Reporting Star Heads GP West Turf Field

Today's first  stakes at GP West is  the Turf,  at 1 1/16 miles with  scheduled  post of 1:05 p.m.

Veterans  Reporting Star and Old Time  Hockey, two Florida-breds coming home for the winter, are likely favorites.

Reporting Star, in from Woodbine in Ontario, finished second in the 1 1/8 mile Tropical  Turf last season at Calder.  He has  Paco Lopez riding, and that should suit his take-the-lead style.  But he could face pace pressures from locals Padilla and Rizwan.

Old Time Hockey, also graded placed, will be coming late. But our pick is that Reporting Star will hang on to win.

The wild card in the eight-horse field  is One Step Salsa, making his stakes debut. He has won three of four starts.  Plus factor is that his trainer Mike Maker's barn is scorching on the Calder (GP West) turf with five wins--all in the last two weeks.
-- Jim Freer 

Today at GP West: Eight Stakes for Florida-Breds

By Jim Freer

Since 2002, Florida’s thoroughbred racing and breeding industries have set aside a Saturday in early November with lucrative stakes races restricted to Florida-breds.

That tradition continues this afternoon at the Gulfstream Park West meet, being held at Calder Casino & Race Course in Miami Gardens.

Racing at Gulfstream Park West

There will be eight stakes races for Florida-breds–all with $100,000 purses. Those races are part of a ten-race card with first post time of 12:35 p.m.

The list of previous winners on “Florida Day” includes Miesque’s Approval (later the winner of the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Turf), Best of the Rest, Take D’Tour, Soldier’s Dancer and Tackleberry.

Flutterby (in the Distaff), East Hall (defending winner in the Classic) and Katie’s Kiss (in the Turf Sprint) are among star horses in today’s races. The day’s finale, the Juvenile Sprint, has Bullet Gone Astray, Fellowship and several other potential stars.

East Hall wins the Millions Classic Preview Nov. 8, 2014

Four of today’s stakes are for 3-year-olds and up, and the other four are for 2-year-olds. The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association is contributing $25,000 to each race’s purse.

Gulfstream Park is holding the GP West meet at Calder under a lease arrangement with that track.

Gulfstream is calling today the Sunshine Millions Preview. That is because today’s races for older horses have age and distance conditions similar to the Sunshine Millions, which will be held on Jan.16 at Gulfstream in Hallandale Beach.

Through 2012, today’s event was known as the Florida Million.

On our blog we will have previews later this morning and on-site coverage this afternoon.

Here is the stakes schedule, listed in the order in which races will be run.

* Millions Turf Preview–second race, scheduled post

1:05 p.m.; 1 1/16 miles on turf; 3-year-olds and up.

* Juvenile Filly Sprint–third race, scheduled post 1:35 p.m.; 6 ½ furlongs in dirt; 2-year-old fillies

* Millions Turf Sprint Preview — fourth race; 2:05 p.m.; 5 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up

* Millions Classic Preview — fifth race; 2:35 p.m.; 1 1/16 miles on dirt; 3-year-olds and up

* Millions Distaff Preview — sixth race; 3:05 p.m., 7 furlongs on dirt; fillies and mares 3-years-old and up

* Juvenile Turf — seventh race; 3:35 p.m.; one mile 2-year-olds

* Juvenile Filly Turf — ninth race; 4:35 p.m.; one mile; 2-year-old fillies

* Juvenile Sprint — tenth race; 5:05 p.m.; 6 ½ furlongs on dirt; 2-year-olds

Today at GP West: Eight Stakes for Florida-Breds

Lopez Returns to Winner's Circle at GP West

HorseracingFLA Staff Report

The legions of fans who will often bet on a horse because Paco Lopez is riding will have three opportunities today at the Gulfstream Park West meet.

Lopez this week returned to South Florida from Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J,, where he led jockeys in wins for the third time in four years.

On Thursday he rode his first winner in three starts thus far at the GP West meet. Gulfstream Park is holding that meet at Calder under a lease agreement with that track.

Jockey Paco Lopez

Lopez has mounts today in the fifth, seventh and ninth races. First post is 12:35 p.m. for the ten-race card.

He usually returns to South Florida in November. He led jockeys in wins at Gulfstream Park’s championship meet in 2010 and 2011 and is a perennial top five finisher at hat meet.

Lopez’s Thursday’s win was in the third race, a starter allowance at six furlongs, aboard Lucky Bella.

That 3-year-old filly is owned and trained by Edwin Broome, who gained his first GP West win after returning from a summer and early fall at Monmouth Park.

Trainer Jorge Navarro also is back from Monmouth Park, where he led in wins this year.

On Thursday he sent out two winners at GP West. He has six wins in11 starts, and is tied with Todd Pletcher for third place in wins.

Marcus Vitali leads the meet with nine wins, and Antonio Sano is second with eight victories.

Jockey Standings

Through Thursday, Edgard Zayas leads with 23 wins after 23 days of the GP West meet. Tyler Gaffalione is second with 21, followed by Eddie Castro with 17.

While Lopez is not a threat to the leaders in the GP West standings, he no doubt will win an impressive percentage of races and be ready for the Gulfstream Park championship meet that begins on Dec. 5.

* On Saturday, GP West will have its Sunshine Millions Preview card, with eight stakes races. All have $100,000 purses and are restricted to Florida breds.

First post is 12:35 p.m. for the ten-race card.

The leading riders will all be busy. Gaffalione has nine mounts. The other numbers for mounts are: Lopez-8; Zayas–7; Castro–6.

Lopez Returns to Winner's Circle at GP West

Hot Gleaves Barn Sends Out Pair in GP West Stakes

Trainer  Phil Gleaves is having an impressive Gulfstream Park West meet,  with three wins, one second place finish and one third place finish in five starts.

On Saturday, Gleaves will attempt to extend that hot streak when he sends out Rizwan in the Millions Turf Preview and Yorkshire Inn in the Juvenile Turf.  Both races have $100,000 purses and are among the day's eight stakes for Florida breds at the GP West meet, being held at Calder.

It will be the first start of the meet for Rizwan, Gleaves had planned to run the colt in last Saturday's Showing Up, a $75,000 turf stakes at one  mile  for 3-year-olds

"But he cane down with a cough the day before the race, so we decided to scratch him and not take a risk," Gleaves said.

The cough was gone after one day.  On Monday, Rizwan  had a bullet half-mile workout of 48.0 seconds  (best of 11) at Gulfstream Park

So, Gleaves entered Rizwan in the 1 1/16 mile Millions Turf Preview.  Jose Caraballo will ride for Gleaves and for breeder-owner Peter Vegso.

Rizwan is 10-1 in the morning line in a strong eight-horse field,  He has run in four turf stakes at Gulfstream this year--finishing  first, second, third and fifth.

Yorkshire Inn is one of  Gleaves' three GP West winners.  He broke  his maiden at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf on Oct. 17.

Yorkshire Inn is 7-2 in the morning  line, behind the Michael Trombetta-trained Light the Night at 3-1.

Tyler Gaffalione will rideYorkshire Inn for Gleaces and  for trainer-owner J.R, Cavanaugh.
-- Jim Freer