Gulfstream offers participation bonus to trainers

Gulfstream Park has announced new incentives designed to lure more horses and horsemen to south Florida for the summer.

Gulfstream will offer horsemen a $250 starter bonus tied to field size, beginning July 1. The bonus will be paid for races in which a field leaves the paddock with eight horses or more through Oct. 3. Gulfstream also will help defer the costs of shipping horses to the area anytime between now and Dec. 1, that policy coming on the heels of the announcement that the Palm Meadows training center will remain open, with no charge for stalls, throughout the summer.

“We’re looking to promote year-round racing in Florida,” said P.J. Campo, The Stronach Group’s vice president of racing and Gulfstream’s general manager. “We’ve already been helping guys from Ocala with their shipping costs to run here the last couple of weeks and have seen a good turnout in the entries. There are 1,300-plus stalls at Palm Meadows, only about 200 are presently occupied, and we think this presents a great opportunity for horsemen around the country to come down and establish themselves on the year-round circuit we now have here.”

Campo said Gulfstream also will pay the shipping costs for any horses coming down for the rich Summit of Speed on July 5.