Gulfstream Park moves Florida Derby to April

[Dancer's Image]

Gulfstream Park _
Florida Derby moved to early April date
By MIKE WELSCH
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Gulfstream Park does not have a grandstand or a clubhouse, but as of Wednesday it did have an $8.4 million stakes schedule for the 2005 meeting, which begins on Jan. 3.
Gulfstream Park is undergoing a major renovation project that includes a new 1 1/8-mile main track and a one-mile turf course. The 2005 meeting will house fans under tents and other temporary structures, as the new grandstand and clubhouse are not scheduled to be completed until 2006.


...I've never been to GP, but it seems to me like this 2005 meeting, with its housing fans under tents is a recipe for disaster.

[Valuist]

I agree.

Arlington was able to have a successful 1987 meeting under tents but AP is a summer track. Its hard to imagine tourists wanting to flock to a tent meet. It'll also be interesting to see how the FG runs in its first year under the CDI umbrella.

[CryingForTheHorses]

Gulfstream as I speak is a huge mess. They have the turf course looking great, Im wondering if it will be settled enough to race on this year..Tampa waited a year after their new course was built before they raced on it.Im also wondering how the horses will take to the tents that they plan on useing,Can just see all the flapping crap all over the place as you are trying to gallop your horse. At this time the barn area looks like parts of Iraq with crap all over the place,I think they only have 4 barns left. I guess they plan on housing a lot of horses at Boynton Beach and vanning them to the gulf. Geeze if the hurricane Ivan hits, It will be bigger mess.I alo think it will take horseman by no surprise that they changed the florida derby to april,This will only affect those who are planning to run in it going to the derby, Could also have a different effect with other horseman thinking it will be a softer race and therefore attract more nominations or you could have a small field with mixed allowance horses.Gulfstream will be the showplace of the winter months after it is finally finished.Now all they need to do is get the slots. I know there are a ton of you who dont like Frank!! I will say this in his defence..He may block you from betting unless you join his club but he does give the horseman hope for a future and is trying to find ways to keep the sport in demand.

[OTM Al]

I think its going to be just fine there. Figure they'll throw up a bunch of bleachers and have the tents back away from the track. Scheduling my winter trip there for Feb 5-7. 6 stakes on the card, highlighted by the Donn. Can't wait. Not going to touch GP for the first couple days of racing though to see if the new track will run different than the old.

[bobbytabb]

Magna and CD might call a truce and surprise us all and run the meet at Calder.. oh, hell, who am I kidding... they could run the meet on the beach and we'd all show up.

[RXB]

This is pure speculation on my part, but I think that Gulfstream will go after at least part of the current Tropical Park dates in the near future. I can't otherwise imagine why they would go through all of the expense and bother.

December, especially, seems downright cherry. Churchill is finished, the main Aqueduct meet is finished. Not much happening on the east coast for top-class horses and stables, especially with turf runners. Seems like a natural takeover.