GP West Meet to Have Walk-Around Tellers; Campo Expects Quality on Track

There are still no plans for tents or other covered structures at the Gulfstream Park West race meet that will be held at Calder Casino beginning Oct. 5

But walk-around tellers, who can cash mutuel tickets, and on-site restrooms have been added to the small list of amenities that will be available during the 40-day meet that will end Nov. 27. Gulfstream Park is holding the GP West meet under a lease agreement with neighboring Calder.

While Gulfstream is running the race meet and has leased the Calder track, Calder and its parent company Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) control and make decisions concerning the area near the track.

Because of the limited amenities and because of safety concerns at the now-desolate Calder property, Gulfstream General Manager P.J. Campo and other Gulfstream officials are encouraging fans to go to Gulfstream to watch and wager on GP West races via simulcast.

“It will be much more comfortable for then here,” Campo said on Sept. 23. He added that Gulfstream will have its full menu of in-bound simulcasting during the two months when it does not have live racing.

Gulfstream is in Hallandale Beach, Fla., eight miles east of Calder in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Racing at GP West

Campo said he does not expect the situation trackside will have any negative impact on the racing.

The GP West meet will have the regular contingent of horses, jockeys and trainers from the Gulfstream spring and summer meets. It also will have the first arrivals of horses that are being sent down from northern states for the

Gulfstream championship meet that will open Dec. 3.

As in meets at Gulfstream, the turf racing that attracts bettors will be a big part of the program.

In fact, the first GP West condition book shows a whopping 31 of 53 races scheduled for turf during the first six days.

Gulfstream superintendent Bill Badgett and his team are in charge of the turf course and dirt track at Calder.

Calder officials have not responded to e-mails and phone messages concerning the GP West meet.

Details of Meet

On Sept.  23, Campo provided these updated details of the services that will be available at the GP West meet.

* There will be no covered structures in Calder’s racing area for fans to watch and bet on the live races.

*There will be no teller stations with mutuel clerks. 

*The area near the track will have between six and eight betting machines.

* There will be two walk-around mutuel clerks, who can cash tickets they sell and cash tickets bought at machines in the racing area and in Calder’s casino.  Winning tickets purchased at Calder can be cashed at Gulfstream, under the regular 12-month deadline.

*Calder will have a small to-be-determined number of betting machines in its casino building, several hundred yards from the finish line. The casino will have several TVs showing the GP West races and between-races telecasts. There will be no in-bound simulcasts at Calder.  

*There will be a large TV in the racing area, showing the GP West races.  There will not be any other TVs around the racing area.

* Calder has agreed to open to the public a small restroom building (now used by workers) near the still-intact saddling area.

* A food truck makes several trips a day to an area that is

near the jockeys’ building and accessible to the public. Refreshments also are available in the casino.

*There will be a tent for trainers and owners. Some horsemen are still hopeful that Calder will agree to allow a tent larger than the one it had last year.

--Jim Freer