’s vision is to create something worthy of that legacy and something the entire community can be proud of.

Gilligan Racing looks forward to engaging with Marion County officials, community leaders and Florida’s state leadership as the project progresses and to receiving their important input regarding the vision, location and development of the proposed facility.

The project is not intended to arrive in Marion County as a finished plan presented to the community. Gilligan Racing intends to listen, collaborate and seek input from local and state leaders as it determines how the project can best serve Marion County, Florida’s Thoroughbred industry and the State of Florida.

Work is continuing on multiple fronts, including site selection, development planning and discussions with key industry stakeholders.

The goal is ambitious but straightforward: to create a sustainable, first-class home for the next generation of Thoroughbred racing in Florida — in the heart of Florida horse country.

Many more details — including additional information regarding the site, development plans and project participants — will be shared in the near future.

We believed in Marion County from the beginning.

We believe in Florida Thoroughbred racing.

And we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.

Return to the August 19 issue of Wire to Wire