Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., and its horsemen have reached an agreement that guarantees live racing at the track through the end of 2028, the two parties announced on Wednesday morning. Under the agreement, Gulfstream has committed to “at least” 180 days of live racing in 2026, 140 days of live racing in 2027, and 120 days of live racing in 2028. Gulfstream has in recent years held approximately 200 days of live racing on a year-round schedule, and an announcement from the two groups characterized the commitments as a “minimum racing schedule” that was likely to be augmented. The agreement was announced on the day that a previous live-racing agreement was set to expire. Leadership of the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association negotiated the deal on behalf of its members. “These agreed upon days establish the minimum number of guaranteed racing days for the next three years,” the FHBPA said. “The FHBPA will continue to look for opportunities to enhance racing and explore solutions for the long-term future of racing in South Florida.” :: Play Gulfstream Park with confidence! DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports are available now.  1/ST Racing, the owner of Gulfstream, said in a statement that the intent over the next three years is “to run as much live racing as possible provided average field sizes and the condition of the purse account remain commercially reasonable.”   “As always, our objective is to run as much as we can,” said Aidan Butler, the chief executive officer of 1/ST. “The reality is that the industry is changing, and this framework is focused on providing a quality racing product rooted in economic reality giving horsemen and women, fans, our employees and the industry greater clarity and stability.” Relations between the two sides became strained early this year when horsemen learned that a group previously representing trainers at the track had agreed to endorse legislation that would have allowed Gulfstream to de-couple its racing and casino licenses in exchange for a three-year commitment to racing. The uproar from trainers led to a wholesale turnover in the management of the group and its re-branding as the FHBPA. The decoupling legislation supported by Gulfstream was fiercely resisted by the new group and every other racing and breeding constituency in the state. The bill eventually died in the Senate after being passed in the House, in part due to opposition from the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis. The state of relations between Gulfstream and its horsemen had sparked concerns over the ability of the two sides to work together on striking a new live-racing agreement. The FHBPA had insisted that the agreement cover at least three years. “There are many unknowns in the world today, especially in horse racing,” said Tom Cannell, the FHBPA’s president. “I am so proud of the work of [the FHBPA’s] board of directors and their tenacity to fight to provide some clarity to our membership over the next three years.” A new bill allowing Gulfstream to de-couple its licenses was introduced to the legislature last week. That bill would allow 1/ST Racing to declare its intention to cease live racing at the track in 2027, but it would require the track to race for three more years after the declaration. Florida’s Thoroughbred constituencies have become increasingly concerned that racing at Gulfstream Park is endangered over the long term and have begun exploring alternate scenarios for maintaining live racing dates in the state, including a plan to build a new non-profit track in Ocala, the center of the state’s bloodstock industry. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.