Kentucky Derby Weekend at Florida’s Tracks

HorseracingFLA Staff  Report

Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs will have their own live racing this Saturday and Sunday, and also have simulcast wagering on all races on Friday’s Kentucky Oaks day card and on Saturday’s Kentucky Derby day card.

First posts are 10:30 a.m. on Friday and on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.  Scheduled post for the Kentucky Oaks is 5:49 p.m. on Friday. Scheduled post for the Kentucky Derby is 6:34 p.m. on Saturday.

Both Florida tracks will have Kentucky Derby day promotions on Saturday—including food and drink specials.  Details are on the Gulfstream Park Web site and on the Tampa Bay Downs Web site

Both Florida tracks also will have live racing this Sunday.

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The Hallandale Beach, Fla., track will have ten races  Friday with first post of 12:55 p.m.

There is a carryover of $46,526 on the Rainbow 6 beginning on the fifth race.

On Saturday, Gulfstream will have ten  races with first post of  12:55  p.m.

There are two stakes races on Saturday.  The $75,000 English Channel is 1 1/16 miles on turf for 3-year-old males. The $75,000 Honey Ryder is 1 1/16 miles on turf for 3-year-old fillies.

On Sunday, it will have nine races with first post of 1:15 p.m. 

The feature is the $75,000 Miss Gracie at  seven furlongs on dirt for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

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The Oldsmar, Fla. track will have nine races with first post of 12:35 p.m. on Friday.

It will have ten races with first post of 12:25 p.m. on Saturday and ten races with first post of 12:35 p.m. on Sunday.

There are no stakes races scheduled on any of the days.

Sunday will be Tampa Bay’s last live race day until Thursday June 30.
Tampa Bay also will have racing on Friday July 1 as part of its fourth annual two-day Summer Festival of Racing.

Florida’s fiscal years end on June 30.  By racing on the first and last days of each fiscal year and having its regular schedule of more than 40 race days, Tampa Bay is eligible to be a year-round host track for inbound simulcasts of races at thoroughbred tracks in other states.

In that business, Tampa  Bay and Gulfstream purchase signals from tracks such as Belmont Park and Churchill Downs and sell them to other pari-mutuels in Florida.