Gulfstream Park, Tampa Bay Downs Geared Up for Openings
Monday, November 21, 2016

    The winter racing season in Florida kicks off in earnest in the next two weeks with the opening of Gulfstream Park's Championship meeting on Saturday, Dec. 3, preceded by the Tampa Bay Downs opener just five days from today.

    There are several major stakes days scheduled in Hallandale Beach, but all eyes will be focused on Jan. 28, the day of the inaugural Pegasus World Cup, a $12 million event which California Chrome's owners have mapped out to be the final race in the unprecedented career of the world's richest equine. There are seven stakes in all scheduled for that day, including three Gr. III's, the William L. McKnight, La Prevoyante and Hurricane Bertie.

    The Dec. 3 opening features the nine races making up the Claiming Crown, worth $1.1 million. Other major stakes days prior to the World Cup are Dec. 17, when the first three graded races will be run - the Rampart, Harlan's Holiday and Sugar Swirl - and Jan. 21, which will feature five Sunshine Millions races totaling $900,000 in purse money.

    The $1 million Florida Derby is set for April 1 and there are nine stakes scheduled for that program, worth a total of $2.45 million. 

    Although Tampa opens Saturday, there will only be one other racing day in Oldsmar in November, on the 30th. In December, the track goes to a Wednesday, Friday, Saturday schedule, but will be closed on the 24th and 25th. The first stakes race is the $100,000 Inaugural, to be run on the second Saturday, Dec. 3.  

    The Sam F. Davis Stakes, to be run on Feb. 11, is a Gr. III and the first four finishers will earn Kentucky Derby points. On that program, they will also feature the Gr. III Tampa Bay Stakes on the grass and the Gr. III Lambholn South Endeavour Stakes for fillies and mares on the grass. The track's signature race, the Gr. II Tampa Bay Derby, will again be sponsored by Roy Lerman's Lambholm South on March 11. It also carries Kentucky Derby points for the first four finishers.

    April 2 is the popular Florida Cup Day, featuring six sponsored stakes races, including the usual Ocala Breeders' Sales Sophomore, Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf, Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies, and Hilton Garden Inn/Hampton Inn & Suites Sprint. Two new sponsors are aboard, EG Vodka for the Turf Classic, and 14 Hands Winery for the Sophomore Turf.  

    BIONDETTI CLOSES IN - Woodford Thoroughbreds' freshman sire Biondetti picked up his seventh winner when Pretty Nacho broke his maiden by 3 1/2 lengths at Gulfstream West yesterday for owner/breeder Thoroughbred Champions Training Center. Biondetto still trails Ocala Stud's Overdriven by one winner, but leads in the money department.   


    

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