Wagering on Saturday's Festival Day 42 card at Tampa Bay Downs shattered the previous single-day track record by more than $5.5 million.
The total handle of $20,778,222 was a 36% increase from last season's Festival Day/Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby program. The on-track crowd of 5,381 wagered $751,667.
The $3,686,488 wagered on the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby is also an all-time Tampa Bay Downs record.
“We are gratified by the tremendous support from our Tampa Bay area fans, our horsemen and bettors across the country,” said Peter Berube, the track's Vice President and General Manager. “The quality of Saturday's card, which included five stakes races worth $1 million in purses, is a testament to the efforts of Racing Secretary Allison De Luca and her team.
“Our track maintenance department, headed by Tom McLaughlin, did a superb job under challenging conditions in keeping both the main track and the turf course as fair and safe as possible despite the severe weather early in the day. All of our employees deserve a big shout-out for their efforts in making the day so memorable,” Berube said.
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