PLAN NOW TO MAKE MEMORIES (AND MOOLAH) ON FESTIVAL DAY MARCH 11

By Mike Henry —-

PLAN NOW TO MAKE MEMORIES (AND MOOLAH) ON FESTIVAL DAY MARCH 11

OLDSMAR, FL. – In addition to its customary betting menu, Tampa Bay Downs will offer a 50-cent all-stakes Festival Pick 5 on the March 11 Festival Day 43 card, track officials have announced.

The wager will involve picking the winners of the Grade III, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby; the Grade II, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes on the turf; the Grade III, $200,000 Florida Oaks on the turf; the Grade III, $100,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes; and the $75,000 Columbia Stakes on the turf.

All five races are expected to attract many of the top Thoroughbreds in training in their divisions. The 43rd edition of the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, for 3-year-olds at a distance of a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the main track, awards “Road to the Kentucky Derby” qualifying points on a 50-20-15-10-5 scale to the top five finishers.

Fans are encouraged to make plans to attend as soon as possible. A limited number of reserved stadium seats in the climate-controlled second floor of the Clubhouse are available for purchase online at www.tampabaydowns.com . General admission tickets, which are also available the day of the event, are $15.

Each fan (with paid admission) will receive a “Mystery Mutuel Voucher” worth between $5-$1,000 to get them started on the path, hopefully, to a profitable afternoon.

Gates will open at 10 a.m. for what promises to be one of the most exciting afternoons of racing in Oldsmar oval history.

Around the oval. In today’s sixth race, the Cody’s Original Roadhouse Race of the Week, 5-year-old Florida-bred gelding Tape to Tape withstood a strong stretch challenge from 7-year-old About Today to post a ¾-length victory. Antonio Gallardo rode the winner, who has won four races in a row with four different riders under the tutelage of trainer Larry Rivelli.

Tape to Tape’s time for the 5 ½-furlong distance on the main track was 1:03.44, .65 seconds off the track record held by Lady of Greatness.

Owner Dominic LaRocca said Tape to Tape, whom he claimed for $25,000 in December of his 3-year-old season while still a maiden, could be pointed toward the $110,000 NYRABETS Sprint for registered Florida-breds on the March 26 Florida Cup Day card at Tampa Bay Downs.

Jockey Samy Camacho continued to excel, riding two winners to give him nine over the three-day weekend and 20 over the last eight racing days. Camacho has ridden at least one winner on 11 consecutive programs.

In the first race, for 3-year-old maidens, Camacho won aboard Hop and Scotch, a homebred colt racing for owner Bell Gable Stable and trained by Mario R. Lopez. Camacho added the third race on Sky Traveler, a 5-year-old gelding owned by Colleen Lusk and trained by Brian R. Lusk.

Pablo Morales also rode two winners. He captured the fifth race on the turf on Smart as Me, a 4-year-old colt owned by Highfield Investment Group and Dialed In Racing Stable and trained by Craig R. Smith. Morales added the eighth on Richiesonaroll, a 3-year-old colt owned by Mellon Patch and trained by Michael B. Campbell.

Thoroughbred racing continues Wednesday with an eight-race card beginning at 12:28 p.m. Tampa Bay Downs is open every day for simulcast wagering, no-limits action and tournament play in The Silks Poker Room and golf fun and instruction at The Downs Golf Practice Facility.