Tampa Bay Downs Kicks Off 100th Season with Free Season Pass Giveaway

Tampa Bay Downs is leaning into its 100th anniversary with a high-stakes fan play: on Feb. 18 the Oldsmar oval will hand every patron a season pass for 2026-2027 that entitles the holder to free admission on any race day. The giveaway is the centerpiece of a centennial campaign called "One Hundred Seasons: One Incredible Journey" that runs across the track’s 100th racing season, which opened Nov. 19, 2025 and runs through May 3, 2026.

The promotion arrives as Tampa Bay Downs layers a festival slate across the meet. Highlights include five Charity Days, Skyway Festival Day, the Live It Up Challenge, Mouse’s Kids & Family Days, 100 Years in the Community Day, Florida Cup Day and Fan Appreciation Day. Racing legends and Hall of Famers will appear for autograph sessions on the first floor of the Grandstand to benefit the PDJF; scheduled guests include Julie Krone, Ramon Dominguez and Mike Manganello. Gates on Feb. 18 open at 11:00 a.m., and the track’s promotional copy prominently features "FREE Admission!" alongside the season-pass giveaway.

The track’s centennial programming blends nostalgia with a clear business strategy. Tampa Bay Downs traces its roots to Feb. 18, 1926, when it opened as Tampa Downs, later known as Sunshine Park, founded by Martin J. Winn and Harvey Myers. The city proclamation frames the celebration as honoring "a humble track in Oldsmar that grew into a century of tradition built on speed, passion, and unforgettable moments," noting the facility has produced three Kentucky Derby winners and remains a year-round sports and entertainment anchor on Florida’s west coast.

From an industry perspective the season-pass giveaway is a savvy customer acquisition move in an era when racetracks compete for attention with casinos, simulcasting and digital betting platforms. By converting a one-day crowd into season ticket holders, Tampa Bay Downs boosts the potential on-track handle, concession and ancillary revenue from amenities such as The Silks Poker Room on the third floor, The Downs Golf Practice Facility at the south entrance, The Silks Bar and Grille and rentable cabanas. The track’s weekday and weekend live racing cadence - "Live Racing Every Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun" - gives new passholders many opportunities to return.

Community and charity tie-ins are front and center. Autograph sessions raising funds for PDJF and the "100 Years in the Community" day promising prizes and partner celebrations stake the centennial as both a fundraiser and a tourism signal. Track partners such as HBPA, NYRA BETS, Budweiser and Equibase amplify commercial reach as the venue markets itself to local fans and out-of-town visitors.

Promotional logistics are explicit: "Join us on Wednesday, February 18, and all patrons will receive a season pass for the 2026-2027 racing season, which entitles them to free admission on any race day." For fans that means more access to racing legends, daily cards across the meet and a low-friction reason to come back. Practical details for visitors include the track address at 11225 Race Track Road, Tampa, Florida 33626 and a contact phone number, (813) 855-4401.

What comes next is a test of momentum: can Tampa Bay Downs turn a generous one-day giveaway and star-studded centennial calendar into sustained growth in attendance and betting handle? For local racing supporters, the centennial season offers a rare mix of history, charity and fan-forward economics that could reshape how regional tracks market the sport into its second century.