Florida Derby, Pegasus World Cup highlight Gulfstream Park meet

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Buoyed by the success of their 2017-18 Championship and summer meetings, Gulfstream Park officials are anticipating even bigger and better things when the 2018-19 Championship meet begins Saturday with the first of 89 programs through March 31.

Not only did the 2017-18 Championship meet shatter all previous meet records with total handle of more than $957 million, Gulfstream’s two marquee event days, Florida Derby Day ($49.9 million) and Pegasus World Cup Day ($41.9 million) also set track wagering marks for a non-Breeders’ Cup program. And this year, Pegasus Day might prove to be an even bigger hit with two featured events, the $9 million Pegasus World Cup and the inaugural edition of the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. At the last Championship meeting, the $16 million in purses for those two races made up the purse for the Pegasus World Cup. The Pegasus races spearhead a Jan. 26 card that features seven other stakes, three of them graded.

The turf course has been renovated for the meet. The $1 million project included tearing up and resodding the outside 100 feet of the 180-foot-wide course.

“There’s a lot of excitement about the meet,” said Bill Badgett, Gulfstream general manager. “Obviously, turf racing is very important to us, and the addition of the Pegasus World Cup Turf only adds to it. We’re happy that we have a pristine course that’s ready for business beginning Saturday, which will be the first of many big weekends during the Championship meet.”

:: Want to get the latest news with your past performances? Try DRF’s new digital PPs

Although Pegasus day has stolen some of its thunder, Florida Derby Day remains the premier afternoon of racing during the four-month session. The $1 million Florida Derby highlights a March 30 card that includes six additional stakes, including a trio of Grade 2 events – the Gulfstream Park Mile, Gulfstream Park Oaks, and Pan American.

As always, the Grade 1 Florida Derby caps off a 3-year-old Kentucky Derby prep season second to none. The 3-year-old stakes begin on Jan. 5 with the one-mile Mucho Macho Man and continue with the Grade 2 Holy Bull on Feb. 2 and Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 2.

Gulfstream will race Wednesday-Sunday most weeks, with racing the holiday Mondays of Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 21) and Presidents Day (Feb. 18).

Post time for opening day is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

The demand for stalls throughout the local area has been higher than ever for the upcoming meet, according to Badgett.

“We received 5,000 applications for the 3,100 stalls available at Gulfstream, Palm Meadows and Gulfstream Park West,” said Badgett, “an indication that more horsemen want to keep horses here year round or relocate to South Florida due to our program.”

Private stabling facilities around the area also include Payson Park and Palm Beach Downs, the winter home for perennial leading trainer Todd Pletcher.

The jockey colony is as loaded as ever, with two time defending champion Luis Saez back in quest of a three-peat. The Ortiz brothers, Irad and Jose, will both be here from the beginning of the meet this winter, while John Velazquez and Javier Castellano figure to take their regular places near the top of the standings and local hero Tyler Gaffalione returns home after recently winning both the Keeneland and Churchill Downs riding titles.

Pletcher is the favorite to win an unprecedented 16th straight training title, although he could face a serious challenge this winter from Jorge Navarro. A distant second in the standings each of the last three years, Navarro returns locally with full barns of horses at both Palm Meadows and Gulfstream Park West.