Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Gulfstream Park 2008 Race Meet
Posted on Tuesday, December 18th, 2007
Gulfstream Park’s 2008 Race Meet starts Thursday, January 3. The opening-day card features the inaugural South Beach, the first of six stakes to be contested the first four days of the meet. 2008 Gulfstream Park Stakes schedule includes a trio of half-million dollar events and the sixth running of the Sunshine Millions.
“The focus will be on competition – every day, every race – and stakes races are the marquee events,” Gulfstream Park Racing Secretary Bill Couch said. “After a spring and summer of race analysis and conversations with horsemen, we decided to experiment with a few things, and I have every confidence that the adjustments we have made will be well received by fans and horsemen.”
Gulfstream Park has been a proving ground for classic-bound 3-year-olds throughout its history and the Florida Derby has been the nation’s foremost prep race for the Kentucky Derby, the first leg in the Triple Crown Trail. In its 55-year history, 38 3-year-olds have come out of the Florida Derby to win 51 Triple Crown events.
As it was when master horsemen Michael Matz guided Barbaro to a Florida Derby-Kentucky Derby double in 2006, the Florida Derby will be run five weeks prior to the Kentucky Derby.
A major change effects the $150,000 Holy Bull, a Grade 3 stakes that has served as a prep for future Florida Derby winners Hal’s Hope, Harlan’s Holiday and Friends Lake and as a prep for future Kentucky Derby winners Go for Gin, Funny Cide and Barbaro.
In recent years it has served as a lead-in to the Fountain of Youth. Whereas in 2008 the Fountain of Youth will be run Sunday, February 24, the Holy Bull, to be run Saturday, April 12, will be contested after the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby.
The distance as well as the date of the Holy Bull has been changed: Lengthened to 1 3/16 miles, the race is only a sixteenth shorter than the Kentucky Derby, which will be run three weeks after the Holy Bull.
It thereby becomes the continent’s longest graded Kentucky Derby prep.
The Sunshine Millions has proven to be one of the most popular events at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita. The eight-race series carries purses worth $3.4 million. Each racetrack hosts four events on a rotating basis: This year Gulfstream Park will host the Sunshine Millions Turf and the Distaff, each worth $500,000; the Sunshine Millions $300,000 Sprint, and the $250,000 Dash. Race day is Saturday, January 26.
The third $500,000 race on the schedule is the Grade 1 Donn Handicap, won last year by defending Horse of the Year Invasor. In recent years the Donn has served as a springboard to the Dubai World Cup, which Invasor also won before his retirement in late spring. The Donn Handicap will be contested February 2.
Gulfstream Park 2008 Stakes Schedule
| Date | Race | Division | Purse | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 3 | South Beach | 4 & up, F&M | $50,000 | 1 1/16 miles turf |
| Jan. 4 | Canadian Turf Handicap (G3) | 4 & up | $100,000 | 1 1/16 miles turf |
| Jan. 5 | Hutcheson (G2) | 3-year-olds | $150,000 | 7 furlongs |
| Mr Prospector Handicap (G3) | 4 & up | $100,000 | 6 furlongs | |
| Jan. 6 | Sabin Handicap (G3) | 4 & up, F&M | $150,000 | 1 1/8 miles |
| Hal’s Hope Handicap (G3) | 4 & up | $100,000 | 1 1/8 miles | |
| Jan. 12 | Old Hat (G3) | 3-year-old fillies | $100,000 | 6 furlongs |
| Jan. 13 | First Lady Handicap (G3) | 4 & up, F&M | $100,000 | 6 furlongs |
| Jan. 26 | Sunshine Millions Day | |||
| Distaff | 4 & up, F&M | $500,000 | 1 1/8 miles | |
| Oaks | 3-year-old fillies | $250,000 | 6 furlongs | |
| Sprint | 4 & up | $300,000 | 6 furlongs | |
| Turf | 4 & up | $500,000 | 1 1/8 miles turf | |
| Jan. 27 | Appleton Handicap (G3) | 4 & up | $150,000 | 1 mile turf |
| Feb. 2 | Donn Handicap (G1) | 4 & up | $500,000 | 1 1/8 miles |
| Swale (G2) | 3-year-olds | $150,000 | 7 furlongs | |
| Feb. 3 | Suwannee River Handicap (G3) | 4 & up, F&M | $100,000 | 1 1/8 miles turf |
| Feb. 9 | Forward Gal (G2) | 3-year-old fillies | $150,000 | 7 furlongs |
| Feb. 16 | Hallandale Beach | 3-year-olds | $75,000 | 1 1/16 miles turf |
| Feb. 17 | Hurricane Bertie Handicap (G3) | 4 & up, F&M | $150,000 | 7 furlongs |
| Feb. 23 | Gulfstream Park BC Turf (G1) | 4 & up | $350,000 | 1 3/8 miles turf |
| Feb. 24 | Fountain of Youth (G2) | 3-year-olds | $350,000 | 1 1/8 miles |
| March 1 | Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) | 4 & up | $350,000 | 1 3/16 miles |
| March 2 | Davona Dale (G2) | 3-year-old fillies | $150,000 | 1 mile |
| Mac Diarmida Handicap (G3) | 4 & up | $150,000 | 1 3/8 miles turf | |
| March 8 | Richter Scale BC Handicap (G2) | 4 & up | $225,000 | 7 furlongs |
| March 8 | Very One Handicap (G3) | 4 & up, F&M | $100,000 | 1 3/8 miles turf |
| March 9 | Rampart Handicap (G2) | 4 & up, F&M | $200,000 | 1 1/8 miles |
| March 15 | Shirley Jones BC Handicap (G2) | 4 & up, F&M | $200,000 | 7 furlongs |
| March 22 | Skip Away Handicap (G3) | 4 & up | $150,000 | 1 1/8 miles |
| March 29 | Florida Derby (G1) | 3-year-olds | $1 million | 1 1/8 miles |
| Bonnie Miss (G2) | 3-year-old fillies | $150,000 | 1 1/8 miles | |
| Palm Beach (G3) | 3-year-olds | $150,000 | 1 1/8 miles turf | |
| March 30 | Orchid Handicap (G3) | 4 & up, F&M | $150,000 | 1 1/2 miles turf |
| April 5 | Pan American Handicap (G3) | 4 & up | $150,000 | 1 1/2 miles turf |
| April 12 | Holy Bull (G3) | 3-year-olds | $150,000 | 1 3/16 miles |
“Gulfstream’s stakes program is rich in history and opportunities and, in examining the stakes schedules from past years, we thought that running six or seven stakes in one day diluted the product,” Gulfstream Park President and General Manager Bill Murphy said. “These races have a rich tradition and we, as racefans, wanted them to be savored the way they were meant to be.”
The four Sunshine Millions Day races remain intact and there will be three stakes Florida Derby Day, with two stakes scheduled for January 5 and 6 (opening weekend), February 2 (Donn Day) and March 2. Gulfstream Park closes Sunday, April 20.
"Gulfstream Park 2008 Race Meet" was posted on Tuesday, December 18th, 2007 at 9:27 pm and is filed under Gulfstream Park, Horse Racing Industry, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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