Tampa Bay Downs reported minimal damage to the front of the track in Oldsmar, Florida, and significant flooding in the shed area following the onslaught of Hurricane Milton on the evening of October 9.

The Category 3 storm made landfall at 8:30 PM ET the night before in Siesta Key, Florida, a barrier island next to Sarasota on the western side of the state. Siesta Key is located about 60 miles south of Tampa. Oldsmar is located off the north shore of Old Tampa Bay, about 25 miles from downtown Tampa.

Tampa Bay Downs, which runs from Nov. 22 through May 3, had no horses on site. According to Margo Flynn, vice president of marketing and publicity, Track employees have been out of the office since Oct. 7 to prepare for the storm. The track closed its simulcasting and poker room on October 8

“Due to the power outages, downed power lines and fallen trees on the surrounding roads, we are unable to get crews in to take a closer look. We are under a shelter-in-place order,” Flynn told BloodHorse on October 10. .

Some areas in the Tampa metropolitan area were particularly hard hit. Part of the roof of Tropicana Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, was torn away by high winds.

The storm then moved eastward through Central Florida as a Category 1 hurricane, crossing the center of its path south of Orlando before continuing toward the Atlantic Ocean. Milton spawned several tornadoes and an estimated three million homes and businesses were without power as of 10 a.m. ET on 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 pretty much unscathed at Bridlewood,” said George Isaacs, general manager of John and Leslie Malone’s farm. “In these events you prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Of course you bring all the horses in and keep them out of the elements. This afternoon we will go out.”

With Hurricane Milton expected to hit Florida, Ocala Breeders’ Sales has increased its October Yearling Sale by one day to Monday and Tuesday. Most of the horses were moved off the property before the hurricane arrived, but the approximately 75 horses that remained at OBS were in good condition Thursday after the storm, OBS communications director Alicia Hughes said.

Hughes said the Ocala area experienced heavy rainfall, but OBS had no damage or power loss. Photos taken by Hughes showed only limited debris on the sales site after the storm.