BY TAMPA BAY DOWNS PRESS OFFICE (Edited)
OLDSMAR, FL – The return of Thoroughbred racing to Florida’s west coast—accompanied by dozens of trainers and jockeys—enlivens the bay area’s sporting scene each November.
But rarely has any opener been as eagerly anticipated as Wednesday’s.
Despite two powerful hurricanes, Helene and Milton, that devastated large portions of the Gulf Coast and wreaked havoc on the track’s barn area, the 2024-25 season is set to go on as scheduled, with a nine-race card set to begin at 12:40 p.m. EST.
Highlighting the card is the first race, a maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and older at six furlongs. The $53,000 purse contains more than $18,000 added funds for Florida-breds enabled by an ongoing partnership between the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association and Tampa Bay Downs. Notated at “FBIF-FTBOA” in the condition book, the second-season program injects $18,000, for win-place-show Florida-bred finishers in every maiden special weight and allowance overnight throughout the Tampa race calendar.
Additional 2024-2025 Florida-bred injections, compliments of FTBOA, include $25,000 and/or $50,000 purse boosts in every Tampa Bay stakes race.
Credit the track’s maintenance department, headed by Tom McLaughlin, for restoring the stable area in time for horses to begin move-in two weeks ago. Standing water was pumped out, debris cleared and roofs and other structures repaired and rebuilt through a concerted, around-the-clock effort.
Both the main dirt track and the turf course (which, weather permitting, will see action on the second day of racing, Saturday) largely escaped any damage, and McLaughlin and his crew have both surfaces in tip-top shape.
Familiar faces abound, with 12 of last season’s 15 leading jockeys and 12 of the top 15 trainers set to return.
Heading the jockey ranks is Samy Camacho, who has won five Oldsmar riding titles, including the last four. Camacho, 36, is in position to join rival Daniel Centeno and retired great Mike Manganello as the Oldsmar oval’s only six-time champions. Camacho is named to ride in eight races Wednesday.
It’s possible Camacho’s main rival will be 2023-24 runner-up Antonio Gallardo, another five-time Tampa Bay Downs champ. Gallardo, who set the track season record in 2014-15 with 147 winners, enjoyed an outstanding summer and early fall, winning the title at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa., with 118 victories.
Besides Camacho, Gallardo and Centeno, past Oldsmar track champions Ronnie Allen, Jr., Jesus Castanon and Willie Martinez are set to compete this season.
A notable newcomer is Joe Rocco, Jr., who has ridden more than 1,600 career winners. Rocco, who earned his first victory here in his career debut in 1999 at age 16 on Rainbow’s Rajab for late trainer Sam Cronk, is named on three horses Wednesday. His father is retired jockey Joe Rocco, who rode his first winner here in 1979 when the track was called Florida Downs.
On the training side, Kathleen O’Connell, who began her career in 1981, will be looking to defend her title. She sent out 54 winners last season and was the only trainer at Tampa Bay Downs last year to surpass seven figures in earnings with $1,310,431. Her victory total of 54 enabled her to end runner-up Gerald Bennett’s incredible streak of eight consecutive training crowns.
O’Connell, who until recently was the sport’s No. 1 woman trainer in total victories (Linda Rice currently leads her by 2,519-2,512 through Tuesday), is gunning for her fourth Oldsmar title, having also won in 1998-99 and 2009-10, when she tied Jamie Ness at the top.
Other trainers coming back include Bennett, who has saddled 4,170 winners; Jose D’Angelo and Gregg Sacco, who tied for third last season with 31 winners; Juan Arriagada, who was fifth with 27 winners and was the track’s leading owner for the second year in a row; H. Graham Motion; Juan Carlos Avila; Eoin Harty; Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.; Arnaud Delacour; Mike Dini; Derek Ryan; Tim Hamm; Anthony Granitz; David VanWinkle; Darien Rodriguez; Victor Carrasco, Jr.; Michael Simone; and Rohan Crichton.
Additions include Eric R. Reed, who won the 2022 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve with Rich Strike, and Jon Arnett, the 2022-23 Oldsmar runner-up who trained in Louisiana last winter.
