FTBOA, Gilligan Racing secure Ocala racetrack site

On October 28, 2026, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA) and Gilligan Racing LLC, its exclusive racetrack development partner, announced that they have secured control of more than 300 acres in Marion County for a new Thoroughbred racetrack.

For the FTBOA, which has held a nonprofit racing license for many years, this is a significant step toward putting that license to use.

The property was selected for its size, topography, and accessibility, according to the announcement. The exact location is expected to be announced later, so for now the headline is Marion County itself, the county already known as the Horse Capital of the World.

Preliminary plans call for championship-caliber dirt and turf courses, a modern grandstand and hospitality facilities, and dining, entertainment, and event venues designed to operate year-round.

The plans are preliminary and the project is in early planning stages. What has been announced is the site and the direction; the development details, timeline, and approvals all lie ahead.

The announcement puts a new race venue at the center of a region already known around the world for breeding and training Thoroughbreds.

The project is in early planning stages and will require coordination with Marion County, the State of Florida, and regulators on approvals, infrastructure, and partnerships. Those conversations will shape the timeline, the final plans, and what the venue becomes for the community.

For buyers weighing Ocala and Marion County, future race and training infrastructure is one more consideration in choosing where to land, alongside the barns, pastures, and daily life of a horse property.

If you are evaluating horse properties near the region's future race and training infrastructure, I would be glad to help you look at the home, the barn, and the land with a practical eye, and to answer the questions that matter for the way you want to live.