Track awaiting word on extending meet

In a typical season, Tampa Bay Downs would be moving into the final days of its meet. But nothing about this season is typical, and Tampa, which is one of the few major tracks that has been able to continue racing during the coronavirus pandemic, has applied to extend its meeting.

Tampa, which has been racing without spectators since March 18, opened the last week of November and was scheduled to race through May 3. But technically, to meet legal requirements tied to simulcasting laws, the meet began last July 1 and runs through June 30. The track has now applied to extend its live racing dates through May 30 with racing on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and is awaiting approval from the Florida Division of PariMutuel Wagering.

With a number of tracks around the country not yet opening their backsides in order to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, Tampa management has already informed trainers that their stock can remain at the track at least through May 31.

Looking to facilitate its possible extension, Tampa had previously announced that the Florida Cup, a card featuring six $110,000 stakes races for registered Florida-breds, would be canceled in order to allocate a portion of those purses to the track’s overnight purse account. The card had been scheduled for March 29, and the racing office reported there were 111 nominations to those stakes by the March 14 deadline.

“It’s a huge blow to everyone to have to cancel one of the biggest days on our racing calendar,” Peter Berube, Tampa’s vice president/ general manager said in a March release announcing the cancellation. “We are dedicated to helping ensure to the best of our ability the health and well-being of everyone associated with Tampa Bay Downs, and the logistics of putting on a multi-stakes event in the midst of a national health crisis made this the only decision possible. The silver lining is this gives us an opportunity to help our horsemen continue racing.”

Full cast for turf maiden claimer

On Friday, Tampa is set to conduct an eight-race card comprised entirely of claiming races. The day’s highest purse of $12,500 comes in the fourth race, which also is the day’s only race on turf, a maiden-claiming event for fillies and mares. The entrants run for a claiming tag of $25,000, or $20,000 with a weight allowance. The race has drawn a full field, with 10 in the main body, three alsoeligibles, and one main trackonly entrant.

An intriguing entrant is the first-time starter By Thlight of Day, who was scratched out of a slightly higher-level race on Wednesday at Tampa, a maiden claimer with tags of $32,000 or $30,000 which came off the turf. Trained by James Gulick for breeder and owner Team Block, By Thlight of Day is from the first crop of graded stakes winner Suntracer, who is by leading turf sire Kitten’s Joy. By Thlight of Day’s dam was a winner on turf and has produced a pair of turf winners.

Etelka, trained by Joan Scott, finished sixth in her lone start, a maiden special weight going a mile on the Tampa turf last December. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 59, the top last-out number in this field. She is out of the well-bred St Pancras, who is by Scat Daddy and out of Grade 1 winner Marylebone – who scored her only win on the turf and has produced two turf winners.

Heavenly Joy, by Kitten’s Joy, also has made all four of her prior starts in maiden special weight company. Tampa’s leading rider, Antonio Gallardo, is up for trainer Barbara Minshall.

The day begins with a $5,000 claiming race for fillies and mares and includes Sunset Empire, who is winless in four outings this year, but is dropping in class. She has made all her starts this year in allowance/optionalclaiming races, sprinting at Tampa on both the turf and the main track. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 64 in a fourth-place effort two starts back, the top number in the field for the 2020 season. Sunset Empire has won 3 of 8 starts on Tampa’s main track and is a winner at this mile and 40-yard distance. She gets the services of Samy Camacho, Tampa’s leading rider by earnings.

The day’s sixth race is a $16,000 maiden-claiming sprint for 3-year-olds. The field includes five debut starters, including Uknowthedrill, who last Saturday had a bullet work at Tampa.