Princess Rooney canceled

Gulfstream Park’s Princess Rooney Invitational, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race and a fixture on the South Florida circuit since 1985, has been canceled this season, another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Princess Rooney evolved into the highlight of the popular Summit of Speed program, first inaugurated at Calder Racecourse in 2000 before being switched to Gulfstream in 2015. Traditionally run the first week of July, the race was moved to Sept. 5 for the first time this season, with the purse raised to $300,000 in hopes of attracting leading members of the division from outside the local area. But when Churchill Downs announced it would reschedule the Kentucky Derby on the same date – on a program that includes the Grade 1, $500,000 Derby City Distaff, which like the Princess Rooney is a sprint for fillies and mares – Gulfstream officials began considering other options for the Princess Rooney, the only Grade 2 race on its summer stakes program.

“We had it all planned out, moving the date to a more attractive spot on the calendar in relation to the division, changing the distance back to six furlongs, raising the purse,” said Mike Lakow, Gulfstream Park’s vice president of racing. “Then COVID hit and Churchill moved the Derby as well as their Grade 1 filly and mare sprint to the same day.”

“Add that to the fact trainers are reluctant to ship horses around the country and jockeys are restricted and can’t follow their horses out of town, we felt the best option was to cancel the Princess Rooney this year.”

Lakow said officials at the Breeders’ Cup and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association have assured him that the Princess Rooney will not lose either its Win and You’re In status or Grade 2 rating if it is not renewed in 2020.

“It’s such a great, traditionrich event that we felt it wasn’t fair to run it with a very small field lacking the quality of previous years,” Lakow said.

“There were some nice fillies here pointing for the race, like Cookie Dough and Lady’s Island. And we don’t want to hurt the locals. But we also want to preserve the history of the event and we wouldn’t want a Grade 2 race to fall apart on us, either, because of the circumstances. I think everyone here understands. Next year we’ll promote it as much as we can, maybe increase the purse again, with the goal of trying to get it back to Grade 1 status.”

Among the horses who ran in the Princess Rooney and went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint later that same year are Maryfield (2007), Dubai Majesty (2010), and Musical Romance (2011). Musical Romance returned to win the Princess Rooney the following summer at Calder.

Lakow said the Grade 3 Smile Sprint, also slated for Sept. 5, will remain on the schedule but with the purse cut from $200,000 to $100,000.

“We’ll run the Smile with a reduced purse, but one which is above the minimum this year for Grade 3 races, and then re-evaluate it next season,” Lakow said.