Mike Lakow

You probably won't find the name Touchuponastar (Star Guitar) on anyone's 2025 Eclipse Award ballot. Fanfare just doesn't come easily for a Louisiana-bred who has spent most of his career competing against fellow state breds. But the 7-year-old gelding is unquestionably one of the fastest horses in the sport. Is he fast enough to win the Jan. 24 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes at Gulfstream Park? It appears he may just be given that chance. When the names of horses invited to the $3 million race were released, Touchuponastar...

David Duggan, the former Chief Operating Officer of Golden Gate Fields, has been appointed Executive Vice President, 1/ST RACING, according to 1/ST. Duggan has assumed day-to-day responsibility for the leadership of Gulfstream Park's racing operations and management. According to the company, Billy Badgett has shifted his focus away from day-to-day operations and management toward shaping the strategic future of Florida racing as Executive Director of Florida Operations for 1/ST. "I'm very excited and very thankful to Aidan Butler and the company for giving me this opportunity," said Duggan. "It's a...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has established a Racing Office Advisory Group comprised of senior racing officials from racetracks across the country, the organization announced Wednesday. The group will provide feedback to HISA's executive team and Standing Committees on rules, processes and operational practices affecting Thoroughbred racing officials nationwide. "Racing offices are integral to the successful implementation of HISA safety and integrity rules," said HISA Director of Racetrack Safety Ann McGovern. "By establishing this group, we are making a direct channel available for racing office professionals to share their...

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 announced it will increase all overnight purses 10%, effective Wednesday, Mar. 3. Mike Lakow, Gulfstream's Vice President of Racing, said the increase is due to the quality of the live program throughout the Championship Meet. "We are pleased to be in a position to raise purses for horsemen who have been so supportive during this racing season," he added. Gulfstream enters the ninth weekend of its Championship Meet with nine stakes (eight graded) Saturday highlighted by the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S., GII Davona Dale S., and...

Gulfstream Park will offer owners and fans the chance to walk trot or canter their horses across the track when it hosts its second Canter for the Cause Mar. 15. All participants will have a chance to have their pictures taken in the winner's circle by Gulfstream Park. Registration is $50 and all proceeds from the event will go to Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that inspects and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. "This was such a well-received...

Retired Thoroughbreds Tizrobertcharles (Bwana Charlie) and Guidoinaspeedo (Meadow Monster), both members of the Davie Police Department's Mounted Patrol Unit, and Rockaway, a member of the City of Coral Gables mounted unit, will help present the colors before the playing of the National Anthem on Pegasus World Cup Day Saturday. "Gulfstream Park focuses on racehorse aftercare to provide one time competitors a meaningful second career," said Mike Lakow, Vice President of Racing at Gulfstream Park. "We welcome these athletes back to the track alongside local equestrian law enforcement. The Stronach Group...

Looking for ways to avoid overusing the turf course at Gulfstream Park, The Stronach Group may install a synthetic Tapeta surface at the South Florida track. The news was revealed by Stronach Group COO Aidan Butler during his appearance on this week's TDN Writers' Room, presented by Keeneland. Butler said that The Stronach Group is looking into the possibility of having three tracks at Gulfstream, dirt, turf and synthetic. The grass course at Gulfstream is under heavy use throughout the year, but it had been getting a two-month break while...

Michael Costanzo has been appointed Gulftream Park's new racing secretary, replacing the outgoing Dave Bailey. Costanzo had served as the track's assistant racing secretary for the past year. A Chicago native and graduate of the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program, he joined the Gulfstream racing office in 2009 and was its stakes coordinator for five years before becoming assistant racing secretary. He was previously part of the Breeders' Cup notes team and public relations manager at Calder Race Course. "We're delighted with the work Mike has done for...

The 22nd edition of the Claiming Crown, a nine-race event offering $835,000 in purses to the blue-collar horses that are the backbone of the Thoroughbred industry's day-to-day racing schedule, will return to Gulfstream Park for the ninth consecutive year Saturday, Dec. 5. Handle on the Claiming Crown has climbed each of the last eight years since being held at Gulfstream. The Claiming Crown is a partnership between the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). "The Claiming Crown from its inception has...

Overnight purses will be raised 10-15% at Gulfstream Park beginning in June. "We were very conservative with our purse structure beginning in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic," said Gulfstream's Vice President of Racing Mike Lakow. "Without our casino operating and with no on-track attendance and handle we had to make adjustments with the purse account. The horsemen have been incredibly understanding and have worked with us throughout this process. We want to thank them for their support and we're pleased to provide this increase."

Under normal circumstances, with many tracks running on a busy Saturday afternoon, it's not uncommon to see races at different venues go off on top of each other. The occurrence usually leads to a flurry of frustrated tweets, with bettors, fans and even racing participants wondering why the issue can't be remedied--it seems like it should be an easy fix. Last Saturday, the convergence of post times reached a new level of irrationality. With the Tampa Bay Downs card already in the books, just two Thoroughbred-only tracks were holding races--Gulfstream...