Virginia-bred and connected horses will be well represented in today’s monster card of thoroughbred racing at Gulfstream Park, which features the $1,000,000 Florida Derby & six other graded stakes. Post time for the 14 race marathon program is 12 Noon; the Derby closes things out as race 14 at 6:48 PM. You can watch and wager the action on line via TVG, XPressBet and Twin Spires.
Ned Evans-bred Valid (Medaglia d’Oro) winning the Grade III Fred Hooper Stakes on February 7. Photo courtesy Adam Coglianese.
Valid, racing’s newest millionaire horse, is the even money favorite in the Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes which features a modest field of six. Bred by Edward Evans, the 6 year son of Medaglia d’Oro enters the race with a record of 11 wins, 9 runner-up finishes and 7 thirds. The Skip Away is race five and will go off at 1:50 PM.
2014 Virginia-bred champion turf horse, Long On Value (shown below, courtesy of Coady Photography), is the 3/1 second early favorite in the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes — Gulfstream’s ninth race slated to go off at 3:21 PM. The 5 year old son of Value Plus was bred by Bob Powell from Staunton, is trained by Bill Mott and will be ridden by Jose Lezcano. A field of eight will compete one mile on turf.
My Sweet Girl, a 5 year old daughter of Bernardini, will face eight others in the Grade 3 Orchid Stakes at 5:00 PM. The Barclay Tagg trainee was bred and is owned by Bonner Young of Middleburg. Three time Virginia Derby winning rider Edgar Prado will be in the irons.
St. Albans Boy, bred and owned by the Hare Forest Farm in Orange, Virginia, will compete in the Grade 2 Pan American Stakes at 6:11 PM. The 6 year old Giants Causeway gelding comes in to the race with a bankroll of over $250,000. He is 20/1 early and is part of a ten horse field.
Turfway Park has their biggest day of the year too and the $500,000 Spiral Stakes is another key Derby prep stakes. The Grade 3 Bourbonette Stakes highlights the under card and features a 3 year old filly named Inconclusive, who was bred by James Heyward of Charlottesville. The daughter of Include will square off against 11 other fillies at 5:07 PM.
Enjoy these races — it’s the best time of year to be a horse racing fan!