Sports: Gainful close to TBD's 76th season

OLDSMAR -- Tampa Bay Downs may have stumbled from the gate this season, but it appears to have finished with a flourish. After a disagreement between horse owners and track officials caused the boycott of some simulcast outlets, which forced reduced race purses, Tampa Bay Downs got back to full strength by mid-March and enjoyed perhaps its best season.

Sunday was the final day of the 93-day meet, the track's 76th season. During that span, attendance rose to 306,042, a 2.74 percent increase. The total handle, which includes on-track and simulcast wagering, rose 29.67 percent to more than $1.93-million. The track paid more than $9.63-million in purse money, a 1.67 percent increase.

"There was still some controversy that lingered into the meet, but it wasn't as disruptive as it has been in the past," general manager Peter Berube said. "It was kind of an inconvenience to our fans not having certain simulcasting outlets. It impaired purses and operating revenue, but it wasn't really as heavy a hit as in the past.

"We have a contract (with the Horseman's Benevolent Association) for next year. I think now both sides understand each other's position a little more. I'm hopeful (a simulcast boycott) won't happen next year."

Berube does not expect major changes during the offseason. A fourth rail will be added for the turf course. The course, added three years ago, has three rails 10 feet apart. This allows the track to be moved by 10 feet when officials think part of the turf has worn away. A fourth rail would give officials more track to work with and would allow more turf races.

There were 172 turf races this season, almost two per race day.

"There is a lot of racing out there and you have to do something to distinguish yourself," Berube said. "One way is the size of the field. The other is turf racing. Bettors and fans like the turf better. We've found that there is a 27 percent increase on bets in turf races. We want to take advantage of that."

Berube said Tampa Bay Downs will break ground this summer on a driving range on the south side of the track. The track will own and operate the lighted range.

Don Rice again was the leading trainer. Rice's horses won 44 out of 198 starts for his sixth title. Rice, based in Ocala, plans to take some of his horses to Mountaineer Park in West Virginia this summer.

"This was a very good meet," Rice said. "We had some problems last year, but I think this meet was much better. I love it here. If they raced eight months out of the year here I'd be here all eight months."

Manoel Cruz was the leading jockey, beating out T.D. Houghton on the last day. Cruz rode 91 winners in 469 mounts; Houghton had 87 in 640 mounts.

Cruz, from Brazil, has been in America 14 months. He started at Miami's Calder Race Course and came to Tampa last season. He returns to Calder this summer and would like to ride at Miami's Gulfstream Park in the winter. If not, he said he would return to Tampa.

"I love it here," Cruz said. "I would absolutely come back. All of the trainers and owners here have treated me very well."

Onasilverplatter was the top horse, winning six of seven starts and earning $36,651.

Tampa Bay Downs will remain open every day for simulcast racing. The 2002-03 season begins Dec. 14.

PREAKNESS IS NEXT: Now that he has won the Kentucky Derby with War Emblem, trainer Bob Baffert is looking ahead. Sort of.

"I got the Derby," he said Sunday after his 20-1 long shot went wire to wire to win. "Triple Crown? You get it, you get it. I'm not going to worry about it. We got the Derby."

Next up is the Preakness on May 18, and War Emblem will be there. The dark bay colt bought for Baffert three weeks ago is likely to be favored in what is shaping up as a full field of 14 3-year-olds going 1 and 3-16th miles.

The victory at Churchill Downs was Baffert's third in the past six Derbies; he won with Silver Charm in 1997 and Real Quiet in 1998.

Most of the horses War Emblem beat are passing up the Preakness. Possibly two others -- runner-up Proud Citizen and fourth-place Medaglia d'Oro will move on to the second leg of the Triple Crown. Harlan's Holiday, seventh in the 18-horse field as the 6-1 favorite, is possible.

Also headed to Baltimore is Booklet, a front-runner like War Emblem. Trained by John Ward, Booklet was fourth behind Harlan's Holiday in the Blue Grass, but has two wins over him -- the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth.

-- Information from Times wires used in this report.

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