FTBOA broadens 2-year-old bonus program
The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association is redirecting the money it previously provided for purses for a series of 2-year-old stakes at Gulfstream Park to a broader program awarding bonuses to Florida-bred owners and breeders of winning 2-year-olds, according to an announcement by the organization.
Under the new program, any 2-year-old winner of a maiden special weight, allowance, allowance/optional claiming, or stakes race at Gulfstream Park or Tampa Bay Downs in 2026 will receive a $25,000 bonus, with $20,000 going to the owner and $5,000 going to the breeder. The FTBOA had previously distributed $1.2 million in purses for seven 2-year-old stakes races at Gulfstream under the banner of the Florida Sire Stakes Series. Those races will no longer be held, the FTBOA said.
In the announcement, the FTBOA said that the change was necessary because Gulfstream and the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association have not reached an agreement with the FTBOA on the Florida Sire stakes races for 2026.
The relationship between the FTBOA and Gulfstream has soured over the past 14 months due to a conflict over legislation supported by the track’s owner, 1/ST Racing and Gaming. The legislation would allow Gulfstream to decouple its racing and casino licenses. The FTBOA has led an effort to oppose the legislation, which failed to pass last year but was reintroduced this year.
“The FTBOA did not enter this decision lightly,” said Lonny Powell, the chief executive officer of the FTBOA. “We had no other choice since repeated attempts to negotiate an agreement with the parties for the last six months went nowhere.”
Still, Powell said that the redirection of bonus money “delivers real value where it matters most.”
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