Gulfstream Park

Once upon a time in South Florida, there was a storied racetrack named Hialeah. While in its heyday, the track that followed in Florida’s Thoroughbred rotation, Gulfstream Park, was an afterthought.

With the passage of time and a migration north from Miami-Dade to Broward County and beyond, Gulfstream became more popular and successful than the iconic venue that gave racing, among other things, the iconic Flight of the Flamingos every afternoon.

And so a rivalry was born between Hialeah and Gulfstream Park over what was considered the prime winter dates, especially after Gulfstream was awarded the choice dates in 1972.

In negotiations, Gulfstream management decided that rather than compete, it would split the baby and offered Hialeah 40 prime racing dates in perpetuity.

However, Hialeah’s owner John Brunetti, would not budge off his demand of 44 days. Resultingly, Hialeah is now primarily in the casino business and on occasion has held Quarter-Horse meets and ersatz Thoroughbred match races.

Ultimately, Gulfstream not only remained viable but became the winter capital of Thoroughbred racing. The first Gulfstream meet in 1939 lasted four days. While an official determination has yet to be made, Gulfstream Park likely will become South Florida’s year-round racing venue in 2021.

The vast number of breeding farms throughout the state assures that Gulfstream will have more than enough juveniles to put on races throughout summer and fall, filling the void left by the permanent departure of Calder Race Course that straddled the Dade-Broward County line.

The prime dates have morphed into Gulfstream’s Championship Meet, a session that begins in December and ends when the Florida Derby is conducted, generally the last Saturday in March, meant to be renewed five weeks before the Kentucky Derby.

In 1944, five years after its four-day inaugural meet, the track was reopened by James Donn Sr. and remained in the Donn family for three generations.

After a series of several renovations that has taken decades, the track was purchased by prominent owner-breeder Bert Firestone in 1990. After another five years passed, Firestone sold half-interest to investor Nigashi Nihon.

And five years after that, Gulfstream Park was sold to Magna Entertainment Corporation, later “bought out” by parent MI Development, and now resides in the considerable portfolio of its current ownership brand, The Stronach Group.

With no competition for dates or bloodstock, Gulfstream Park has become the place for racing’s biggest outfits to winter. All come for the season but most come with a reason; there was, pre-Covid era, large purses to be won and reputations to made and enhanced.

The giants of the sport ensured that east of the Mississippi, all eyes would be focused on South Florida.

In 1980, the great Angel Cordero Jr. won the riding title with a meet-record 60 winners. Thirteen years later, Julie Krone won the title at a lengthened stand with 98 winners. Javier Castellano began his string of riding titles with a record 112 winners in 2012.

Jerry Bailey gained a foothold on a Hall of Fame career by being Florida’s dominant rider, as did Castellano and Junior Alvarado. Paco Lopez had his first rides as a 10-pound apprentice in 1996. Eclipse winning apprentice Tyler Gaffalione of Davie, made his transition to journeyman and has joined the ranks of the sport’s riding elite.

Among trainers, Todd Pletcher won his first meet title in 2004, a streak that spanned nine straight years, and a short list of just Florida Derby-winning trainers reads like a roll of drums: Preston Burch, Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, Leroy Jolley, Horatio Luro, John Veitch, Wayne Lukas, Bobby Frankel, and Nick Zito.

As for the horses, the great Cigar began his perfect 1995 season with victories in the Donn and Gulfstream Park Handicaps. Major stakes horses and champions, such as Forego, Foolish Pleasure, Invasor, Skip Away, Skip Trial, Quality Road and Saint Liam, all won important races at Gulfstream Park.

Gulfstream started as a mile oval but amid all the renovations the track was lengthened. It is now a nine furlong oval with a one-mile dirt chute, surrounding a one mile turf course. A portable rail can convert one course into two, a wide and inner course.

Both dirt and turf surfaces tend to favor horses with tactical speed, and has throughout its history.

As an older horse, 1955 Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year Swaps set a world record under 130 pounds in the Broward Handicap for a mile and 70 yards. One year later, Gen. Duke equaled the then world record for nine furlongs at 1:46 4/5, upsetting Bold Ruler in the Florida Derby.

Major events include the Sunshine Millions, originally pitting Florida-breds vs. California-breds, and the very popular Claiming Crown series. The Pegasus World Cup Invitational, formerly the Donn Handicap, and Pegasus Turf, are major seven-figure events held on the final Saturday in January.

But nothing compares in stature to the Florida Derby. Twenty Florida Derby winners have gone on to win 15 Kentucky Derbies (Forward Pass was elevated to first), 10 winners of the Preakness [link to Preakness page], and six winners in the Belmont, a total of 31 classic victories in all.