Before the 1979-80 season opened at what was then called Florida Downs, track president Sam F. Davis hired the late veteran turf writer, David Goldman, as his advertising and marketing director. In those days, before the advent of simulcasting, the track in Oldsmar was averaging less than $300,000 a day in handle, and Davis sweetened the pot: he told David that if he could get the average up to $300,000, there would be a $10,000 bonus on closing day. 

    With two weeks remaining in the meeting, after Goldman had introduced many innovations, the track was averaging just under $310,000 and the bonus appeared to be a cinch - until fate intervened. The long line of cars heading north on I-75 each day as the snow-birds headed home killed the attendance, and the final average dropped to $297,000, give or take a few bucks. Sam's bonus turned out to be a hot dog and a drink.

     Tampa Bay Downs opened its 2024-25 meeting yesterday and the Bay area bettors haven't done much in 44 years - attendance was just 2,430 and on-track handle a meager $153,659. However, while the '79-80 programs had races with purses like $2,800, the purses for yesterday's nine-race opener reached $239,500. 

    The early '90s addition of simulcasting changed everything. The upgrade of every facet of Tampa Bay Downs in the era of owner Stella F. Thayer, including exciting racing, a superior turf course, and a spate of graded stakes headed by the Tampa Bay Derby, brought new bettors from every state into the fold and the handle has exploded. Inter-state wagering (ISW) yesterday reached $2,601,681, and the total handle for the day was $2,848,598.

    Samy Camacho, leading rider in Tampa for the past four years and five times in all, was the hero of the day, winning with Goddess Minerva ($6) in the first race, Feast ($4.80) in the third, Bounteous ($9) in the seventh, and Velocissima, who lit up the board at $60.60 in the eighth. Apprentice Sara Hess ($10.60) took the fifth with Singsational by 2 3/4 lengths. 

    With the slimmed down schedule for the early part of the meeting, they're off today and Friday and they'll do it again Saturday.     

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