Tampa Bay Downs reported minimal damage to the front side of the Oldsmar, Fla., track and considerable flooding in the barn area following the assault of Hurricane Milton during the evening of Oct. 9.
The Category 3 storm made landfall at 8:30 p.m. ET at Siesta Key, Fla., a barrier island next to Sarasota on the western side of the state. Siesta Key is about 60 miles south of Tampa. Oldsmar is off the northern coast of Old Tampa Bay, approximately 25 miles from downtown Tampa.
Tampa Bay Downs, which runs from Nov. 22-May 3, did not have any horses on the grounds. Track employees have been out of the office since Oct. 7 to prepare for the storm, according to Margo Flynn, vice president of marketing and publicity. The track closed its simulcasting and poker room Oct. 8
"Due to no power, downed power lines, and fallen trees on the surrounding roads, we are unable to get any crews in to get a closer look. We are under a stay-in-place order," Flynn told BloodHorse Oct. 10.
Some areas in the Tampa metropolitan area were hit particularly hard. Part of the roof at Tropicana Field, home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays, was ripped away by the high winds.
The storm then proceeded east across Central Florida as a Category 1 hurricane, with the center of its path crossing south of Orlando before continuing into the Atlantic Ocean. Milton spawned several tornadoes, and an estimated three million homes and businesses were without power at 10 a.m. ET Thursday. Four deaths were confirmed in St. Lucie County on Florida's Atlantic coast, where officials said tornadoes touched down.
Some horse farms in the Ocala area, the county seat of Marion County, about 98 miles northeast of Tampa, are reporting minimal damage.
"We were virtually unscathed at Bridlewood," said George Isaacs, general manager of the farm owned by John and Leslie Malone. "For these events, you prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Of course, you bring all the horses inside and keep them out of the wind and the weather. We will be turning out this afternoon."
With Hurricane Milton forecast to hit Florida, Ocala Breeders' Sales moved up its October Yearling Sale by a day to Oct. 7-8. Most horses were transported off the grounds before the hurricane arrived, but the roughly 75 horses that remained at OBS were in good condition Thursday after the storm, according to OBS director of communications Alicia Hughes.
Hughes said the Ocala area experienced heavy rain, but OBS had no damage or loss of power. Photos taken by Hughes showed only limited debris on the sales grounds following the storm.
