Gulfstream: G3 Princess Rooney Highlights Sunshine Meet Stakes Schedule

By David Joseph —-

G3 Princess Rooney Highlights Sunshine Meet Stakes Schedule

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – The $200,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G3), a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ event, will highlight the 2025 Sunshine Meet stakes schedule of 17 races worth $1.625 million in purses at Gulfstream Park.

The seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares, which offers the winner a fees-paid berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint {G1) Nov. 1 at Del Mar, will be renewed Sept. 20.

Last year, Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Soul of an Angel captured the Princess Rooney by 3 ¼ lengths before going on to rally from last to prevail in the seven-furlong Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint by a half-length at Del Mar. Michael McCarthy-trained Ce Ce won the 2021 Princess Rooney before going on to score in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar. Ce Ce returned to Gulfstream to win the 2022 Princess Rooney, but was unsuccessful in her defence of her Breeders’ Cup title at Keeneland. Both Soul of an Angel and Ce Ce were honored with the Champion Female Sprinter Eclipse Award after winning the Princess Rooney and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

The stakes action for the Sunshine Meet (Sept. 5 through Nov. 23) will be kicked off by the first leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds, Florida-breds. The $100,000 FSS Dr. Fager, a six-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds, and the $100,000 FSS Desert Vixen, a six-furlong dash for juvenile fillies, will be run on Sept. 6.

FTBOA FSS action will resume Oct. 18 with the $150,000 FSS Affirmed, a seven-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds, and the $150,000 FSS Susan’s Girl, a seven-furlong stakes for juvenile fillies.

The $100,000 Gil Campbell Memorial, a mile stakes for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up, will also be featured on the Oct. 18 program. Campbell, the late president of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association, owned Stonehedge Farm South in Williston, FL with his wife Marilyn, who is still very much active in breeding and owning Florida-breds.

Seven stakes are scheduled to be conducted on a turf course that is currently undergoing renovation. The $75,000 Bob Umphrey Sprint, a five-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up, and the $75,000 Ginger Punch, a mile stakes for fillies and mares, will kick off the turf stakes action on the Princess Rooney Invitational undercard Sept. 20.

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The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks, training centers and premier events including: Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); Laurel Park, The Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and 1/ST TV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information email – and visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.