Gulfstream Park announced a record $11.25 million
stakes program for its 2014-2015 Championship Meet, highlighted by the 64th
running of the prestigious Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby on March 28.
The winter stakes program will have a total of 67 stakes
races — 37 graded — and will include purse increases for nine stakes, the
addition of two new stakes, and the inaugural running at Gulfstream of the W. L.
McKnight, La Prevoyante and Fred Hooper, all Grade 3 contests.
Gulfstream’s 76th anniversary season of Thoroughbred
racing, which will kick off December 6 with the 15th running of the $1
million Claiming Crown and conclude Florida Derby Day, will once again play host
to the finest Thoroughbreds in the world and Hall of Fame trainers and jockeys. Gulfstream’s stakes program will accommodate the country’s most promising
three-year-old colts and fillies, turf stars and older horses.
Gulfstream’s Championship Meet will also include six Super
Saturdays with programs featuring more than five stakes races.
Some of the Championship Meet highlights include:
graded) including the 1 1/8-mile Derby, which has produced the winners of 57
Triple Crown events. The Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), which has been changed from
1 1/8 miles to 1 1/16 miles, will be joined by the Pan American (G3), Orchid
(G3), Honey Fox (G2), Appleton (G3), Skip Away (G3) and Sir Shackleton. The
Honey Fox, Skip Away and Appleton have all received purse increases.
for the Florida Derby, will highlight an afternoon of eight stakes (seven
graded) including three graded turf stakes in the Mac Diarmida (G2), The Very
One (G3) and Canadian (G3).
miles, will be one of five stakes on the afternoon, including the Forward Gal
(G2) and Hutcheson (G3).
graded) contested on February 7. Other graded races will include the Fred
Hooper, formerly run at Calder, and Suwannee River (G3).
Gulfstream in December. The $75,000 Tropical Park Derby and $75,000 Tropical
Oaks will be run December 20 while the W.L. McKnight and La Prevoyante will be run December 27.
worth $1.1 million, highlighted by the $350,000 Sunshine Millions Classic.
H. Allen Jerkens will be run January 31 for four-year-olds and up on the turf at two
miles, and the $75,000 Texas Glitter will be run February 7 for three-year-olds at five
furlongs on the turf.
“The stakes schedule for the 2014-2015 Championship Meet
shows Gulfstream Park’s commitment to Thoroughbred racing, horsemen throughout
North America, and our fans,” said P.J. Campo, Gulfstream’s vice president of
racing. “We have increased the purses of nine stakes races, added two more, and
tweaked some of the distances of our graded stakes to help horsemen as they
prepare their horses for some of our major races later in the meet.
“The changes we’ve made have come after careful
consideration and dialogue with horsemen from around the country. We also talked
to fans and took into consideration the changes they suggested. Horsemen will
find kinder progressions in distances and better spacing to some of our stakes
races, and fans will see large fields and our weekends filled with major
graded-stakes races.”
Ten of those major races will have purse increases. The
Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap, for older horses, will be increased from $250,000
to $300,000 while the Honey Fox, for fillies and mares at a mile on the
turf, will be increased from $200,000 to $300,000.
The remaining stakes races
getting purse increases from $100,000 to $150,000 are all Grade 3 events. They
are the Hutcheson (three-year-olds), Herecomesthebride (three-year-old fillies),
Appleton and Pan American (older horses on the turf), Marshua’s River and The
Very One (fillies and mares on the turf), and the Skip Away and Hal’s Hope
(older horses).
The Grade 3 Rampart, for fillies and mares at a mile, has been
moved from Florida Derby Day to Fountain of Youth Day and will go from 1 1/8
miles to one mile and its purse will be $100,000.
Connections stabled at Gulfstream and its satellite
training center, Palm Meadows, will have several options to prepare their colts
for the spring classics.
The schedule for colts and geldings kicks off January 3 with
three options — the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man (formerly Gulfstream Park Derby) at
a mile, the $100,000 Spectacular Bid at six furlongs and the Grade 3, $100,000 Dania
Beach at 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf.
On January 24, the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2, $400,000 Holy Bull and
seven-furlong $150,000 Hutcheson will be contested followed by the 1 1/16-mile
$400,000 Fountain of Youth on February 21 and the seven-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Swale
on February 28. It all leads to the prestigious $1 million Florida Derby on March 28.
The schedule for three-year-old fillies begins January 3 with the
Grade 3, $100,000 Old Hat at six furlong and continues with the Grade 2, $200,000 Forward Gal
at seven furlongs on January 24, the Grade 2, $200,000 Davona Dale at a mile on February 21,
and the Grade 2, $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on Florida Derby Day.
Gulfstream’s turf course will provide a plethora of options
for three-year-old colts and fillies. Beginning with the Dania Beach, stakes for
sophomores on the turf will include the $100,000 Kitten’s Joy at a mile January
24, the inaugural running of the $75,000 Texas Glitter on February 7 at five furlongs,
and the $150,000 Palm Beach on February 28 at 1 1/16 miles.
Three-year-old fillies will have the $100,000 Ginger Brew
at 7 1/2 furlongs on January 3, the $100,000 Sweetest Chant at a mile on January 24, and the
$150,000 Herecomesthebride at 1 1/16 miles on February 28.
Gulfstream, which has played host to Horses of the Year and
older handicap champions Cigar, Invasor, Saint Liam and Skip Away, will have
plenty of opportunities beginning with the Hal’s Hope on January 10. The $350,000
Sunshine Millions Classic will be contested January 17. Three weeks later,
Gulfstream will play host to the $500,000 Donn Handicap at 1 1/8 miles and $100,000 Fred Hooper at a mile. The Gulfstream Park Handicap
on March 7
will be followed by the Skip Away at 1 3/16 miles on Florida Derby Day.
Older fillies and mares will have the $250,000 Sunshine
Millions Distaff on January 17, the Grade 3, $150,000 Hurricane Bertie on February 14, the
Grade 3, Rampart on February 21, the Grade 2, $200,000 Royal Delta (formerly the Sabin)
and the Grade 2, $200,000 Inside
Information on March 21.
Gulfstream’s 180-foot wide turf course will see many of the
country’s top stars beginning opening day with 33 turf stakes, 16 graded. The
first graded stakes for older horses will be the 1 1/2-mile W.L. McKnight on December 27. The
Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Lauderdale will be run on January 10 followed by the
January 17 Sunshine Millions Turf, the January 31 H. Allen Jerkens, the February 7
Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap and Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, the February 21 Mac Diarmida and Canadian Turf, the March 14 Silks Run, and the March 28 Pan
American and Appleton.
Fillies and mares will hit the turf December 27 for the Grade 3 La Prevoyante, the January 10 Marshua’s River, the January 17 Sunshine Millions
Filly & Mare Turf, the February 7 Grade 3 Suwannee River, the February 21 The Very One and
Ladies Turf Sprint, and the March 28 Honey Fox and Orchid.
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