A Thoroughbred racetrack is being built for the Horse Capital of the World — here is what is actually known.
Ocala and Marion County are home to Florida’s Thoroughbred breeding industry, but the state’s only live racing happens hours away at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. A coalition backed by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association and billionaire attorney John Morgan is working to change that — using Florida’s only available Thoroughbred racing permit. This page tracks every step, with sources.
Last verified update: November 11, 2026
Confirmed vs. rumor
This story is moving fast on social media, and the local version has picked up details that are not in any official source. Here is the split.
✓ Confirmed by official sources
- The developers: Gilligan Racing LLC, exclusive development partner of Ocala Thoroughbred Racing (FTBOA).
- The money and names: Attorney John Morgan (Morgan & Morgan) and former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine are partners in Gilligan Racing; racing executives Ron Winchell (Kentucky Downs co-owner) and Marc Falcone are on the team.
- The land: Control of 300+ Marion County acres secured, announced Oct. 28, 2026.
- The reason: An insurance policy for Florida racing if Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs win “decoupling” — the right to keep their gambling without running live races.
- The status: Early planning. County, state, and regulator coordination still ahead.
⚠ Rumor / not supported
- “It’s a World Equestrian Center project” — No. WEC is owned by the Roberts family and is not a named party to this project.
- “Two billionaires bought the land” — One partner, John Morgan, is a documented billionaire. The others are wealthy racing and development figures; no source identifies a second billionaire, and the announcement says land control was “secured,” not who paid what for it.
- “It includes a casino” — Not announced anywhere. See below.
- “1,900+ acres / opens in 3 years” — Social-media figures that contradict the official 300+ acres and no-timeline statements.
- Specific locations (near WEC, Highway 318, the former Classic Mile) — all commenter speculation as of this update.
Timeline
How a permit kept “on ice” since 2011 became an active development project.
Enabling legislation passes in 2010. Ocala Thoroughbred Racing is founded in 2011 as FTBOA’s wholly owned nonprofit subsidiary, holding a legislatively approved Thoroughbred permit tied to Marion County — kept in reserve unless Florida’s existing tracks moved to end live racing.
Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs pursue legislation to decouple gambling from live-racing requirements in two consecutive Florida legislative sessions. Both efforts fail — but FTBOA decides the threat is permanent and activates the Ocala permit.
FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell publicly reveals the initiative at the Global Symposium on Racing in Arizona: an exclusive agreement with an entity formed by Philip Levine and John Morgan to pursue a modern racing and entertainment complex in Marion County.
John Morgan meets FTBOA leadership at their Ocala headquarters to lay out a sustainable model for Florida Thoroughbred racing and breeding, anchored in Marion County.
Gilligan Racing LLC announces its exclusive agreement with Ocala Thoroughbred Racing, confirms several potential sites are identified and under evaluation, and names Ron Winchell and Marc Falcone to the effort. FTBOA’s president cautions that a suitable property and a sustainable purse structure are still to be developed, and that some Florida statutes will need to be addressed.
FTBOA and Gilligan Racing announce control of more than 300 acres for the track: dirt and turf courses, grandstand and hospitality, dining, entertainment, and year-round event venues. Exact location to be announced. Project described as early planning.
The single biggest pending fact. Expect it to trigger county filings, road and utility discussions, and the first real development timeline. This is the alert most subscribers are here for.
The casino question
The question everyone in Marion County asks first. Here is the honest answer.
Is a casino part of this racetrack?
Not in anything that has been announced. No FTBOA or Gilligan Racing release mentions slot machines, a cardroom, or gaming machines of any kind, and project coverage has described the goal as a track that does not depend on a casino subsidy — because a purse model that works without one is the unsolved piece of the economics.
Could one be added later?
It would be an uphill legal climb. Under current Florida law, slot machines at pari-mutuel facilities are authorized only in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and table-style casino gaming outside tribal facilities is not broadly authorized. A Marion County casino would require legislative change — the same Tallahassee arena where decoupling has failed two sessions in a row. A poker cardroom, which Florida does allow at licensed pari-mutuel facilities, is legally simpler but has also not been announced for this project.
Then why does everyone assume a casino?
Three reasons: Gulfstream Park pairs racing with a casino in South Florida; Kentucky Downs — co-owned by Gilligan team member Ron Winchell — is famous for its historical horse racing gaming machines in Kentucky; and most modern U.S. tracks fund their purses with gaming revenue. Assumption is understandable. It is still an assumption, and this page will say so until an official source says otherwise.
Is this the World Equestrian Center expanding?
No. The World Equestrian Center is a separate facility owned by the Roberts family. This racetrack is an FTBOA / Gilligan Racing project under a state racing permit WEC has no announced role in. The two would be neighbors in the same county horse economy — nothing more is confirmed.
When will it open?
Nobody official has said. There is no announced budget, construction start, or opening date, and the developers themselves describe the project as early planning that must still work through county and state approvals, infrastructure, and partnerships. Any specific year you see online is a guess.
What we’re watching
The filings and announcements that will actually move this story — checked daily for alert subscribers.
Get the alert when the location drops
One email when something verified actually happens — the site reveal, county filings, a budget or timeline, a gaming decision. No weekly filler, no rumor roundups.
Sources
- FTBOA, “Major Milestone for Florida Thoroughbred Racing: FTBOA and Gilligan Racing Secure Ocala Racetrack Site,” Oct. 28, 2026 — ftboa.com
- BloodHorse, “FTBOA, Gilligan Racing Take Big Step Toward Ocala Track,” Oct. 28, 2026 — bloodhorse.com
- FTBOA, “Gilligan Racing Moves Forward With Plans for New Thoroughbred Racetrack in Marion County,” Aug. 19, 2026 — ftboa.com
- Paulick Report, “FTBOA To Pursue Development Of Racing, Entertainment Facility In Ocala Area,” Dec. 9, 2025 — paulickreport.com
- FTBOA, “A New Marion County Racetrack Dominates All Other Priorities,” Oct. 2026 — ftboa.com
- Ocala Star-Banner, “Sites identified for possible thoroughbred racetrack in Marion County,” Aug. 20, 2026 — ocala.com