By the Numbers: GP West Handle up 19 Percent After Two Weeks

By Jim Freer and Barry Unterbrink

After the first two weeks, daily average all-sources handle is up 19 percent from about $2.65 million to about $3.16 million at the Gulfstream Park West meet.

Those numbers are for all bets, on-site and at other locations and betting services, made on races at the GP West meet. Gulfstream Park is holding the meet at Calder under a lease agreement with that track.

The GP West meet has racing Wednesdays through Sundays, with first post time of 1:15 p.m.

Based on a review of Equibase charts, the daily averages are $3,157,197 for the first 11 days this year and $2,649,569 for the first 11 days of last year’s inaugural GP West meet.

However, the average number of starters per race is down 11 percent from 9.3 for last year’s first 11 days to 8.3 for this year’s first 11 days.

There were ten races each of the eleven days this year and last year. GP West had three stakes races through eleven days in 2014. It has had no stakes races thus far this year.

For the second week, the average daily handle was $2,721,887 for five days last year and $3,161,195 for five days this year.

Numbers for this year’s second week:

Date                                  Total handle           Starters

* Wednesday, Oct. 14     $2,416,326             75

* Thursday, Oct. 15         $2,988,961            77

* Friday, Oct. 16              $3,124,458            69

* Saturday, Oct.17           $3,800,639          80

* Sunday, Oct. 18           $3,475,591             70

 

One reason handle is up this year is that more simulcast bettors are aware that it is being run by Gulfstream, whose name and image are more popular than those of Calder.

One reason fields are smaller this year is that there are fewer horses stabled at Calder than at this time in 2014. In January, Calder required trainers to take about 700 horses out of Calder barns.

Many horsemen obtained stalls at Gulfstream or among the 430 stalls that Gulfstream has leased at Calder. But some owners were forced to sell displaced horses to buyers in other states.

Horses among the approximately 1,400 stabled at Gulfstream make up the majority of most race fields for the GP West meet.

GP West also is drawing entrants from Palm Meadows in Boynton Beach, the training center affiliate of Gulfstream, and from Palm Beach Downs in Delray Beach.

By the Numbers: GP West Handle up 19 Percent After Two Weeks

Holy Horses! Robin Team Show Leads GP West Owners

By Jim Freer

After 11 racing days at the Gulfstream Park West meet, newcomer Robin Team Show Racing Corp. leads the owners’ standings with three wins.

Through Sunday six familiar names each have two wins and are tied for second place at the meet, which Gulfstream Park is holding at Calder. They are Jacks or Better Farm, Crossed Sabres Farm, Monarch Stables, Starship Stables, Joker Racing and Eric J. Wirth.

Meanwhile, Marcus Vitali has taken  the lead in trainer wins at GP West.

Robin Team Show began operations this year and is owned by a group of Venezuelan investors, some now living in South Florida including its managing owner Marcel Garcia.

According to the Gulfstream media office, Garcia is a fan of Batman and named the racing team for the movie and TV series (1960s) superhero’s sidekick Robin.

On TV, Robin became known for phrases beginning with the word “holy,” such as “Holy smokes, Batman.”

At last year’s inaugural GP West meet, Frank Carl Calabrese and White Wabbit Wacing each had 13 wins and tied for the owners’ title.

Calabrese has run only eight horses thus far at GP West and has one win. He had 12 wins at the recent Gulfstream Park summer meet, finishing second behind Jacks or Better which had 15.

White Wabbit has not yet run any horses at GP West this season. It has been racing mostly at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.–the summer base of Jorge Navarro who trains most of its horses. In the recently concluded Monmouth meet, Navarro finished first in wins among trainers and White Wabbit was third in wins among owners.

Greg Schwartz, an attorney in Hollywood, owns White Wabbit.

Trainers and Jockeys

Vitali and jockey Matt Rispoli combined for four wins at GP West during the five days between Oct. 14 and 18.

Trainer Marcus Vitali

That put Vitali into the lead in the trainers’ standings, with six wins. Rispoli moved into a tie for third in the jockeys’ standings with eight wins.

We will have more about Vitali, his horses and Rispoli in a story later this week.

Antonio Sano is second in the trainers’ standings with four wins.

Six trainers are tied for third place with three wins each. They are Todd Pletcher, Juan Arias, Gustavo Delgado, Steve DiMauro, Rodolfo Garcia and Ralph Nicks.

Sano was first in wins with 22 at last year’s GP West meet, and Vitali finished second with 19.

At the Gulfstream summer meet, Nicks led trainers with 34 wins and Sano came in second with 31.

Vitali had four wins in 24 starts at the Gulfstream summer. His summer base was at Monmouth, where he finished third with 24 wins.

Tyler Gaffalione leads GP West jockeys with 14 victories, followed by Edgard Zayas with 11.

Zayas was the leading rider at GP West last year. He finished fourth in wins at this year’s Gulfstream summer meet.

Gaffalione finished ninth last year at GP West. He led riders in wins at this year’s Gulfstream spring and summer meets.

Until this Oct. 11, Gaffalione had a five-pound weight allowance in non-stakes races. But despite the loss of “bug” status, he continues to get mounts from Nicks and several other leading GP West trainers.

Eddie Castro is tied with Rispoli for third place at the GP West meet. Jonathan Gonzales has seven wins and is in fifth place.

Holy Horses! Robin Team Show Leads GP West Owners

Calendar

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This Week at the Florida Tracks: Oct. 19 to Oct. 25

The Gulfstream Park West meet, at Calder in Miami Gardens, will have racing this Wednesday through Sunday.

Gulfstream Park is holding the GP West meet under a lease agreement with Calder. The meet will extend through Nov. 28.

Daily first post is 1:15 p.m. during October and 12:45 p.m. during November.

The GP West condition book shows two stakes races scheduled for the upcoming weekend.

* Saturday, Oct. 24 — $75,000 Little Miss Magic, fillies & mares 3-YO and up, 1 1/8 miles turf

* Sunday, Oct. 25 — $75,000 Spider John, 3-YO and up, 1 1/8 miles turf

Gulfstream in Hallandale Beach is open daily for simulcasting, including the Gulfstream Park West races, during the GP West meet.

Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar is in the midst of physical and operational preparations for its opening day on Nov. 28.

Calder Casino

21001 N.W. 27th Ave.

Miami Gardens, FL 33056

(305) 206-6309
Calder Web site

For information on the racing at GP West (Calder), use the Gulfstream Park contact information listed below.

* Live racing — Wednesdays through Sundays, first post is 1:15 p.m.

Casino — Open from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Sundays through Thursdays and 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays

Gulfstream Park

901 S. Federal Highway

Hallandale Beach, Fla. 33009

Phones — (954) 454-7000
Gulfstream Park Website

* Simulcast wagering — seven days a week with more than 30 thoroughbred and harness tracks; open for simulcasting from 11 a.m. until approximately 11 p.m.

* Casino — the two casino rooms are open from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Sundays through Thursdays and 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays

* Poker — 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. on Sundays through Thursdays, and 24 hours on Saturdays and Sundays.

Tampa Bay Downs

11225 Race Track Road, Tampa, Florida 33626

Main Phone (813) 855-4401

Toll Free (In Florida) (866)-TBDOWNS (823-6967)

Tampa Bay Downs Web Site

Tampa Bay Downs will resume live racing on Nov.28th. Prior to then, it is open seven days a week for afternoon and evening simulcasts of thoroughbred races from more than 20 tracks. A schedule may be obtained by calling the numbers listed above.

*The Silks Poker Room hours of operation: Daily, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 a.m.

The Downs Golf Practice Facility hours of operation:

Pro Shop: 8:30 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. daily (Last bucket sold at 7:45 p.m.)

Range: 8:30 a.m. – dusk daily

Short Game Area: 8:30 a.m. – dusk daily (lights out at 9:45 p.m.

This Week at the Florida Tracks: Oct. 19 to Oct. 25