Eight dates in June have been added to Tampa Bay Downs' 2019-20 Thoroughbred racing calendar after the track's request was approved by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Tampa Bay Downs announced May 20.
The June dates are the second meet extension granted this spring to Tampa Bay Downs, which has continued to conduct live racing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The track was originally scheduled to conclude its live racing season May 3, but on April 23 Florida regulators approved the meet's extension to May 30.
Tampa Bay Downs has been racing without spectators since March 18.
The track will conduct racing in June on Mondays and Wednesdays, with the dates scheduled as June 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, and 24. Spectators will not be allowed, nor will they be permitted to attend the track's annual two-day Summer Festival of Racing June 30 and July 1.
The current meeting ends June 30, the first day of the Summer Festival of Racing. The July 1 card counts as the official start of the 2020-21 Thoroughbred meeting, which would then likely resume in late November.
Tampa Bay Downs is currently racing on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and will remain on that schedule through May 30. Management expects the additional dates will help ease the financial hardship felt by many horsemen during the ongoing coronavirus.
The Silks Poker Room remains closed until further notice. The Downs Golf Practice Facility is open for business.
