Gulfstream News & Notes: Gulfstream’s Turf Undergoes $1 Million Renovation

By David Joseph —-

Gulfstream Park News & Notes
Gulfstream’s Turf Undergoes $1 Million Renovation
Breakfast at Gulfstream Returns Saturday
Pegasus Tickets on Sale

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Gulfstream Park’s Championship Meet, which includes the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, Florida Derby (G1), Eclipse Awards, Claiming Crown and Clasico Internacional del Caribe, begins Saturday, Dec. 1 with a renovated turf course.

Renovations on the 180-foot course began over the summer, according to Gulfstream General Manager Bill Badgett.

“We started with the outside 100 feet and we totally tore it up and put all new sod down,” he said. “The inner part of the course we renovated. We used Celebration Turf, which continues to score high in studies done on tolerance and recovery.”

Badgett announced earlier this year there were more than 5,000 stall applications received for the 3,100 stalls at Gulfstream, Palm Meadows and Gulfstream Park West for the Championship Meet.
Horsemen are also stabled for the meet in South Florida at Palm Beach Downs and Payson Park.

“There’s a lot of excitement about the meet,” Badgett said. “More horsemen want to keep horses in South Florida year-round or permanently relocate here due to our program. Obviously, turf racing is very important to us and the addition of the Pegasus World Cup Turf only adds to it. We’re happy that we have a pristine course that’s ready for business beginning Saturday. It will be the first of many big weekends during the Championship Meet.”

Breakfast at Gulfstream Returns

The popular Breakfast at Gulfstream returns with the opening of Gulfstream’s Championship Meet Saturday.

Fans can come out between 8-10:30 a.m. on Saturday take free tram tours of the backstretch, watch horses gallop and work out, and enjoy a breakfast buffet ($10 per person, children under 2 eat free).

Tours of the backstretch are approximately 45 minutes and guests must arrive before 9:30 a.m. to take the tour. There are character appearances for the children each Saturday and special guests.

For more information go to: http://www.gulfstreampark.com/racing/breakfast-at-gulfstream

Pegasus Tickets on Sale

Tickets to the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, which includes the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the inaugural running of the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, are on sale now at pegasusworldcup.com

To be contested Saturday, Jan. 26, the Pegasus has attracted the country’s top horses in its previous two runnings including Horses of the Year Gun Runner, California Chrome and Arrogate, West Coast and Gunnevera.

Both Pegasus races are the richest of its kind in North America.

Gulfstream Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; XpressBet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets.