2014/2015 Media Guide Table of Contents
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
2014/2015 MEDIA GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome to Tampa Bay Downs…...……………………………………………………….……………………………………………. 3 Map, Directions, Telephone Numbers and Addresses..……………..………………………………………...……….................… 4 Media Policies…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…. 5 Staff………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 6 2014-2015 Racing Calendar……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7 The Track…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8 The Downs Golf Facility.……………….……….………………………………………………………………………………………….9 The Silks Poker Room and Tampa Bay Downs in the Community…..………..………...…….………………………………….…10 Tampa Bay Downs History………………..……………………………….……………………………………………...……..…...11-21 Tampa Bay Downs Logos…………………………………………………………………………………..…………………… 22 Jockey Profiles…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………23-33 Trainer Profiles…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...…….34-46 Owner Profiles………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….47-54 Track Records……………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………...55-58 Stakes Histories…………………………………………………………………………………...…………….……………………59-116 All photographs in the Media Guide are by Stephanie Valenti except: Page 8: Gray horse, photo by Alan Messerschmidt Page 10: Relay for Life, photo by Bob Argus Page 34: Horses at the gap, photo by Alan Messerschmidt Page 60: Chris Thomas, www.sptimes.com/.../_Chris_Thomas_touched.shtml Page 60: Minarets, collegeprofiles.com/tampa.html Page 60: Space Shuttle Endeavour, www.aerospaceguide.net/spaceshuttle/index.html Page 60: Wayward Lass: http://www.bloodhorse.com/articleindex/article.asp?id=16892 2 WELCOME TO TAMPA BAY DOWNS! A half-century before the NFL arrived in Tampa; 66 years before the birth of the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey franchise; and 72 years prior to Major League Baseball welcoming a team in St. Petersburg, Florida‘s west coast became home to big-time Thoroughbred racing. Matt J. Winn, legendary promoter of the Kentucky Derby, teamed with Ohio investor Harvey Mayers to bring horse racing to the ―Top of the Bay‖ in 1926. Since then, Tampa Bay Downs has provided area sports fans and visitors with live racing action from late autumn through May, while in 2013 adding an annual two-day Summer Festival of Racing held each June 30 and July 1. Originally opened as Tampa Downs, the racetrack has amassed a long and colorful history. It was renamed Sunshine Park in 1947 and entered the modern era that year with the installation of an electric starting gate, photo-finish camera and electronic tote board. The racetrack became popular with sportswriters who came to the area to cover baseball spring training. Grantland Rice, Red Smith, and Arthur Daley were devoted regulars, describing the track as the ―Santa Anita of the South.‖ In 1965, the track was acquired by a group of Tampa sportsmen and renamed Florida Downs. It became Tampa Bay Downs 15 years later after another change in ownership. The current owners assumed the reins before the start of the 1986-1987 season, and the facility has been in a state of constant improvement since. In the spring of 1997, Mrs. Stella Thayer, President and Treasurer of Tampa Bay Downs, announced plans for the installation of a 7/8-mile turf course with a quarter-mile chute. The course was completed in the spring of 1998 and the first turf race was contested on Kentucky Derby Day, May 2, 1998, as excited fans watched the from the infield. This improvement has provided more opportunities for horsemen and patrons alike. In 2003 Tampa Bay Downs launched The Downs Golf Practice Facility, a state-of-the-art, first-of-its-kind golf practice and wagering facility. The 22 acres of fully lighted golf property include 270 yards of open range for full-swing shots, plus putting and short-game areas. The Downs Golf Clubhouse features a fully stocked pro shop, snack bar and wagering terminals complete with numerous TV monitors to catch all the action. The opening of the 2003-2004 season saw the debut of The Silks Poker Room. In July of 2007, the Florida Legislature granted Tampa Bay Downs permission to operate The Silks Poker Room year-round. It is now open daily from 10 a.m.-4 a.m. In 2007, the track‘s profile skyrocketed when Street Sense used his thrilling nose victory in the then-Grade III Tampa Bay Derby as a springboard to winning the Kentucky Derby. In 2010, third-place Tampa Bay Derby finisher Super Saver triumphed in the Run for the Roses, and the Tampa Bay Derby was awarded Grade II status the following spring. It is one of six graded stakes conducted annually at Tampa Bay Downs. The 2011-12 season was highlighted by eight track records and a 3-percent increase in on-track handle to more than $40 million. Bettors her- alded the introduction of Trakus, an electronic system which displays the position and location of each horse during a race. Prior to the start of the 2013-14 season, the grandstand was remodeled to include a pub-style gathering place, Riders Up!, featuring marble countertops, a candy-apple redwood finish and a variety of craft beers. Also new on the downstairs level of the grandstand is the Metro Deli, de- signed to resemble an old-time, big-city eatery. Contemporary racing fans, journalists and horse lovers embrace the Downs for its distinctive, country fair-style charm, and it is regarded far and wide as one of America‘s most pleasant and well-maintained racetracks. 3 CONTACT INFORMATION Physical Address Mailing Address 11225 Race Track Road P. O. Box 2007 Tampa, FL 33626 Oldsmar, FL 34677 Telephone Numbers Main Number 813.855.4401 Racing Office 800.200.4434 Main Fax 813.854.3539 Web and E-mail Address www.tampabaydowns.com [email protected] DIRECTIONS From I-275: Take Tampa Airport exit. Follow signs to Veterans Expressway. Take Expressway to Exit 4 (Hillsborough Avenue). Turn west on Hillsborough Avenue. Travel approximately 10 miles to Race Track Road. Make a right on Race Track Road and travel 1 mile to Tampa Bay Downs. From Pinellas County: On U.S. Highway 19, go to the intersection with State Road 580 at Countryside Mall; go east on State Road 580 about 6 miles to the stoplight at Race Track Road; go left on Race Track Road, 1 mile to Tampa Bay Downs. From St. Petersburg: Take the Bayside Bridge north to McMullen Booth Road; go east on State Road 580 about 4 miles to the stoplight at Race Track Road; turn left on Race Track Road, 1 mile to Tampa Bay Downs. From Pasco County: On U.S. Highway 19, go to the intersection with Tampa Road (State Road 584); go east on Tampa Road 7 miles to the stoplight at Race Track Road; turn left on Race Track Road, 1 mile to Tampa Bay Downs. 4 MEDIA POLICIES Tampa Bay Downs is extremely pleased to have you with us for our 89th anniversary season of Thoroughbred racing. Outlined below are guidelines to assist your coverage of the current meeting that commenced on July 1, 2014 (resuming Nov. 29): 1. In order to gain access to the stable area, all media MUST have prior approval and the proper credentials. These credentials are available in the Publicity Office, and the press are required to wear their Press ID at all times. 2. All photographers MUST check in with the Track Photographer, Stephanie Valenti, Ext. 1246. Ms. Valenti will issue credentials to all photographers, as well as offer any advice on good lo- cations to shoot from, both on the front side and the stable area. These credentials are manda- tory in order to shoot from the area adjacent to the track surface; publication credentials alone will not suffice. Ms. Valenti‘s office is located on the lower level of the Grandstand adjacent to the State Licensing Office. 3. Phone lines are available in the Press Box for those who need to file their stories electronically. If any other special needs exist, please contact the Publicity Office, Ext. 1368. Tampa Bay Downs provides free wireless access throughout the facility. 4. The Press Box is located on the fourth floor of the Grandstand. 5. Photography is NOT permitted in the Grandstand or Clubhouse Mutuel areas at any time without prior permission of Track Management. 6. On March 7, 2015 (Tampa Bay Derby Day), winning owners, trainers and jockeys will be taken to the V.I.P. Room for interviews immediately after the presentation in the winner‘s circle. 7. Parking for all credentialed media will be in the Horsemen‘s Parking Lot, north of the Grandstand. For further information or questions, contact Margo Flynn in the Publicity Office at Tampa Bay Downs at 813-855-4401, Ext. 1368 or [email protected]. 5 TAMPA BAY DOWNS OFFICERS Track Officers Stella F. Thayer.………………...…………..…………………….……………………………………………………...President and Treasurer Howell Ferguson……………………………………...………………………...……………………….………….Vice President and Secretary Peter N. Berube……………………………..………………...…………………………………………..Vice President and General Manager Greg Gelyon……………….……………………………………..…………...…………………..…………………….Vice President of Finance Margo J. Flynn…………………………………………………...…………...…………………...….Vice President of Marketing and Publicity Tom McLaughlin………………………………………………………………………………..Vice President of Facilities and Track Surfaces Operating Officials Stephanie Valenti……..………………………………………………...………………………………………….………….Track Photographer Allison De Luca…..……………………………………………....…………………………...………Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Richard Grunder……………………………………………………………...…….……………………………………………..Track Announcer Deanna Nicol……………………………………………...………………………………………………...…………………...Frontside Security Dennis Lima……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Association Steward Nicole McGill…..………………………………………………………………..…..……………………………………..Director