Gulfstream Park Race Track Guide

Hallandale Beach, Florida, USA.

Gulfstream Park opened in 1939 and hosts racing ten months out of 12 every calendar year. Turf racing was introduced in 1959, seven years after the clubhouse and main grandstand were erected.

The Florida venue has become popular with top jockeys and trainers. In 2006, Hall of Fame rider Jerry Bailey rode his last race at the track in the Sunshine Millions, while Javier Castellano recorded his 3,000th winner at the track in April 2012.

A mile turf track with sharp turns and long straights is surrounded by a mile-and-an-eighth dirt track, which has sweeping turns. Knowledge of the track is key.

Luis Saez, Irad Ortiz, Tyler Gaffalione, Paco Lopez.

Most of the top riders in the US competed for the top jockey’s title at the latest Gulfstream Park meet. Irad Ortiz came out on top, racking up 115 winners in the four-month-long meet, finishing two ahead of Luis Saez.

The duo pulled clear of their rivals and provided a thrilling spectacle for punters. They can be considered two of the best rides stateside.

Tyler Gaffalione, a bright, young talent in the saddle, has proved his prowess on the turf and dirt at the venue, while Paco Lopez is a stalwart at the track and recorded a seven-timer in March 2020.

Todd Pletcher, Michael Maker, Saffie Joseph jnr, Chad Brown

Todd Pletcher and Michael Maker have dominated the trainer’s standings for the last two years, recording numerous successes between them, most of which have come on the turf.

Saffie Joseph Jnr, who is based near the track, does well with his string here, most notably with recently-claimed runners, while Chad Brown is a force to be reckoned with at multiple tracks, but often introduces smart horses on the turf track at Gulfstream.

Both the turf and dirt tracks favour those drawn towards the rail, and there is often a bias on the dirt track that can see those pitched deep not feature throughout the card. They tend to go hard early to get prominent positions and sometimes that can favour deep closers.

The two main races at Gulfstream Park are the Grade 1 Sunshine Millions Florida Derby and Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup, which was once the richest race in the world. The Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes and Fountain Of Youth Stakes are key Kentucky Derby prep contests.

To get Gulfstream Park picks head over to our main horse racing picks section of the website. We upload daily picks covering all major US racetracks.