Purse increase, tweak to schedule on the way

Gulfstream Park was one of the few racetracks around the country that was able to keep operating pretty much business as usual since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. And now local horsemen will realize some of the fruits of the sacrifices they made to help the show go on with a purse increase averaging out at 10 percent to 15 percent across the board beginning with the first day of the new condition book on June 3.

“Everybody has complimented Gulfstream Park for being able to continue racing through these trying times, but it’s the horsemen who deserve as much credit as management for getting us through this,” said Mike Lakow, Gulfstream Park’s vice president of racing. “We kept throwing new protocols at them on a regular basis, and their cooperation was extraordinary. And that’s what kept us going. We were very conservative with our purse structure beginning in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic without our casino operating and no ontrack handle. The horsemen have been incredibly understanding through this process, and we’re pleased to be able to provide this increase to thank them for their support. Of course, we still have some concerns, with many other tracks starting to open, still no casino, and the weather, which has certainly not cooperated and forced us to take so many excellent cards off the turf, especially the last couple of weekends.”

The purse increase isn’t the only change coming with the new condition book. Others include a tweak to the racing schedule, pending approval from the state, with live racing to be conducted on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with Thursday’s dark. Another race has been added to the spring-summer stakes schedule, the Treasure Coast for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on the turf June 7. Gulfstream also will experiment with the distance of 1 1/16-mile turf races switched to dirt. They will run at a one-turn mile instead of the original distance.

Lakow said his barn area is going through a transition period, with many outfits having already left for or in the process of heading back north for the summer.

“We’ve lost all the Kentucky trainers and we’re in the process of losing New York and New Jersey trainers as well,” Lakow said. “In addition, Tampa Bay Downs extended its meet through June. With that being said, we have received a couple of outfits from Parx as well as Louie Roussel from Louisiana. I just wanted horsemen around the country to know how well we’ve handled the coronavirus situation here and that we’re raising our purses and still have plenty of room at our training facility at Palm Meadows for anyone interested in shipping down for the remainder of the spring and summer.”

Lakow said management also is discussing the possibility of allowing owners to attend the races again in the near future.

“We’re addressing the issue, although obviously we’re proceeding with caution and will follow all the proper guidelines necessary because we want to do what’s right in light of the current situation,” he said.

Joseph has two for feature

Racing will resume Thursday with a nine-race program highlighted by a $46,000 optionalclaiming event carded at 6 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares over the main track. The headliner attracted a field of seven, including a pair from the barn of trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. – Midtown Rose and Archumybaby.

Midtown Rose appears to be the stronger of the Joseph pair, having finished second twice and third in her last three starts under similar, if not slightly tougher, conditions. She has failed recently to duplicate the career-best performance she produced here in her 2019 finale when earning an 88 Beyer Speed Figure defeating Florida-breds under somewhat similar conditions.

Archumybaby makes her local debut and first start since being transferred to Joseph’s stable from trainer Brad Cox earlier this spring. A New York-bred, Archumybaby owns far and away the most victories of any member of this field with 12. The most recent was a hard-fought neck decision in a $25,000 claiming test for statebreds at Aqueduct on New Year’s Day.

The horse to fear likely is Sky Chaser, who brings a tworace winning streak into the race, including a neck victory against Florida-bred optionalclaiming rivals going a mile in a race switched from the turf to the main track on April 30. She won her nonwinners-of-three condition under a $20,000 claiming tag just 25 days earlier.

The remainder of the field is Hy Dollface, Bargainaire, Flashing Diamond, and Crumb Bun.

◗ Jockey Emisael Jaramillo registered his 1,000th victory in the United States when he guided Lorilupes to victory here Saturday. Jaramillo, 43, came to this country from his native Venezuela in 2015 and has ridden from 202 to 233 winners a year over the past four seasons while a regular on the South Florida circuit. Jaramillo has posted 13 graded stakes wins in the United States, including two during the 2019-20 championship meet.