# Tampa Bay Derby

The Tampa Bay Derby is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three years old horses over the distance of 1+1⁄16 miles on the dirt scheduled annually in March at Tampa Bay Downs racetrack in Oldsmar, Florida. The event currently carries a purse of $400,000.

## History

The inaugural running of the event was on 21 March 1981 as the Budweiser Tampa Bay Derby Stakes with sponsorship for Budweiser making it the richest stakes race at the track. The event was won by the long shot Paristo, who was part of the field entry of horses at the odds of 35-1 in a time of 1:452⁄5. Such was the immediate impact the event had that in 1984 the event was classified as Grade III. Budweiser ceased their sponsorship in 1987.
The event was downgraded to Listed in 1991 and held this status until 2002 when it was upgraded back to Grade III.
In 2007, Street Sense became the first Tampa Bay Derby participant to win the Kentucky Derby. In 2010, Super Saver won the Kentucky Derby after finishing third in the Tampa Bay Derby.
In 2011 the event was upgraded to Grade II.
From 1995–2010, the Tampa Bay Derby and the Florida Oaks were run on the same race card. They were again presented on the same day in 2013, along with the Hillsborough Stakes, providing fans three graded stakes worth a combined $700,000.
The race has gained in popularity over the past few years and is now listed as high profile Championship series event on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Since 2016, the race has been called the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby due to sponsorship.
In 2023 the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association downgraded the event back to Grade III.
The 2024 edition of the race was run for purse money only with no wagering after problems from telecommunications supplier Lumen Technologies affected tote provider AmTote, leaving Tampa Bay Downs and several other tracks around the country unable to process wagers.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1:41.90 – Tacitus (2019)
Margins:
* 5 lengths – Thundering Storm (1996), Carpe Diem (2015)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 2 – Richard Migliore (2000, 2001)
* 2 – Pat Day (1998, 2004)
* 2 – Eibar Coa (2003, 2008)
* 2 – Daniel Centeno (2009, 2014)
* 2 – John Velazquez (2013, 2015)
* 2 – Jose L. Ortiz (2017, 2019)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 6 – Todd A. Pletcher (2004, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023)
Most wins by an owner:
* 2 – Eric Fein (2008, 2009)
* 2 – WinStar Farm (2015, 2018)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Time | Purse | Grade |
| 2025 | Owen Almighty | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Brian A. Lynch | Flying Dutchman Breeding and Racing LLC | 1:42.30 | $350,000 | III |
| 2024 | Domestic Product | Tyler Gaffalione | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables | 1:45.47 | $350,000 | III |
| 2023 | Tapit Trice | Luis Saez | Todd A. Pletcher | Whisper Hill Farm & Gainesway Farm | 1:43.37 | $360,000 | III |
| 2022 | Classic Causeway | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Brian A. Lynch | Clarke M. Cooper Family Trust & Kentucky West Racing | 1:44.90 | $350,000 | II |
| 2021 | Helium | Jose C. Ferrer | Mark E. Casse | D. J. Stable LLC | 1:43.55 | $350,000 | II |
| 2020 | King Guillermo | Samy Camacho | Juan Carlos Avila | Victoria's Ranch | 1:42.63 | $351,500 | II |
| 2019 | Tacitus | Jose L. Ortiz | William I. Mott | Juddmonte Farms | 1:41.90 | $355,000 | II |
| 2018 | Quip | Florent Geroux | Rodolphe Brisset | WinStar Farm, China Horse Club & SF Racing | 1:44.72 | $355,000 | II |
| 2017 | Tapwrit | Jose L. Ortiz | Todd A. Pletcher | Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred & Robert V. LaPenta | 1:42.36 | $350,000 | II |
| 2016 | Destin | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | Twin Creeks Racing Stables | 1:42.82 | $350,000 | II |
| 2015 | Carpe Diem | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | WinStar Farm & Stonestreet Stables | 1:43.60 | $350,000 | II |
| 2014 | Ring Weekend | Daniel Centeno | H. Graham Motion | St. Elias Stable & West Point Thoroughbreds | 1:43.71 | $350,000 | II |
| 2013 | Verrazano | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Let's Go Stable, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor | 1:43.96 | $350,000 | II |
| 2012 | Prospective | Luis Contreras | Mark E. Casse | John C. Oxley | 1:43.35 | $350,000 | II |
| 2011 | Watch Me Go | Luis Garcia | Kathleen O'Connell | Gilbert G. Campbell | 1:44.25 | $350,000 | II |
| 2010 | Odysseus | Rajiv Maragh | Thomas Albertrani | Padua Stables | 1:44.31 | $300,000 | III |
| 2009 | Musket Man | Daniel Centeno | Derek S. Ryan | Eric Fein & Vic Carlson | 1:43.67 | $300,000 | III |
| 2008 | Big Truck | Eibar Coa | Barclay Tagg | Eric Fein | 1:44.25 | $300,000 | III |
| 2007 | Street Sense | Calvin H. Borel | Carl A. Nafzger | James B. Tafel | 1:43.11 | $300,000 | III |
| 2006 | Deputy Glitters | Jose Lezcano | Thomas Albertrani | Joseph Lacombe Stable | 1:44.26 | $250,000 | III |
| 2005 | Sun King | Edgar S. Prado | Nicholas P. Zito | Tracy Farmer | 1:43.98 | $250,000 | III |
| 2004 | Limehouse | Pat Day | Todd A. Pletcher | Dogwood Stable | 1:43.99 | $250,000 | III |
| 2003 | Region of Merit | Eibar Coa | Christophe Clement | Calumet Farm | 1:44.61 | $250,000 | III |
| 2002 | Equality | Ramon A. Dominguez | H. Graham Motion | Pin Oak Stable | 1:43.66 | $200,000 | III |
| 2001 | § Burning Roma | Richard Migliore | Heather A. Giglio | Harold L. Queen | 1:44.30 | $200,000 | Listed |
| 2000 | Wheelaway | Richard Migliore | John C. Kimmel | Caesar P. Kimmel & Philip J. Solondz Kimmel | 1:43.90 | $150,000 | Listed |
| 1999 | Pineaff | Jose A. Santos | Kenneth G. McPeek | Roy & Joyce Monroe | 1:45.20 | $150,000 | Listed |
| 1998 | Parade Ground | Pat Day | Neil J. Howard | William S. Farish III & Stephen S. Hilbert | 1:45.40 | $150,000 | Listed |
| 1997 | Zede | Jerry Bailey | William I. Mott | Allen E. Paulson | 1:44.80 | $150,000 | Listed |
| 1996 | Thundering Storm | Jorge A. Guerra | Don R. Rice | Deborah J. Artz | 1:43.80 | $150,000 | Listed |
| 1995 | Gadzook | Gary Boulanger | J. Bert Sonnier | Du-Zee Stables | 1:45.20 | $150,000 | Listed |
| 1994 | Prix de Crouton | Mickey Walls | Lorne E. Berg | Lorne & Kathleen Berg | 1:46.60 | $150,000 | Listed |
| 1993 | Marco Bay | Ronald Dale Allen Jr. | Sarah A. Lundy | Jay Shaw | 1:44.40 | $150,000 | Listed |
| 1992 | Careful Gesture | Robert Neal Lester | Elbert R. Dixon | Cecilia Dixon | 1:45.80 | $200,000 | Listed |
| 1991 | Speedy Cure | Ricardo D. Lopez | Harvey Culp | Susan B. Fisher | 1:46.20 | $150,000 | Listed |
| 1990 | Champagneforashley | Jacinto Vasquez | Howard M. Tesher | Robert Baker, Howard Kaskel & Leon Feinbloom | 1:44.60 | $150,000 | III |
| 1989 | Storm Predictions | Steve Gaffalione | Luis Olivares | Three G Stables | 1:43.80 | $150,000 | III |
| 1988 | Cefis | Eddie Maple | Woodford C. Stephens | Ryehill Farm & R. Kirkham Partnership | 1:44.40 | $150,000 | III |
| 1987 | Phantom Jet | K. Keith Allen | Philip A. Gleaves | Aisco Stables | 1:43.80 | $150,000 | III |
| 1986 | My Prince Charming | Craig Perret | Newcomb Green | Don Aronow Stable | 1:46.60 | $159,000 | III |
| 1985 | Regal Remark | Jeffrey Fell | James E. Day | Sam-Son Farm | 1:46.80 | $158,100 | III |
| 1984 | Bold Southerner | Wayne Crews | Paul M. Maxwell | Rusticwoods Farm | 1:44.60 | $160,000 | III |
| 1983 | Morganmorganmorgan | Willie Rodriguez | Arthur Monteiro | Morgan Bishop | 1:47.20 | $100,000 | |
| 1982 | Reinvested | Rick D. Luhr | Stanley M. Hough | Harbor View Farm | 1:45.20 | $66,900 | |
| 1981 | ‡ Paristo | David C. Ashcroft | George R. Handy | Belmont Farm | 1:45.40 | $72,600 | |
Notes:
§ Ran as an entry
‡ Ran as the field entry