Gulfstream Park

The newly-launched 1/ST TV features a rebranding of XBTV's workout site, which offers coast to coast videos in addition to newly incorporated livestreams from Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and HipicaTV. XBTV has offered workout content since 2015, and will now bridge 1/ST RACING & GAMING assets under the same branding to leverage its overall brand strength. 1/ST TV will also segment the free video workouts from the East Coast (Gulfstream Park, many of the South Florida training centers and Saratoga) and the West Coast (Santa Anita Park and Del...

In his debut and in his lone start prior to showing up last week in a maiden special weight race at Aqueduct, Colloquial (Vekoma) showed that he was a horse with potential. Though he lost, by a nose, the winner was Mentee (City of Light), a full-brother to Eclipse Award winner Fierceness (City of Light). And the final time of :56.97 established a new track record at Aqueduct, eclipsing the mark set 61 years earlier. But few could have expected what Colloquial, who is trained by George Weaver, would do...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Aterradora at the Fair Grounds. Starspangledbanner Filly Strikes Gold At Fair Grounds Pura Vida Investments' Aterradora (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), second in her first two starts at Fair Grounds in November and January, got off the mark on the first day of February at that track (video). Bred by The Last Partnership, the filly was purchased for 150,000gns out of Book 2 of the Tattersalls...

The U.S. Virgin Islands's Department of Sports, Parks, & Recreation Department has formally closed the Clinton E. Phipps Racetrack on the island of St. Thomas until further notice after at least seven horses were euthanized last year, according to a press release from the agency on Friday. In an article on Thursday, Jan. 30, the TDN reported that breakdowns occurred starting in May, but the St. Thomas/St. John Horse Racing Commission (STT/STJ HRC) was regulating cards without anti-doping laws in effect nor had the surface undergone professional testing. Alongside these...

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is in the process of making plans for a trio of stable stars which includes the Florida-based River Thames (Maclean's Music), Gate to Wire (Munnings) and Locked (Gun Runner). WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s undefeated 3-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames bounced out of his Feb. 1 optional claiming allowance victory in good order and will have plenty of options moving forward said Pletcher. The New York-bred bay romped by 6 1/2 lengths as the favorite going one mile in 1:36.34 on...

Florida's controversial decoupling legislation took an ominous step forward Wednesday when a House subcommittee not only advanced a bill that would remove the requirement that Gulfstream Park run a minimum number of live Thoroughbred races in order to operate its casino, but also amended the bill to say similar terms would apply to cardroom gaming license-holders, too, meaning Tampa Bay Downs would also have the option to cease racing if the bill got signed into law. The House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee reported HB 105 as "favorable" by a...

Ian Wilkes doesn't rush his young horses. You won't seem them running in 4 1/2-furlong races at Keeneland in the spring and they may not peak until late in their 3-year-old year or even early in their 4-year-old year. That's probably why he's had only one starter in the GI Kentucky Derby, McCraken (Ghostzapper), who finished eighth in the 2017 GI Kentucky Derby. But this time it's different. Wilkes has come up with a horse that has forced his way into the Derby picture. That was evident when the Wilkes-trained...

The Board of the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen (FTH) met Monday to address HB 105, the pending legislation seeking decoupling in Florida that would allow Gulfstream Park to separate its gaming license from the requirement to continue to conduct live racing. The Board of the FTH voted unanimously against decoupling and is against the passage of HB 105. Their statement issued Monday reads: "The future of Thoroughbred racing in South Florida is too important and too uncertain if HB 105 is passed. We cannot take that risk without a definitive plan...

A Letter To The Industry from Damon Thayer The Florida State Legislature is facing a crossroads similar to what we in Kentucky's General Assembly faced in early 2021. At stake, as it was in Kentucky, is the future of the labor-intensive horseracing and breeding industry in that state. With strong support from horsemen whose livelihoods were at risk, Kentucky lawmakers passed legislation that allowed the racing industry to invest in itself by protecting tracks' ability to conduct and benefit from another parimutuel product known as historical horse racing (HHR). Today,...

C2 Racing Stable, Agave Racing Stable and Ken Reimer's reigning champion sprint mare Soul of an Angel (Atreides) breezed four furlongs Sunday at Gulfstream ahead of an intended tilt at the $20-million GI Saudi Cup Feb. 22. Trained by Championship Meet leader Saffie Joseph Jr., 6-year-old was timed in :47.80 seconds on the main track, ranking 13th of 70 horses. It was her third work since finishing third in the Rampart Stakes Dec. 26. "She had a good half-mile work. We put her in company to pick it up a...

Whitham Thoroughbreds' Burnham Square (Liam's Map), winner of Saturday's GIII Holy Bull Stakes, exited the Triple Crown prep 'bright and alert' and could return in Gulfstream's GII Fountain of Youth Stakes in four weeks. According to trainer Ian Wilkes Sunday, Burnham Square "came out fine and jogged good this morning" at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. The gelding earned 20 GI Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his 1 3/4-length triumph. Second in Gulfstream's series of dirt races for 3-year-olds on the road to the $1-million...

Stonestreet homebred Eclatant (Into Mischief) remained perfect in three starts going one turn with a late-running victory in the GIII Fasig-Tipton Forward Gal Stakes to close out the Saturday program in Hallandale Beach. The 4-1 chance was beaten for speed and settled in about midpack early on as longshot and 'TDN Rising Star' Rojo Rita (Volatile) came across from her high draw and was pressed along by Stunner (Girvin) through enervating early fractions. Three deep, but with cover on the back of The Queens M G (Thousand Words) into and...