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FTBOA, Tampa Bay Downs Offer Lucrative Florida-Bred And Florida Sire Stakes Programs For 2020-21 Season

From the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association and Tampa Bay Downs will again present several added-money events and $860,000 in purse supplements for Florida-breds and Florida Sires Stakes-eligible runners during the Oldsmar, Fla. track's 2020-2021 season that is offering 90 days of thoroughbred racing from Nov. 25-May 2.

Horses eligible for the lucrative Florida Sire Stakes program will have extra money to run for starting Dec. 5 when the track presents the $100,000 Inaugural Stakes for 2-year-olds and the $100,000 Sandpiper Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, both set for six furlongs. The purse for each race includes a $50,000 win-only supplement for horses eligible for the Florida Sire Stakes program.

The following weekend, the track will offer the renewal of both the $100,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Marion County for FSS-eligible horses, 3-years-old and older at seven furlongs; and the $100,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes City of Ocala for fillies and mares eligible for the Florida Sire Stakes, 3-years-old and older, also at seven furlongs.

“We are pleased to, once again, partner with Tampa Bay Downs and their horsemen in offering some very nice stakes purses and supplements for our Florida-breds competing there this Winter and Spring,” FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell said. “We enjoy working with the Tampa Bay management and ownership team and appreciate how hard they work the meet while attracting a nice on-track crowd filled with out-of-state 'snowbirds' while continuing to offer a very competitive and popular simulcast signal nationwide.”

Florida Sire Stakes horses and Florida-breds will have the first extra incentives of the New Year in the $125,000 Pasco Stakes and in the $125,000 Gasparilla Stakes.

The Pasco is for 3-year-olds and the Gasparilla is for 3-year-old fillies, both set to go seven furlongs.

The Pasco and Gasparilla purses both include a $50,000 win-only supplement for Florida Sire Stakes eligible runners and a $25,000 win-only supplement for registered Florida-breds.

“We are very excited to offer these supplements for Florida-bred and Florida Sire Stakes-eligible horses,” Tampa Bay Downs racing secretary Allison DeLuca said. “We will feature these purse enhancements throughout the season and look forward to attracting excellent fields.”

A celebration of Florida's rich thoroughbred breeding and racing heritage takes place Sunday, March 28, 2021, when Tampa Bay Downs plays host to its 18th annual Florida Cup Day for registered Florida-breds.

The Florida Cup is made up of six stakes races, each offering $110,000 in purse money and is a collaborative endeavor between Tampa Bay Downs; the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association; and the Tampa Bay Downs Division of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. Those purses include a $10,000 win-only supplement for Florida Sire Stakes-eligible competitors.

“Last year we had to cancel the Florida Cup races because of the impact of COVID-19,” DeLuca said. “So this year, we are more excited than ever to have our biggest day for Florida-breds. It is a very popular day with the horsemen and fans alike.”

Florida Cup 2021 will be made up of the following races restricted to registered Florida-breds.

$110,000 Grey Goose Turf Classic, 4-year-olds-and-older, mile-and-an-eighth, turf
$110,000 Ocala Breeders' Sales Sophomore, 3-year-olds, 7 furlongs, dirt
$110,000 Equistaff Sophomore Turf, 3-year-olds, mile-and-a-sixteenth, turf
$110,000 NYRABets Sprint, 4-year-olds-and-older, 6 furlongs, dirt
$110,000 Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies, 3-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs, dirt
$110,000 Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf, fillies and mares 3-years-old-and-older, mile-and-a-sixteenth, turf

The Florida Cup has seen such national stars as Live Oak Plantation's 2017 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1)-winner World Approval, who was also honored that year with an Eclipse Award as the North American champion turf male. That year, World Approval started his banner campaign, that included two Grade 1 wins in the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga and the Ricoh Woodbine Mile in Canada, with a victory in the EG Vodka Turf Classic Stakes.

Imperial Hint, the 2018 FTBOA Horse of the Year and an earner of more than $2 million in his career, won the 2016 Ocala Breeders' Sales Sophomore Stakes in his second career start before going on to twice win both the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes and the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga.

Several other stakes throughout the season will offer purse supplements.

There will be a $25,000 win-only supplement for Florida-breds in four other stakes including the $175,000 Tampa Bay Stakes (Grade 3) for older horses going a mile-and-one-sixteenth on the turf, the $175,000 Endeavour Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares at a mile-and-one-sixteenth, both to be run on Feb. 6; the Feb. 13, $100,000 Pelican Stakes for older horses going six furlongs; and in the Grade 2, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile-and-one-eighth on March 6.

The $100,000 Lightning City Stakes for fillies and mares and the $100,000 Turf Dash for older horses will offer $25,000 win-only supplements on Feb. 20 that will be a paid to Florida-breds that finish in the top six on a 60%-20%-10%-5%-3%-2% basis.

On March 6, the $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) for 3-year-olds at a mile-and-one-sixteenth and the $200,000 Florida Oaks (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at a mile-and-one-sixteenth on the turf, will offer $50,000 supplements for Florida-breds to be paid on the same 60-20-10-5-3-2 basis.

For more information on races for Florida-breds and Florida Sire Stakes-eligible runners at Tampa Bay Downs, contact Allison DeLuca, Tampa Bay Downs racing secretary or Margo Flynn, with Horsemen's and Horsewomen's Services at 813.855.4401.

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History Makers Abound In The Florida Sire Stakes

The FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes has been the proving ground for future champions and provided a road to the Breeders' Cup for nearly 40 years.

Started in 1982 as a showcase for 2-year-olds grown in the Sunshine State, the series has expanded under the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association to include both a win bonus program and 3-year-old opportunities at both Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs.

“The rich history of the series has given opportunities to showcase Florida stallions and the talent coming out of the Sunshine state,” said FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell. “Along the way, the Florida Sire Stakes has produced alumni that have won the Kentucky Derby, Breeders' Cup races, and national honors.”

Big Drama swept the Florida Sire Stakes in 2008 before going on to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint in 2010. That same year, Awesome Feather swept the filly division and followed it up with a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies win. Thirteen horses have swept the series.

Not Surprising won the 1992 FSS Dr. Fager and finished out of the money in the next two legs in the FSS Affirmed and FSS In Reality. Three year later, he was named national champion sprinter.

Holy Bull won the In Reality in 1993 before becoming Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old colt in 1994.

Hollywood Wildcat won the 1993 Breeders' Cup Distaff after finishing sixth the previous year in the FSS Susan's Girl.

Unbridled finished second in the 1989 In Reality and captured the Kentucky Derby the following year. He was also named national champion 3-year-old and has since produced four generations of Breeders' Cup winners.

Not Surprising honored a retirement ceremony on Festival of the Sun day at Calder Race Course.

Brave Raj, who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 1986, won the Susan's Girl and the My Dear Girl leading up to the Cup.

Smile swept the colt series in 1984 before winning the Breeders' Cup Sprint and was named champion sprinter in 1986.

The question remains as to whether 2020 will produce yet another historically significant Florida Stallion Stakes performance, a future Breeders' Cup winner or Eclipse Award champion. There may be a star juvenile now training at Gulfstream Park or Palm Meadows or at a training center or farm in Ocala that is just waiting for the opportunity to join the ranks of successful Florida Sire Stakes grads.

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‘Florida Thoroughbred History Moments’ Focus On Sunshine State’s Successful Industry

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association has launched a digital campaign promoting the successful history of Florida-breds born and raised in the Sunshine State.

The series titled “Florida Thoroughbred History Moment” features an opening and closing image of an old-timey newsreel much like those featured in movie theaters in the 1940s. Along with the sound of the whir of the newsreel, each video is narrated by the distinctive voice of Robert Clotworthy giving an even more nostalgic feel. Clotworthy is the narrator for the History Channel series Ancient Aliens and The Curse of Oak Island and he lends his voice perfectly to the series.

Each 'Florida Thoroughbred History Moment' vignette highlights a significant achievement in Florida-bred history focusing on the people, the horses and the farms that have contributed to its success since the industry kicked off in earnest after Needles' 1956 Kentucky Derby win.

The first history moment on Needles launched the series with the signature line given in Clotworthy's deepest voice, “And now a Florida Thoroughbred History Moment… “

Needles put the state on the map as the first horse born in Florida to win the Kentucky Derby and he later set another milestone winning the first Belmont Stakes. His acclaim led many to visit Central Florida to see for themselves the Thoroughbreds raised on limestone rich soil and drinking from the spring fed aquifers. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, local lore has it that more people bought real estate in Marion County thanks to Needles' fame more than any realtor's effort.

The second video in the series focuses upon the O'Farrells' Ocala Stud, the oldest active stud farm in the state. Still using their original stud barn and training barn, which is the oldest wooden horse barn in the state, Ocala Stud's 1960's slogan 'If you want a runner look to Ocala Stud' is featured prominently.

In 1968, Dr. Fager became the world's fastest miler and still holds the record today. The swift horse is featured in the series with a reminiscence photo of him coming home to Ocala greeted by school children holding signs saying, “Dr. Fager is No. 1” and “Welcome Home Champion.” Also, as part of that welcome back, local police pulled over the trailer with the horse inside on Highway 200. Dr. Fager was issued a speeding ticket for 'reckless speed' for his stellar performance ontrack, and the ticket noted his make and style as 'horse' and 'fast'. Additionally, he was inducted into the local Chamber of Commerce.

The next video in the series features Unbridled and the great television moment between trainer Carl Nafzger and owner Mrs. Francis Genter. The poignant moment was captured by NBC during the horse's legendary Kentucky Derby run. His legacy as a sire of champions for more than four decades is also highlighted.

Winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Silver Charm showcased the talent coming out of the Ocala Breeders' Sales and gave rising stars Bob Baffert and the McKathan Brothers the limelight. The gray gained international fame winning the Dubai World Cup, then later joining the stallion ranks in Japan. The vignette also points out Michael Blowen's love for the horse which led to the creation of Old Friends farm and the moment Blowen's dream came true when Silver Charm came back to the states and retired there.

Of course, no Florida series would be complete without Affirmed, the state's Triple Crown winner and longest title holder at 37 years. His hard fought wins in the classics over Alydar are some of the greatest moments in sports rivalry history.

The videos also feature the FTBOA logo and the Discover Florida Horses logo developed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The campaign is an example of the global promotions of thoroughbreds and the thoroughbred industry in state of Florida. The video series is available for use by farms and businesses promoting Florida Thoroughbreds and is also aired regularly on Horse Capital Television.

The series is also part of a newly launching campaign on social media focusing on Facebook groups that have an interest in Thoroughbred history and the sport of horse racing. The series can also be seen on the FTBOA YouTube channel.

The goal is to expand the series into 'Florida Thoroughbred History Profiles' over coming years to include the oral history handed down from horseman to horseman. The first two profiles aired in September and featured 2017 Godolphin award honoree Lugusta “Gus” Gray who has worked more than 50 years on farms, first for Fred Hooper and now Donald Dizney's Double Diamond Farm.

FTBOA's Associate Vice President-Membership Services and Events, Tammy A. Gantt scripts and produces each segment. The series was a brainchild of hers thanks to her love of the history of the sport and her more than 25 years in the Florida industry.

Lonny Powell, CEO of FTBOA said, “The goal of our video series and social media campaign is to showcase the history of success of Florida horses, horsemen and farms. We began this program more than two years ago and have added to the series, expanded it and now rolled it into other platforms like social media which we've seen significantly grow since the pandemic began earlier this year.”

He added, “The series can continue for quite some time as we've had 52 national champions, six Kentucky Derby champions, seven Preakness winners, six Belmonts, 28 Breeders' Cup wins, 66 Eclipse Awards and more than 170 Florida-bred millionaires and growing.”

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Pletcher Holds Strong Hand In First Leg Of Florida Sire Stakes Series

The FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes, the annual centerpiece of the Spring/Summer Meet at Gulfstream Park, will get underway Saturday, Aug. 1, bringing together the brightest 2-year-old prospects sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida.

The $100,000 Dr. Fager and the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies, both to be contested at six furlongs, will co-headline Saturday's first leg of the series that will continue Aug. 29 with the $200,000 Affirmed and the $200,000 Susan's Girl for fillies, both slated for seven furlongs, and Sept. 26 with the $400,000 In Reality and the $400,000 My Dear Girl for fillies, both to be run around two turns at 1 1/16 miles.

The Sept 26 Sire Stakes will also include the $150,000 Wildcat Heir for 3-year-olds and up.

The Florida Sire Stakes has a rich history dating back to 1982, when it was created by Ocala Breeder and owner Dan Lasater. The six-race series has produced six Eclipse Award champions: Awesome Feather (2010 Juvenile Filly), Big Drama (2010 Sprint), Holy Bull (1994 Horse of the Year and 3-Year-Old Male), Smile (1986 Sprint), Brave Raj (1986 Juvenile Filly) and Not Surprising (1995 Sprint Champion).

“The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association is excited to once again present our summer Florida Sire Stakes in conjunction with our partners Gulfstream Park and the Florida HBPA,” said Lonny Powell, CEO and Executive Vice President of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA).

“The series will continue to offer $1.4 million over six 2-year-old-stakes, an additional $100k in 2-year-old prep race bonuses as well as the $150k Wildcat Heir for FSS eligible Florida-breds, 3-years-old and older,” he added. “The series continues to be one of the most lucrative and respected state-bred race programs in the country. Our two September finals at $400,000 each represent some of the biggest purses anywhere in 2020 which we feel is even more significant and important to Florida breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys and the track during these challenging times faced throughout our world and industry,”

The Dr. Fager and the Desert Vixen are both expected to attract deep fields with likely starters trained by several high-profile trainers, including Todd Pletcher, Ralph Nicks, Eddie Plesa Jr., and Kathleen O'Connell.

Pletcher, who has maintained a stable at Gulfstream during the Spring/Summer Meet, is expected to be represented by J A G Racing and Jettany Thoroughbred Corp.'s Son of a Beast in the Dr. Fager and A I A Racing's Tamiami in the Desert Vixen. Son of a Beast, a son of The Big Beast, withstood race-long pressure to capture his June 24 debut in front-running fashion. Tamiami, a daughter of Rattlesnake Bridge, overcame a horrific start to capture her June 21 debut with a furious late run, completing six-furlongs in 1:09.1.

Son of a Beast will again be sternly tested in the Dr. Fager, which is the goal for Stonehedge LLC's Big Daddy Dave and Arindel's Gatsby. The Nicks-trained Big Daddy Dave, a son of Khozan, is coming off a 2 ¾-length romp in his May 30 debut, completing five furlongs in 58.88 seconds. Juan Alvarado's Gatsby, a homebred son of Brethren, captured his May 17 debut, upsetting Wesley Ward-trained Golden Pal, who went on to finish second in the Norfolk (G2) at Royal Ascot.

Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa's Famous Gent, a son of Big Dude who broke his maiden June 5 with a 58.87 five-furlong clocking, enters Florida Sire Stakes competition off a troubled third-place finish behind undefeated Papetu in the first juvenile allowance of the Spring/Summer Meet.

Pletcher-trained Tamiami is also expected to have some tough competition in the Desert Vixen, including trainer/owner Dan Pita's Princess Secret and Joseph Imbesi's Social Exclusion. Princess Secret romped to a four-length victory in her May 7 debut. The daughter of Khozan came back to finish second against the boys, closing to within 1 ½ lengths of Papetu after being bumped hard at the start. Steve Klesaris-trained Social Exclusion, a daughter of Gulfstream Park track-record holder Social Inclusion, turned in a dazzling debut performance while scoring a 4 ¾-length front-running victory.

Shooting Star Thoroughbreds LLC's Chance It captured last year's Dr. Fager by 3 ½ lengths. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained son of Currency Swap was upset by Stonehedge LLC's Liam's Lucky Charm in the Affirmed before impressively capturing the In Reality. Chance It went on to capture the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream in his 3-year-old debut.

Stonehedge LLC's Lenzi's Lucky Lady captured last year's Desert Vixen. Amalio Ruiz-Lozano's Ceci Valentina won the Susan's Girl, before Gary Barber's Two Sixty romped to victory in the My Dear Girl.

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