Tampa Bay Downs

Great place to enjoy horse racing.

We enjoy the Skye Terrace, the window views are great and the food and drinks are excellent. Business casual dress code, no shorts or skorts, men's shirts must have a collar; jeans are acceptable. Betting in room is available.

There are also bar options for lower key dining and betting. Betting other tracks (such as Keeneland) is available.

Fun fun fun. That is how I describe the day I had at TBD. It was a beautiful day for the track as it was not too hot or rainy. The horses are so beautiful and fun to watch. You can almost tell they want to win as much as the owners and the jockeys. Beautiful. The poker room is intense and very interesting.

We were traveling to the area to go to a spring training baseball game and decided to spend an afternoon at the racetrack. So glad we did. The weather was beautiful, and so was the track. We started with lunch on the third floor of the grandstand with great food and a great view. There were two cashiers taking bets, so we never had to wait too long. Every view of the track is good. Our table on the third floor had a great view, but we also went outside to take some pictures, and those views were also great along the way as well as outside. Great facility and great fun!

Never been before, it was really exciting and fun. There's alot to learn about betting on horses. They have an abundance of televisions to watch The Tampa Bay Downs Race and also other worldwide races. The atmosphere is relaxing. They have snacks, sodas and adult beverages. The horses are beautiful. The food was moderately priced and the chicken finger basket was tasty. The staff was nice and patient with this newbie. Check out Groupon before going they usually have pretty good deals.

I travel to both Thoroughbred and harness tracks all across the country, and this one is quite special. It has racing and poker rooms, and unique experience areas for every type of fan. On our day, we chose the Skye Terrace restaurant, which is the higher end, sit down restaurant where we got a table for the day and a wonderful lunch all for under $50 per person. They have outdoor seating near the finish line, open access to the horse walking paddocks, and a large tented guest area. As you walk through out the grandstand, they have simulcasting areas, seated viewing areas, and an open air patio with wonderful views of the track. There are plenty of dining options from high-end, to sports bar/midrange, to standard track food/snacks. The track offers some of the finest racing in the winter months, so be sure to check your schedule to be sure the track is open on the desired day of your visit. Overall, they fit quite a bit of activity in a relatively smaller space and custom experiences for racing fans.

Such a fun place to play/spend a day! You can hit the poker room, the sports book, watch the horses from so many different vantage points and just savor the fresh air and the flowers. It's the adrenaline of a race every 20 minutes... and also the peace of being outside. It's lovely... plus, snacks everywhere!

So, first, some facts. The track is up in the northwest corner of Tampa, on the Pinellas county line. Take Hillsborough Ave way west and you'll get there. There's a driving range or golf course next door and it feels calm and leafy, even though you're right off the busy strip. Parking is ample and free, unless you want to pay $5 for valet. General admission is just $3.00 on Friday, Saturday or Sunday-and free the rest of the week. Kids 12 and under are free, with adults.

You can watch the races outside from the grandstand, from the apron, the picnic area or at the rail. You can also watch inside on monitors from the Legends Bar, Riders Up Bar, or lots of other seating areas in both the Grandstand or the Clubhouse. There's food available at several concession stands as well as the aforementioned bars, the Silks Bar and Grille, the Sports Gallery and the Skye Terrace Dining Room. (I think the latter has a dress code)

So, feeling lucky? You can bet as little as $2.00 on a race. I'm not an expert on wagering-but I go with people who are better at it and understand what a trifecta and an "exacta box" are. They also know how to use the computers for wagering. I just go see the nice people at the windows. (I'm better at ordering hot dogs and drinks than betting or technology) You can have fun no matter what level you're at. Or you can skip the betting altogether and just enjoy watching the horses up close in the barn and paddock areas... and watching them run. We rented a box outside this time, for $25. It seats six-comes with a table for programs and drinks/food and a closed-circuit tv. You also get a server for your box, so you can order from there and only need to get up for betting and bathrooms. Oh-and there's even a private party room.

Oh yes, this is a fun spot! It's open all year but live racing only runs from December thru May. There are extra special high-stake race days and Kentucky Derby day is crowded and a blast-you'll see a few big hats that day. So giddy up, go have fun. Or, they say, live it up at the Downs.

Horse racing has gone away where I live, so it's nice to get a horse race in while we're in FL. TBD is a nice location. The facility is clean and fairly modern. Window betting clerks are a cut above, very friendly folks.
We sat general admission and enjoyed the view. About the only thing that might need a little consideration here are more vendors at the food stands. The lines get really long after the races start, so I'd highly recommend getting what you need prior to that. Enjoyed our day here and walked away a couple bucks richer. Cheers.

This is a nice little track. I like the free parking the large viewing area, friendly staff and lots of windows to place your bets.

Love the facility and track. This review is not about that, but rather the food...

My wife and I were at the track for some Sunday Funday with friends and I got hungry. There was a pretty long line for the hot dogs - and who doesn't love a Nathan's dog ? Little did I know this was to be a lesson learned... I ordered a Tampa Dog, which was a Nathan's dog with some sort of cheese sauce and jalapeños. Sounded amazing after many beers and other libations.

The shock and awe that the little hot dog unleashed on my system was unbelievable. It was violent and expeditious in its action. It rid my body of any remnants of nourishment - solid or fluid. Im so clean inside that I could go for a colonoscopy now.

I can't speak to the other food at the track, but beware of the wiener with cheese and japs !

Always a fun day except for one thing.
The issue I have is some of the employees at the windows are very nasty. I have been there many times and it's always the same issue. It's obvious they are miserable and do not want to be there. Some are too old and should retire rather than taking their frustration out on customers. Others may just be unhappy with the career path they chose. Whatever the reason they should be fired.