BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Seven Florida-bred fillies and mares help make up an overflow field of 12, plus two on the also-eligible list, in the $125,000 Lightning City at Tampa Bay Downs Saturday. Set for five furlongs on the turf, the Lightning City is the co-feature on the 10-race card with the $125,000 Turf Dash for 4-year-olds and older sprinting five furlongs on the grass. Four Florida-breds are among 14 entered for the Turf Dash.

Florida Thoroughbreds aren't just helping their home state's economy -- they're succeeding in open stakes outside the state

BY NATALIE VOSS

As the national Thoroughbred industry continues to anxiously watch a Florida bill that would decouple live racing from gaming, I’ve mostly seen people focus on the loss of race dates that would result from its passage. Fair enough. Florida provides a year-round circuit with two different tiers of horse quality in the winter, and is home to a whole branch of the Kentucky Derby trail. Decoupling would almost certainly move a lot of horses, a lot of jobs, and a lot of economic impact out of Florida, and while other tracks may have a shortage of horses, this doesn't seem like the best way to resolve that problem.

BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Florida-bred Souper Quest returns to action Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in search of his first stakes victory in the $125,000 Turf Dash. The Live Oak Plantation homebred joins fellow Florida-breds Reef Runner, Rouki and Chess Master in an overflow field of 14 4-year-olds and older, including two on the list of also eligibles, who will race five furlongs on the turf.

HISA PRESS RELEASE

LEXINGTON, KY-The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU), in collaboration with the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission (PSHRC), today announced that they are pursuing cases against one veterinarian and 13 trainers in connection with an organized effort to evade HISA rules designed to protect and enhance the health and safety of horses and riders.

Featuring Peter T. Fornatale

Decoupling: What You Need to Know