GP West Resumes Wednesday With Eight Races, As the End of Racing at Calder Approaches

 After being dark on Monday and Tuesday, the Gulfstream Park West meet will resume Wednesday with eight races and first post of 12:35 p.m. at Calder in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Wednesday will be the 32nd day of the 39-day GP West meet, which will end on Saturday Nov. 28.

It is almost certain that Nov. 28 will be the last race day of thoroughbred racing at the property, which for several years has used the name Calder Casino, rather than the long-standing Calder Race Course. 

This is the final year of a seven-year lease under which Gulfstream Park is operating a two-month meet at Calder--using the name Gulfstream Park West.

Louisville, Ky. based Churchill Downs Inc., Calder's parent company,  and Aurora, Ont.-based Stronach Group, Gulfstream's parent, reportedly are not interested in renewing the lease.

Throughout the seven years, Gulfstream has had racing from December through October at its track in Hallandale Beach, Fla. When Gulfstream adds October and November next year, there are expectations that it might not race for two weeks or make another schedule reduction to refurbish the turf course and do  maintenance work.

First there is the matter of winding down at Calder, which first held racing in 1971.

On Wednesday, the Rainbow 6 carryover will be $137,552.The 20 cents per combination bet will be on races three to eight. The sequence is scheduled to start at 1:33 p.m.

Gulfstream is guaranteeing that Wednesday's Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be at least $200,000 if there is just one ticket with all six winners.  If there are multiple tickets with six winners, Gulfstream will take out 20 percent of the day's Rainbow 6 bet. It will divide 56 percent among tickets with six winners and add 24 percent to the carryover.

The carryover has grown because GP West has gone nine straight race days with multiple winning tickets.

GP West will race five straight days between Wednesday Nov. 18 and Sunday Nov. 22.

The meet's final three days, and the final days for Calder will be Wednesday Nov. 25, Friday Nov. 27 and Saturday  Nov. 28.

First post will be 12:35 p.m. each day, unless otherwise noted.

Calder is closed to the public because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Gulfstream Park's tent area, north of its grandstand, is open for simulcast betting on the GP West races and on races  at other major tracks.  Tampa Bay  Downs, Hialeah Park and Pompano Park also have simulcast betting on GP West and other tracks.

 

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