Gulfstream Park sets stakes schedule for championship meet
Gulfstream Park’s championship meet, highlighted by the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) on Jan. 25 and the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) on March 29, will begin Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, and run through March 30.
The meet will host a total of 66 stakes races, 30 graded, totaling $15.025 million. Opening weekend begins with 2-year-old turf stakes Thanksgiving Day and Friday, Nov. 29, and the finals of the Florida Sire Stakes Saturday, Nov. 30.
Pegasus World Cup day will offer eight stakes races, seven graded plus two overnight handicaps, totaling $5.55 million. Along with the World Cup and World Cup Turf, the day also will feature the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2), Inside Information (G2) for fillies and mares, the W.L. McKnight (G3) for 4-year-olds and up and the La Prevoyante (G3) for 4-year-olds and up fillies and mares, both at 1 1/2 miles on the turf, and the Fred Hooper (G3) for 4-year-olds and up at a mile on the main track.
The Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, for 4-year-olds and up on the turf, is expected to draw a crowd as are two overnight handicaps run on Gulfstream’s Tapeta track, the Carousel Club and South Beach.
Florida Derby day brings 10 stakes totaling $2.5 million, five graded, including the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) for 3-year-old fillies, two 1 1/2-mile turf events in the Pan American (G2) for older horses and Orchid (G3) for fillies and mares, and the Ghostzapper (G3) for 4-year-olds and up on the main track.
Two big days with major preps for the spring classics lead up to the Florida Derby.
On Feb. 1, the Holy Bull (G3) is the featured event of a five-stakes program that includes three other graded races, the Forward Gal (G3) on the main track, Kitten’s Joy (G3) and Sweetest Chant (G3) on turf, both contested on the turf.
The final preps for the Florida Derby and Gulfstream Park Oaks are March 1. The nine-stakes program, eight graded, is led by the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Davona Dale (G2).
The 3-year-old filly series begins Jan. 1 with the Cash Run at a mile, followed by the Forward Gal, Davona Dale and Gulfstream Park Oaks on Derby Day.
Gulfstream’s turf course will offer a plethora of opportunities for all horses during the championship meet. In December 3-year-olds and up will have the H. Allen Jerkens at two miles and the Fort Lauderdale (G2) at 1 1/8 miles, and 3-year-olds and upward will have opportunities in the Suwannee River (G3) at a mile and the Abundantia at five furlongs.
From January through March, older turf horses and fillies and mares will each have eight turf stakes available at a mile or more. Five of the eight in both divisions will be graded. Turf sprinters will also have plenty of opportunities. Fillies and mares will contest the Ladies Turf Sprint and Captiva Island while 4-year-olds and up will contest the Gulfstream Turf Sprint and Silks Run.