Gulfstream

National HBPA CEO Eric Hamelback released a quarterly letter Wednesday which addresses Florida's decoupling bill along with the New York Times piece on horse racing. The letter reads: "The first quarter of 2025 has been nothing short of a tsunami for most of us in the industry. We entered the year hoping to turn the page, making positive strides and setting the industry on the right path. Then came January 7. While the events of that date didn't bring our industry to a standstill, they certainly caused an unexpected stumble--one...

6th-FG, 52K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 4:15 p.m. Westwind Farms homebred EPISIST (Outwork), out of SW/GSP and $625k KEENOV broodmare buy Silent Candy, is a half-sister to champion 3-year-old colt Epicenter (Not This Time) who captured that GI Runhappy Travers Stakes and placed in both the GI Kentucky Derby and the GI Preakness during his Eclipse-winning season. In addition to Epicenter, Silent Candy has produced three other winners from seven to race. Episist lines up just inside of the well-bred second-time starter Bundle (Volatile), a daughter of MGISW and...

2nd-GP, 50K, Msw, 3yo, (S), 1mT, 1:25 p.m. Purchased for $650,000 at FTSAUG in 2023, Florida-bred OUR SOUPER HERO (War of Will) was his sire's priciest yearling from that debut crop. Owned by Live Oak Plantation, the colt, who will face fellow Florida-breds Friday, is a half to both GSW/MGISP Pappacap (Gun Runner) and GSW Boppy O (Bolt d'Oro). First dam Pappascat, herself graded stakes placed, boasts a perfect four-for-four record for runners to winners. Debuting on the turf for trainer Mark Casse, Our Souper Hero gets Dylan Davis aboard....

The horsemen's organization representing thoroughbred owners and trainers at Gulfstream Park is rejoining the National HBPA as an affiliate, the group announced Monday. The board of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, North America's largest group representing thoroughbred owners and trainers, unanimously approved re-admitting the organization currently called the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen. Known as the Florida HBPA for years, the South Florida group left the National HBPA in 2019. "Our full board had serious discussions about the request of the South Florida horsemen to return as an affiliate," said...

Godolphin homebred Sovereignty (Into Mischief) kicked off his sophomore campaign in style with a dramatic, last-to-first victory in Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park, good for 50 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. Last of six and urged along by Junior Alvarado to keep pace through a half mile in :47.07, Sovereignty began to get going with a four-wide blitz on the far turn. Still with his work cut out for him in third as they straightened, the 3-1 third choice leveled off...

The Queens M G (Thousand Words), winner of last summer's GIII Adirondack S. and Schuylerville S. at Saratoga, rode the rail to a decisive victory in Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream Park, good for 37.5 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. Drawn on the fence and off as the 9-5 second-choice, she traveled nicely on the inside through an opening quarter in :24.24, slipped through along the inside beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. at the top of the stretch and took off nicely from there...

Bet down like a sure thing when debuted on Pegasus World Cup day, Disruptor (Gun Runner) was caught on the lead late and forced to settle for third that afternoon. Employing a different tactic Saturday but still heavily wagered upon at 3-5, the Triple Crown-nominated colt came home by nearly double digits in his second start to be named a new 'TDN Rising Star'. Breaking from the far outside for the familiar combination of Todd Pletcher and Irad Ortiz, Jr in the Repole Stable blue and orange silks, Disruptor was...

As the calendar turns to March, Derby fever kicks into high gear with no fewer than six races awarding points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks respectively this weekend. Saturday features the return of the undefeated GII San Vincente Stakes winner Barnes (Into Mischief) for trainer Bob Baffert as one of a six-horse field in the GII DK Horse San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita. The $3.2m FTSAUG grad lines up with a pair of well-regarded stablemates in Mellencamp (Constitution) and 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez...

8th-Gulfstream, $78,540, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 2-27, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.16, ft, 2 1/2 lengths. GRANDE (c, 3, Curlin--Journey Home {GSW, $225,997}, by War Front) put in a promising debut performance going an eighth of a mile shorter to take a win first-time out at odds of 9-1 Jan. 11. Now favored at even-money facing winners for the first time, the Triple Crown-nominated colt sat poised in second just off pacesetter Jimmy's Dailys (Vekoma) who spurted to the front from the rail. Tracking that runner past the half in :47.61,...

The GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth, the final prep for the GI Curlin Florida Derby held March 29, will headline a program laden with nine stakes, of which eight are graded, worth $2.15 million in purses next Saturday. The 79th running of the Fountain of Youth offers qualifying points for the GI Kentucky Derby on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale. Burnham Square, the GIII Holy Bull winner, is scheduled to clash with seven other 3-year-olds entered for next Saturday's feature. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is represented in the Fountain of...

Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC's Burnham Square (Liam's Map), who last captured the GIII Holy Bull Stakes Feb. 1, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.05 (2/13) Saturday morning at Palm Meadows in preparation for next Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. The Ian Wilkes-trained colt finished the workout at Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County on even terms with stablemate Into Champagne (Into Mischief), who finished second in the GII Davona Dale Stakes and third in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks last year, before galloping out with energy....

According to a posting on the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) website, trainer Todd Pletcher has had a horse test positive for the controlled medication betamethasone. The infraction occurred with the horse Vassimo (Nyquist), who tested positive after breaking his maiden on Dec. 14 at Gulfstream. He subsequently came back and won an allowance at Tampa Bay Downs and is entered to run in Saturday's GII Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. The positive will not affect his status for the Fair Grounds race. Betamethasone, a long-acting corticosteroid with...