BARN AREA OPENS AS STABLES PREPARE FOR NOV. 24 RACING EXCITEMENT

By Mike Henry —-

OLDSMAR, FL. – Tampa Bay Downs opened its barn area before sunrise today, welcoming Thoroughbreds and their connections for the resumption of the 2021-2022 meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 24.

Obiwan, a 4-year-old gelding who won two races here last season, recognized his surroundings at trainer Benny Feliciano’s barn right away after being unloaded from a van at about 6:30 a.m. “He had so much fun here last year, because he could see the racetrack from his stall,” said Obiwan’s groom, Jose Gonzalez.

“You miss that, don’t you?” Gonzalez said, holding Obiwan by a lead rope outside the barn. “That’s why he is looking over there. He was always so happy looking at the track and hearing the other horses training.”

Obiwan and six other Feliciano trainees were the first arrivals today, reaching the Oldsmar oval after a 21-hour drive from Thistledown outside Cleveland. During the next few weeks, the barn area will fill to near-capacity as the countdown continues toward the track’s 96th anniversary season (see TBD 2021-2022 RACING SCHEDULE, attached).

Gerald Bennett, who has won the last six Tampa Bay Downs training titles and back-to-back owners titles under his Winning Stables banner, was next in line with nine horses, joined by his wife Mary, who has 10 stalls in the same barn where her husband reigns.

“We’re going back to Delaware this morning to pick up some more,” said Bennett, who plans to have 40 horses here. “We claimed eight or nine up north, three for $32,000, so I’m doing some rebuilding. You have to take pride in what you’re doing, take good care of your horses and work on having enough good stock to compete with everybody in all different categories.”

The track maintenance staff has been busy upgrading the barn area, making needed repairs, painting the barns and smoothing roadways. Bennett was pleased to see a new storage shed at the end of his barn. As he settles in for the 90-day meeting, optimism and good cheer rule.

“Right away when we get here, you get that feeling of home,” said Mary Bennett. “We have a home here ourselves and we know everybody, so it’s a good feeling.”

Gonzalez, 38, concurs, and adds that much of his excitement at returning comes from working with Thoroughbreds such as Obiwan. “I’m glad I’m here. This is my life, and the horses give me whatever I want,” Gonzalez said. “I thank God for what He gives me because I feel a passion for my job. I feel lucky to be here.”

The racetrack opens for training on Wednesday, Nov. 3. The season features 26 stakes races worth a combined $3.46-million and seven graded stakes, including the 42nd running of the Grade II, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on March 12 (see TBD 2021-2022 STAKES SCHEDULE, attached).

Mike Henry