Turf course overhaul slated to start this week

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With more than four inches of rain falling locally from 5-9 a.m. on Sunday, it was a miracle of sorts the 11-race Gulfstream Park program went on as scheduled that afternoon over a racetrack officially designated as “good” throughout the card.

“I got to tip my hat to track super John Jamison and his entire crew for the job they did with all the rain that hit us in such a short period of time,” said Bill Badgett, Gulfstream general manager. “It got to a point this morning it had rained so much the water just had no place to go. It’s a tribute we were even able to run, let alone over a track in this good shape.”

Jamison, who took over track superintendent duties earlier this spring, will oversee a major project scheduled to begin this week, weather permitting: the complete overhaul of the turf course.

“We’ll be committed to the outside part of the turf course for the next four months or so,” Badgett said. “We’ll begin completely redoing the first 96 feet this week. That means tearing up the entire course and starting all over again. If things go according to plan, we’ll be able to redo the rest of the course when we move over to Gulfstream Park West in the fall. Barring any delays due to major weather issues this summer, the entire course should be ready for use by the time the Championship meet opens in December.”

Badgett said all the work would be done on dark days, with special lighting also to be installed on portions of the course to allow for work to be done at night.

◗ There will be only nine races on Thursday’s and Friday’s programs. Thursday’s main event goes as the opener, a $38,000 starter optional-claiming race carded at one mile on the grass that drew a field of eight fillies and mares, plus one main-track-only entrant. Nile Rising, a recent maiden winner, and Congrats in Blue, who has won two of her last three starts, should vie for favoritism.