Tampa Bay Derby
Road to the Kentucky Derby > Tampa Bay Derby
Tampa Bay Derby Race Facts
- Location: Tampa Bay Downs, Tampa Bay, FL
- Inaugural Race: 1981
- Current Distance: 1 1/16 miles
- Track Type: Left-Handed Dirt
- Age Qualifications: Three-year-olds
- Status: Grade 3
- 2024 Purse: $400,000
- 2024 Race Date: Saturday, March 9th
The Tampa Bay Derby, held each year in Florida at Tampa Bay Downs, is a Grade III race for 3-year-olds in mid-March. The race is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series with a 50-25-15-10-5 points system awarded to the top five finishers.
2024 Tampa Bay Derby Race Results
| POST | HORSE | JOCKEY / TRAINER |
|---|
5 | Domestic Product | Tyler Gaffalione / Chad C. Brown |
7 | No More Time | Javier Castellano / Jose Francisco D'Angelo |
9 | Grand Mo the First | Samy Camacho / Victor Barboza, Jr. |
4 | Good Money | Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Chad C. Brown |
1 | Heartened | Jose L. Ortiz / Todd A. Pletcher |
10 | Sturdy | Junior Alvarado / George Weaver |
8 | Crazy Mason | Mychel J. Sanchez / Gregory D. Sacco |
2 | Everdoit | Antonio A. Gallardo / Kevin Rice |
6 | Catire Vizcaya | Marcos Meneses / Juan Carlos Avila |
3 | Give Me Liberty | Pablo Morales / Robertino Diodoro |
*The 2024 race was run only for purse money with no wagering after problems from telecommunications supplier Lumen Technologies affected tote provider AmTote, leaving Tampa Bay Downs unable to process wagers.
Watch the 2024 Tampa Bay Derby
History of the Tampa Bay Derby
The Tampa Bay Derby (G3) is run in mid-March at Tampa Bay Downs, and the 1 1/16 mile race has a purse of $400,000 and is a major prep for the Kentucky Derby. The winner receives 50 qualifying points and a spot in the starting gate to the Kentucky Derby, and the next four finishers in the race receive 25-15-10-5 points.
The race was inaugurated in 1981, and over the past decade it has become a more popular race with inclusion on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Six jockeys (Richard Migliore, Pat Day, Eibar Coa, Daniel Centeno, John Velazquez, and Jose L. Ortiz) have won the race two times, and trainer Todd Pletcher has won the race a record six times.
In 2007, Street Sense became the first participant to win the Kentucky Derby. In 2010, Super Saver won the Kentucky Derby after finishing third in the Tampa Bay Derby.
In the 2017 race, Tapwrit set the then speed record with a winning time of 1:42.36. The even money favorite made it look like a gift, galloping past the pace setter State of Honor and running home to victory by more than four lengths. Tapwrit went on to win the Belmont Stakes, and the 2016 winner Destin finished 2nd in the Belmont by a nose. Two years later, Tacitus took Tapwrit's crown after turning in a time of 1:41.90.
The 2015 winner had a short but strong career, as Carpe Diem was runner up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile before winning the Tampa Bay Derby, Blue Grass Stakes and retiring after the Kentucky Derby due to injury.
Tampa Bay Derby Past Winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey / Trainer | Distance / Time |
|---|
2024 | Domestic Product | Tyler Gaffalione / Chad C. Brown | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:45.47 |
2023 | Tapit Trice | Luis Saez / Todd A. Pletcher | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:43.37 |
2022 | Classic Causeway | Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Brian A. Lynch | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:44.90 |
2021 | Helium | Jose C. Ferrer / Mark E. Casse | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:43.55 |
2020 | King Guillermo | Samy Camacho / Juan Carlos Avila | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:42.63 |
2019 | Tacitus | Jose L. Ortiz / William I. Mott | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:41.90 |
2018 | Quip | Florent Geroux / Rodolphe Brisset | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:44.72 |
2017 | Tapwrit | Jose L. Ortiz / Todd A. Pletcher | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:42.36 |
2016 | Destin | Javier Castellano / Todd A. Pletcher | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:42.82 |
2015 | Carpe Diem | John R. Velazquez / Todd A. Pletcher | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:43.60 |
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