Tampa Bay: Where the Winners are Coming From

What do the historic Churchill Downs  in Kentucky, the renowned Monmouth Park in New Jersey and  such lesser known tracks as Thistledown in  Ohio and Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania have in common?

One thing is that they are among the 23 tracks that were the site  of the  most recent  race  for at least one horse that is entered  today for a race at Tampa Bay Downs.  The track in Oldsmar has 84 entrants for its nine-race card with first post at 12:27  p.m.

Late each year, trainers from tracks throughout the northeast and midwest bring horses to the Oldsmar  track.  It is difficult to make comparisons  until horses have raced at  least  once at Tampa Bay--and that is part of the fun and challenges of handicapping races at the track.

One early-in-the-meet gauge is "where did  the winners come from?

Here' what  has happened in the four race days since Nov. 28.  We put winners who were making their first start under the track where they trained prior to being shipped to Tampa Bay.  Please note that Calder, site of the recent Gulfstream Park West meet, and Monmouth Park were the last tracks for the largest numbers of Tampa  Bay entrants.

Calder (GP West)  -- 6
Aqueduct -- 4
Monmouth Park -- 3
Indiana Downs - 3
Hawthorne -- 3  
Churchill Downs  -- 2
Delaware Park-- 2
Meadowlands - 2
Thistledown - 2
Gulfstream Park -- 1
Keeneland -- 1
Parx Racing -- 1
Belmont Park  --  1
Canterbury -- 1
Finger Lakes -- 1
Arlington  Park -- 1
Penn National -- 1
Mahoning Valley -- 1
Presque Isle -- 1
-- Jim Freer