Gulfstream: By the Numbers

Jim Freer July 4, 2015

By Jim Freer

Saturday, July 4 — Starting today, HorseracingFLA is reporting on the numbers for each race day’s handle, field size and race purses at Gulfstream Park.

We are beginning with numbers from Wednesday July 1, the opening day of Gulfstream’s 2015 summer meet, and Friday July 3, the second day of the meet.
For some days, such as opening days, we also will report on the comparable day’s numbers from 2014.

We are obtaining the numbers from Equibase charts. Please note that Gulfstream generally does not provide Equibase with breakdowns of handle components–live, Intertrack Wagering (ITW) and Interstate Wagering (ISW).

We anticipate that our daily reports will be an important gauge for readers in determining “how is Gulfstream doing financially?”

On Wednesday, Gulfstream began its summer meet that will extend through Oct. 3.
For this year’s opening day, it had eight races and all-sources handle of $2,781.090 and 62 starters.

Last year, Gulfstream opened its summer meet on Tuesday July 1. It had eight races and all-sources handle of $1,778.505 and 68 starters.

So, the opening day handle increase was 56 percent. No races were taken off the turf either day. Yesterday, Friday July 3, Gulfstream had nine races with total handle of $4,013,147. Gulfstream did not have racing on July 3, 2014–a Thursday.

This is Gulfstream’s third summer of racing, and the first time it can plan a summer meet without concern about competition from neighbor Calder Casino & Race Course.
From July 2013 through June 2014, Gulfstream and Calder raced head-to-head on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

In June 2014, there was the prospect of another 12 months of head-to-head racing.
But on July 1, 2014 the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering approved the two tracks’ plan that called off head-to-head racing and transferred control of Calder’s racing operations to Gulfstream.

That timing gave Gulfstream only limited options for planning a summer stakes schedule.
This year, Gulfstream has been able to plan for an expanded summer stakes schedule that includes tomorrow’s Summit of Speed and the addition of races for 3-year-olds to the Florida Sire Stakes Series.

Reviews of Equibase charts indicate that Gulfstream had daily averages of about nine starters per race and all-sources handle of about $3.5 million for its summer meet from July 1 to Oct.4.
Gulfstream handle: summer 2015
* Friday July 3
Races — 9
Handle — $4,013,147
Starters — 66
Purses — $199.000
Turf — 5 races, all stayed on
Conditions – fast firm

*Wednesday, July 1
Races — 8
Handle — $2,781,090
Starters — 62
Purses — $209,000
Turf — 4 races, all stayed on
Conditions — fast firm

Betsy Ross Handicap Highlight of GP July 4th Card

By HorseracingFLA Staff

Saturday, July 4 — Gulfstream Park will have ten races today, with first post of 12:45 p.m. EDT. The highlight is the $60,000 Betsy Ross Handicap at 7 ½ furlongs on turf for 3-year-old fillies. It is the eighth race with scheduled post of 4:47 p.m.

As of 10:30 a.m., conditions are fast and firm and there are no scratches in the Betsy Ross.
Katie’s Kiss is among likely favorites in a nine-horse field for the Betsy Ross.
Following an encouraging third-place finish against older horses in the Tiger Lily Handicap at Gulfstream on June 6, Stonestreet Stables’ Katie’s Kiss is set to face her own age group in the Betsy Ross.

The David Fawkes-trained 3-year-old filly earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 80 for her performance in the Tiger Lily, a five-furlong turf sprint on June 6. After settling in mid-pack early, the sophomore daughter of Kantharos closed steadily along the inside to secure the show. The only horses to beat her were Grade 2 winner R Free Roll and stakes winner Fascinante.
“Against older fillies, it was a spot that she really shouldn’t have been in, but she really ran a big race,” Fawkes told the Gulfstream press office.

“I think she came out of the race better than she went into it,” Fawkes said. “She looks stronger, she’s training better. Her color is fabulous. I’m really happy with her.”
Saturday’s 7 ½-furlong Betsy Ross will present a new challenge for Katie’s Kiss, as it will be the first time the filly will run beyond six furlongs on either dirt or turf, but Fawkes believes the extra ground will not present a problem.

“I don’t think that will bother her a lot, because she just falls out of the gate,” Fawkes said. “[Jockey Tyler Gaffalione] knows her. He’s won on her already. If you just break, you sit, and she’ll be fine. I think she’ll get the distance.”

Katie’s Kiss will face eight competitors in the Betsy Ross, including Westminister Road, winner of the Miss Patti Handicap on June 13.

Also entered are Susie Bee and Afleet Mary, the Miss Patti’s third and fourth-place finishers; Urtheoneeyelove, who has contested graded stakes in each of her last three starts; and multiple-stakes winning Holywell, who will make her turf debut in the Betsy Ross. The field is rounded out by recent maiden winner Princess Fiona, L. A. Style and Nevelee.

Summit of Speed
Flutterby, the emphatic winner of the Sea Lily Handicap on May 30, turned in a sharp three-furlong blowout Friday morning in preparation for a start in Sunday’s $250,000 Princess Rooney (G2), the co-featured event on the $1.175 million Summit of Speed program at Gulfstream Park.
The 4-year-old filly, under the tutelage of trainer Jerry Bozzo, breezed the three-eighths distance in 35.53 seconds, the third fastest of 28 workers. Bozzo will send the daughter of Congrats out on Sunday looking to make history. Should she win the Princess Rooney, she would make Bozzo, 94, the oldest trainer to win a graded stakes race.

Rated at 4-1 on the morning line, Flutterby is the Princess Rooney’s third choice behind graded-stakes winners Merry Meadow and R Free Roll. She will break from post five under regular rider Luca Panici.

The Princess Rooney is the 10th race on Gulfstream’s 12-race, 9-stake card Sunday. Along with the Smile Sprint (G2), the race is a designated ‘Win &You’re In’ contest for October’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships in Lexington. Sunday’s first race post time is set for 12:30 p.m.

Turf Allowance Tops Gulfstream Wednesday Card

Wednesday, June 10--Gulfstream Park will begin a five-day stretch of live racing today with eight races and first post time of 1:00 p.m.

The featured seventh race is a $25,000 optional claimer, with a $40,000 purse. It is scheduled at 1 1/16 miles on turf for 3-year-olds and up.

As of 10:30 a.m., eight runners were scheduled to go to post at 4:30 p.m.  Sustainability (veterinarian) and
Unsaintly (trainer) were morning scratches.

Whisper Onthe Wind and One More Cat are the likely favorites.

The consistent Whisper Onthe Wind has raced six times on Gulfstream’s turf course in 2015.  He has hit the board five times, including two wins. All of those races were at the $20,000 level or at today’s level

David Kassen trains Whisper Onthe Wind. A 6-year-old gelded son of Flower Alley.

Apprentice Tyler Gaffalione has the ride.  He leads the Gulfstream spring meet in wins, but remains at the level where he still has a 5-pound weight allowance.

Thus, Whisper Onthe Wind will carry 117 pounds. One More Cat, ridden  by Eddie Castro, will carry 122 pounds.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        One More Cat has just one win in eight starts since the start of 2014.

Most  were on turf in allowance/optional claiming races at levels the same or higher than today.

One More Cat’s victory was on Jan. 3,  2015 at Gulfstream in a $20,000 claimer at 1 1/16 miles  on  turf.  His time of 1:41.82 earned him a Brisnet speed figure of 94--highest on turf this year for any entrant in today‘s race.

Michael Trombetta trains One More Cat,  a 5-year-old gelded son of Discreet Cat.

Among the race’s other entrants, Lost Camper has two turf wins in $10,000 claimer sat Gulfstream this year. Silver Lucky Q and March Reward each has a Gulfstream turf win this year at a level similar to today’s race.
* There will be a carryover of $107,807.05  on the Rainbow 6 on today’s last six races.  It will be on races three through eight, starting at  2  p.m.

The Rainbow 6 is a  20-cent only bet, per combination. A bettor can have multiple horses  in each  race.

For example, a ticket with two horses in each race has 64 combinations and a cost of $12.80.

Gulfstream pays out the Rainbow 6 jackpot (day’s bets plus carryover) only on days when there is a single ticket sold with all six winners.

On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Gulfstream Recap: Requite Wins Big Cypress

By Jim Freer
Monday, June 8 - For trainer George Weaver and his budding 3-year-old sprinter Requite, this spring’s goal has been  accomplished at Gulfstream Park.

On Sunday, Requite won his second race in two starts at Gulfstream as he turned back a stiff challenge from Grand Bili to capture the $60,000 Big Cypress Handicap at seven furlongs on dirt.

Requite was ridden by Eddie Castro and won by a half length in a solid 1:22.91 on a track listed as fast.

It was the first stakes win  and third victory in four career starts for Requite, a Kentucky-bred son of the growingly successful sire Warrior’s Reward.

In the winner’s circle, Weaver said he is ready for the next 2015 step with Requite.  This week he will send Requite “up north” for races to be determined, and probably at seven furlongs or less.

From late July through early September, Requite will be part of Weaver’s stable at Saratoga Race Course in  Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Requite made his debut last Aug. 9 at Saratoga at 5 ½ furlongs, and won by 3 ½ lengths.

Requite’s only loss was last Sept.1 at Saratoga when he finished fourth in the seven-furlong Hopeful (Grade One).

Weaver soon discovered an ulcer in one of Requite’s eyes, and that apparently had bothered the colt in  the Hopeful.

So Weaver and owner Limestone Thoroughbreds decided to give Requite some time to rest and develop.

Requite spent the winter training at Palm Beach Downs in Delray Beach.

He returned to racing at Gulfstream on May 9th and won a six-furlong allowance in 1:09.92.

In the Big Cypress, Requite was the 3-5 favorite in the field of six 3-year-olds.

Jacks or Better Farm’s Sing Praises was second choice at 5-2. Last year, he won two of the three races in the Florida Sire Stakes Series at Gulfstream.

Grupo 7 Racing Stable’s Grand Bili was sent off at 7-2,  based  on two strong races at Gulfstream where he showed early speed.

Grand Bili, trained by Gustavo Delgado,  began his career on Feb. 1 and won at 5 1/2 furlongs. He  finished second to the Todd Pletcher-trained Chipit in a seven-furlong Gulfstream allowance on April 8.

Grand Bili’s next race was the Chick Lang Stakes on May 16--at six furlongs at Pimlico on the Preakness undercard. He broke slowly, never contended and finished ninth in the 11-horse field.

On Sunday, Requite did not win as easily as his odds may have predicated.  But Weaver was happy to see his charge respond well to a stretch battle.

“He was a strong choice to win, and he did,” Weaver said. “He did not draw away from the field. The one (Grand Bili) hung in there well during the last parts of the race, but I like to see that. It kind of gives us a measuring stick. The one is probably a nice horse, and if your horse wins easy all the time, you never get to the bottom of them and test them. I thought he responded well to the battle.”

Requite received a clean, stalking trip as Castro positioned him in third early while front-runners Grand Bili and Sing Praises set the tempo, clocking in at :23.11 seconds for the first quarter and :45.27 seconds for the half.

Nearing the 5/16-pole, Castro began to ask Requite for run, and the striking bay responded by immediately closing the open-length gap between him and the leaders.

At the top of the stretch Sing Praises, returning from a seven-month layoff, gave way. But Grand Bili had something left in the reserves. Requite collared that rival while three-wide, and it seemed as if he would draw off, but Grand Bili re-rallied on the inside and began to close back in on the lead.

The two sophomores dueled to the wire. But once Requite claimed the advantage, he never relinquished it.

Jacks or Better Farm’s Southern Barbecue finished third, 5 ¾ lengths behind Grand Bili. Bandages, Sing Praises and Big Awesome completed the order of finish.

“I thought he handled the seven-eighths well,” Weaver said. “We’re going to take him up north now, and we’ll see what comes up for him. He’s classy. He’s not a need-to-lead type.”

After watching Requite handle a return to stakes competition and a stretch out to seven-furlongs for just the second time in his career, Weaver said that if the owners agree he probably will keep the colt at seven  furlongs or shorter.

There will be numerous options at Belmont Park this summer. At Saratoga, the six-furlong Amsterdam (Grade 2) will  be run on Aug. 1 and the seven-furlong King’s Bishop (Grade 1) will be run on Aug. 29.

Grand Bili also appears headed toward a strong summer.  He is an Ontario-bred and thus will not be eligible for Florida-restricted stakes at Gulfstream.

Sing Praises will be eligible for the new three-race series for 3-year-olds in the Florida Sire Stakes. The 2-year-old series and 3-year-old series are restricted to sons and daughters of Florida-registered sires whose owners have nominated them for the series.

The series will begin on Aug. 8th. The first race for 3-year-old males is the $150,000 Unbridled at seven furlongs on dirt.