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Tampa: Two Mandatory Payouts For Ultimate Six Next Week, Simulcast Wagering Returns July 2

The eighth annual, two-day Summer Festival of Racing on Tuesday and Wednesday at Tampa Bay Downs will feature mandatory payouts both days on the track's popular 20-cent Ultimate 6 wager.

The current jackpot grew to $61,218 Wednesday. The wager requires bettors to correctly select the winners of each of the last six races. The entire Ultimate 6 pool will be distributed both days to all bettors selecting the most winners.

Tuesday's card is the final day of the 2019-2020 meeting, with Wednesday the first day of the 2020-2021 meeting, scheduled to resume in late November. Spectators are not allowed; fans may bet on the Ultimate 6 through various account-wagering sites such as NYRA Bets, DRF Bets and TVG.

Full-card simulcast wagering returns to Tampa Bay Downs on Thursday, July 2 with Thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing seven days a week.

Wagering areas will include the first floor of the Grandstand; The Silks Poker Room, which reopened June 14; and, beginning July 3, the Legends Bar on the second floor of the Grandstand, which will be open each Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Food and beverage service will be available. The Riders Up! bar on the first floor of the Grandstand will be open every day from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Patrons must have their temperatures taken at the track entrance. Individuals with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be denied admittance. Facemasks are required and social distancing will be enforced.

Beginning July 3, programs and Daily Racing Forms will be on sale from 11:15 a.m.-5 p.m., Fridays through Sundays, on the first floor of the Grandstand. Mutuel tellers will sell programs and forms on the remaining days. Bettors can wager with mutuel tellers and through self-service terminals.

Online Florida Lottery sales will not be available. Clubhouse areas, including The Sports Gallery and the Carrels area, remain closed until further notice.

The Fourth of July weekend includes Thoroughbred racing at such major tracks as Belmont Park, Gulfstream, Monmouth, Laurel and Woodbine, as well as a number of other tracks.

Since Tampa Bay Downs closed to spectators in mid-March due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, all areas of the track have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to offer customers a safe, welcoming environment. Those efforts continue on a daily basis.

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Jockey Pablo Morales Celebrates 2,000th Winner With Family, Friends Present In Spirit

Despite winning on 4-year-old filly Dreaming Diamonds on March 20, Pablo Morales knew something wasn't right with the left foot he'd injured six days earlier in a starting-gate mishap.

An X-ray revealed a break, sending the 31-year-old jockey to the sidelines for seven weeks.

At the time, Morales was four victories shy of 2,000 for his career. He rode one race on May 8, but quickly realized he had not recovered sufficiently to compete at the level to which he is accustomed.

Determined to reach 2,000 before the current Tampa Bay Downs meeting ended, Morales set his mind to the task.

“I dedicated myself for 10 days to strengthening the area, jogging a lot and doing a lot of Equicizer work,” he said, referring to the mechanical horse controlled by a rider's movement.

“When I came back (on June 3), I felt such a difference.”

Two dates extensions granted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation made it possible for Morales to hit the milestone at Tampa Bay Downs, and he made the most of his opportunity. The Lima, Peru product hit the mark in today's second race, a mile-and-a-sixteenth maiden special weight contest on the turf, on 4-year-old filly Sanguine for owner Augustin Stable and trainer Jonathan Thomas.

After racing in fourth place early, Sanguine and Morales moved smartly to the lead nearing the far turn and held off a late challenge from Aunt Dorothy to win by two-and-three-quarter lengths. Sanguine paid $4.60 to win as the betting favorite. “I knew she was the best horse in the race,” Morales said of the daughter of Quality Road. “I'm glad (Thomas) put the confidence in me to ride her.”

The occasion was recognized with a ceremony that included his rival jockeys in the winner's circle after the race.

“”It's a big accomplishment to me, because when I started. … you never think you're going to even make it to 1,000. Making it to 2,000, it's hard to believe,” Morales said. “I've been thinking about it a long time and it's not an easy task, so I'm very proud and I'm very thankful for all the help I've gotten through my career. I just want to keep on going.”

He got a good start in that regard in the fifth race, helping 3-year-old filly Leishlanick break her maiden for owner Wills Jarrett and trainer Angel M. Rodriguez.

Given the circumstances surrounding his injury and the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic that has affected all aspects of daily life, Morales accepted achieving the feat in front of an empty grandstand, with his wife Erin and their two children, agent Paula Bacon and other relatives and friends watching from home.

“It definitely would have been sweeter with them here, but I really waited too long. I couldn't care less if I was the only person here,” he said, laughing.

But they were foremost in his thoughts beforehand and afterward. “Paula has made a big difference in my career, and I think I have made a difference in hers,” he said. “We are a great team. I give all the thanks to my wife, my parents and my brothers and sister, and my kids (Sophia and Camilo), who watch me every race. My parents are in town with me, so we'll go buy a steak after the races and celebrate a little.”

Morales, a five-time riding champion at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa., plans to return there for the meeting beginning July 27.

Morales is fourth in the 2019-2020 Oldsmar standings with 61 victories. He has won two graded stakes, capturing the Grade II Super Derby in 2005 at Louisiana Downs on The Daddy and the Grade III Sam F. Davis Stakes here last year on Well Defined.

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Ever-Consistent Antonio Gallardo Scores Fifth Leading Rider Title At Tampa Bay Downs

For two days, Antonio Gallardo tried to ride through the pain in his right knee. But after finishing second aboard 4-year-old filly Olendon in his sixth assignment on May 30 at Tampa Bay Downs, he knew the risk of doing more serious damage demanded he seek medical attention.

The diagnosis wasn't really a surprise: a small fracture that would heal with rest and treatment. The 32-year-old jockey has set his sights on returning to action at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, which starts its 75th season on July 3.

“I'm using laser therapy and a lot of ice and swimming in the pool,” said Gallardo. “I'll have to decide what to do after I see the doctor again on June 24, but I'm trying hard to be ready for that first weekend.”

Gallardo will head to Monmouth with his fifth Tampa Bay Downs riding title in seven seasons. He rode 122 winners during the 2019-2020 meeting, 23 more than six-time champion Daniel Centeno, who has moved his tack to Delaware Park. Last year's champion, Samy Camacho, in third place with 96 winners, is at Gulfstream Park.

Gallardo, who has also won four titles at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa., holds the Oldsmar single-season record of 147 victories, set during the 2014-2015 meeting. The product of Jerez de la Frontera in Cadiz, Spain has ridden 1,916 winners in the United States, finishing second in the country in 2015 and 2016 with 320 and 332 victories, respectively.

“Every title feels good. My first one (2013-2014) was really special, because I remember how slow I started in this country and how good it felt to break out,” Gallardo said. “But when you win one or two titles, the difficult part is staying on top. The only way you stay there is to try your best every day and be good to everybody.”

Although he did not win a stakes race here this season, Gallardo's day-in, day-out consistency helped him surpass Camacho for the track's money-leading crown. His mounts earned $1,626,842, $4,592 more than Camacho, who won the Grade II, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on March 7 on King Guillermo.

Gallardo's 22.8-percent strike rate was also best among all jockeys with 10 or more mounts. On Jan. 19, he rode five winners on a Tampa Bay Downs card for the fifth time, and he tied a track record on April 29 by teaming with trainer Claude “Shug” McGaughey, III on three victories.

“It was weird that I didn't win a stakes, but you can't be greedy,” said Gallardo, who won five stakes during the 2018-2019 Oldsmar meeting and has eight career graded-stakes victories, including the Grade I United Nations Stakes in 2018 at Monmouth on Funtastic. “Every season is different with new jockeys and new trainers, and I feel good with what happened.

“I'm thankful to the trainers and grooms and exercise riders who help me, and to my agent, Mike Moran, for getting me on good horses. And everyone at the track who has done a real good job dealing with (COVID-19).”

Gallardo, who lives with his wife Polliana and their children – 11-year-old Carlos and 6-year-old Christa – on a nearby farm, has felt the effects of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic beyond his profession and home life. His parents, sister, grandmother and numerous other relatives live in Spain, one of the countries hardest hit by the virus.

“That has made it a rough time not only for me, but for a lot of people,” said Gallardo, who visited his homeland last fall. “I worry about my family staying safe and wish for everyone to be responsible because (the virus) is still here.”

Putting the brakes on a career, and a lifestyle that brings one into contact with top Thoroughbred owners and trainers, isn't easy for a world-class jockey. But Gallardo plans to take his next steps with confidence once he receives medical clearance and is able to compete at 100 percent.

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‘Living My Dream’: Jockey Dean Butler Carries On At 48

Dean Butler doesn't mind if you think he's hard-headed for continuing to ride Thoroughbreds at 48. Basically, he agrees.

“I've had nine concussions in my career. My head has taken a pretty good beating,” said Butler, who was born and grew up in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Butler was named to ride three horses today, but he didn't get the chance. Today's third-through-ninth races were cancelled because of heavy rain and lightning throughout the Tampa Bay area. The decision was made for the safety of the horses, horsemen, jockeys and patrons.

All wagers on any of the cancelled races are, of course, refundable.

Thoroughbred racing continues Saturday with a nine-race card beginning at 12:25 p.m.

Slightly less than two years ago, Butler incurred three fractured vertebrae in a spill at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn. His injury did not require surgery, but a routine examination that included a brain scan led to doctors discovering a basilar tip brain aneurysm, a potentially life-threatening condition.

Butler underwent a procedure in September of 2017 in which doctors inserted flexible metal coils to 'correct” the aneurysm and a stent to hold the coils in place. And, wouldn't you know it: he was able to return to work in time for the 2017-2018 Tampa Bay Downs meeting.

He points out that had he not gone down in the Canterbury race, the aneurysm probably would not have been found and could have ruptured at a future date.

OK, you still don't get why he stays at it. … but then, you aren't a jockey. And the explanation is pretty simple, really.

“I love what I do, I love the horses and I love the competition,” said Butler, the Senor Tequila Mexican Grill Jockey of the Month at Tampa Bay Downs. “And I like working with the horses to see what I can do to help get the most out of their ability.

“It's something I've always wanted to do since I was a little kid, so basically I'm living my dream. As long as I'm fit and I'm feeling good and I still enjoy what I'm doing, I'm going to keep going with it.”

Butler, who has ridden 2,210 career winners, has won 10 track riding titles: five at Canterbury, four at Philadelphia (now Parx Racing) and one at Atlantic City.

He enjoyed a moment few athletes get to experience last September when he was inducted into the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame. The ceremony took on greater meaning with his father Ted and his brothers Denis, Danny and David in attendance.

“That was the first time my dad was ever at Canterbury, which made it really cool,” Butler said. “He's 90 now and in really good health, and I'm thankful he's still able to watch me ride.”

Displaying a flair for the dramatic, Butler rode two stakes winners on the day following the induction ceremony. Butler's father and brother Danny were also at Tampa Bay Downs three years ago when he notched career victory No. 2,000 on then-4-year-old gelding Impromptu.

Although he doesn't have the volume of business at Tampa Bay Downs as in Minnesota, Butler has taken the past few weeks to remind bettors and fans that his skills haven't eroded. Five recent victories, including four for trainer Bernell Rhone, earned him the SenÞor Tequila Mexican Grill honor.

Butler accepts that his business will be a little slower in Oldsmar, which allows him to spend more time with daughters Kayleigh, 12, and Kendall, 8. His passion for the job hasn't diminished; make a road trip to Shakopee this summer to see for yourself, if you'd like.

“Some of the younger riders might look better, they might look stronger, but the knowledge and experience I have can overcome that,” said Butler, who began his career in 1992 at Aqueduct after absorbing early lessons from Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg.

“The more you ride, the more you get to know how much horse you have underneath you and how fast you're going (early in a race), and those are huge advantages,” Butler said.

It's said that time waits for no one, but in a sport where youth cannot be denied, Butler is one of at least a half-dozen older (read: 45-and-up) Oldsmar jockeys who still can bring it, using both strength and finesse as called for.

“I've always been the type of rider who usually lets the horse do most of the running and lets them tell me how they want to run,” Butler said. “Then when I pick them up and ask them, hopefully they're underneath me and they run for me.”

Sounds like the type of thrilling experience anyone can relate to.

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