Florida Sire Stakes

In an effort to create greater opportunities for Florida-breds, the Florida HBPA will put up $2 million that will go toward both raising purses for Florida-breds and creating new stakes races for horses bred in the Sunshine State. Owners and trainers with Florida-breds will have their first opportunity to collect a portion of the $2 million Apr. 25 when six state-bred stakes races, each worth $100,000, will be offered on the Gulfstream card. The HBPA's decision to promote and fund Florida-bred stakes races comes after the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and...

A new, $1-million Florida Sire Racing Incentive Program for 2026--providing win incentives to owners and breeders of FSS-eligible 2-year-olds at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs--has been announced by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association. Each 2-year-old winner of a maiden special weight, allowance, allowance optional claiming or stakes race at either track during calendar year 2026 will earn a $25,000 racing incentive paid directly by the FTBOA--$20,000 to the winning owner and $5,000 to the breeder. The new program replaces the Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds. "The...

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association has unveiled an enhanced online registry search to allow owners to easily confirm a Thoroughbred's current FTBOA Florida-bred registration status, Florida Sire Stakes eligibility and to verify registered Florida Stallions. The online Registry Search, FTBOA.com/registrysearch, allows users to search and sort foaled-in-Florida Thoroughbreds by name, dam name, sire name or by foal crop. FTBOA icons indicate fully registered FTBOA Florida-breds. The Florida Sire Stakes icon confirms that a Thoroughbred has been fully paid into and is eligible to participate in the lucrative Florida...

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association has announced enhanced incentives for Florida-breds in Gulfstream Park stakes. The estimated $2-million FTBOA program begins Apr. 1 and extends through December. The GI Curlin Florida Derby card Apr. 1 includes more than $650,000 performance bonuses for FTBOA registered Florida-breds and for Florida Sire Stakes (FSS) eligible contenders. FTBOA offers $100,000 to owners of FTBOA registered Florida-breds, plus $100,000 for eligible FSS owners that finish first, second or third in the Florida Derby, to be paid on a 60%-30%-10% basis, respectively. The GII...

In an effort to further enhance the 2-year-old program in the state of Florida, 1/ST RACING, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA), Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (FTHA) have announced that $1.75 million in Florida-bred racing incentives will be offered at Gulfstream Park in 2023. The renewed Florida-Bred Incentive Fund (FBIF) will pay out a total of $450,000 in bonus money to 2-year-old maiden winners. The FBIF program offers Florida-bred two-year-old open maiden winners a minimum bonus of $2,500 for maiden-claiming races and up to $10,000 for a Florida-bred...

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA) will devote more than $2.2 million to support the Royal Palm Meeting at Gulfstream Park over the summer months. Of that amount, $1.4 million is earmarked for the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Series, $375,000 toward purse enhancements for Florida-breds and Florida Sire Stakes-eligible runners in stakes races and $250,000 in FTBOA Florida-bred Incentive Funds (FTBOA FBIF). "Florida-breds are so important to Gulfstream Park racing and these supplements certainly will make our stakes more attractive," Gulfstream Park vice president of racing Mike Lakow...

Gulfstream Park's upcoming spring and summer stakes schedule features races worth $3.775 million and later runnings of its signature races. The $300,000 GII Princess Rooney S. and $200,000 GIII Smile Sprint S. have been moved from their traditional June dates and will be run Sept. 5 this year and the Princess Rooney has been shortened from seven furlongs to six. "Both the Princess Rooney and Smile were moved from the middle of the summer to September in hopes of more participation moving closer to the fall," said Mike Lakow, Gulfstream's...