The Florida racetrack of Sunshine Park first opened for racing in 1926 when known as Tampa Downs. In 1943 the track had closed for racing due to the Second World War, and the US Army used the facility for their training programmes. By 1946, once the War was over, the track reopened with upgraded facilities, including electric tote and starting gates, and was called Sunshine Park.
In 1965 it was rebranded yet again under the name of Florida Downs and Turf Club. By 1980 it was renamed again as Tampa Bay Downs.

I am grateful to our American Racing correspondent Richard Gauthier for the scans of badges shown on this page.

The course was taken over by a new management group in 1965 and changed its name to its current Florida Downs racecourse.

A tribute to Felix Fatica from his loving wife Darlene Fatica
Felix Fatica was 23 when he launched his career as a jockey, going to Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, near Chicago, travelling from his home in Cleveland, starting out older than most of his contemporaries. He had been a secretary at Lincoln Electric and then served for a time in the Army. At Arlington he became a Bug Boy, living above a Tack room, and gained his inaugural win on a horse named Dawn of Chi at Sportsman's Park, appropriately enough near Chicago. His future wife, Darlene, was just one year old when Felix began his journey as a jockey, he being 22 years older than her. Indeed, she had just graduated from High School when he rode his last race. In later shared moments together Felix recalled that his favourite horse was Sol Invictus, a multiple winner for him, but he also had a fondness for Risky Rebel, who loved the mud, which was just as well as he won at Waterford Park, well-known for being muddy. Besides Sportsman's Park (now demolished), he rode at Ascot Park in Cuyahoga Falls (an industrial park now), Cranwood Park, (an industrial park now), Randall Park, Sunshine Park which is now Tampa Bay Downs, Thistledown Race Track, Tropical Park and Waterford Park. Felix’s daughter, Nancy, was born across the Ohio River in Steubenville, which also happened to be the birthplace of Dean Martin.
In 2002, still little, still thin, but still handsome, he returned to his beloved Arlington Park. In 2020 Darlene lovingly recalls, 'I sang to him as he passed away, which is how we had begun our journey together in the first place. We met in the Brecksville Broadview Heights Community Chorus, I was singing, 'All I ask of you', from Phantom of the Opera. We married 6 months later on October 19, 1996. Sadly, Felix died during Covid. When I finally was able to get into his room, he of course, was unconscious & breathing fast & shallow. I told him to slow his breathing & go into the arms of the Angels. I then sang to him a song from the end of the musical, 'Civil War' where an Angel comes to take the fallen home. As I sang, he slowed his breathing. When I was done, he took 3 more breaths and passed away.' I was so thankful for the time I was able to spend with him in his last few moments on this earth.

A further Group Three race is the Florida Oaks which is also over 8 and a half furlongs and was run for the first time in 1984. That first winner was Sure to Explode and the latest winner Awesome Chic.

The third Group race at the track is the Tampa Bay Derby which was initially run in 1981 when won by Paristo. The 2008 winner was Big Truck.