Anchored by the $16-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, Gulfstream Park's 2017-2018 Championship Meet will feature a record stakes schedule of 94 events worth $28.6 million. The track's elite meet opens Saturday with a program featuring the $1.1-million Claiming Crown, and continues through Apr. 1.
The second running of the Pegasus World Cup, the world's richest race, will be held Jan. 27, while the 67th running of the GI Xpressbet.com Florida Derby will be worth $1 million and will be held Mar. 31.
Leading up to the Florida Derby, Gulfstream will host the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Jan. 6, the $350,000 GII Holy Bull S. and the $200,000 GII Swale S. Feb. 3, the $100,000 GIII Hutcheson Mar. 24, and the $400,000 GII Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 3.
The progression of races for 3-year-old fillies starts with the $75,000 Glitter Woman S. Jan. 6 and continues with the $200,000 GII Forward Gal S. Feb. 3, $200,000 GII Davona Dale S. Mar. 3 and the $250,000 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 31.
The Championship Meet's 18 weekends will include 12 Super Saturdays featuring between three and 12 stakes.
“The Stronach Group continues to reshape, reinvent and reimagine the racing experience with exceptional facilities, exceptional dining and world-class racing,” said Bill Badgett, General Manager of Gulfstream Park. “Not only are we excited with our racing product–which will feature Hall of Fame trainers and jockeys and many of the best horses in the world–but we're excited to show off our unique facility and we look forward to our fans and guests being part of our exceptional events. There's few things in sport that rival a Pegasus World Cup or Florida Derby. There has never been a Championship Meet packed with so many events or so much excitement. We're looking at a very special and memorable winter.”
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