Gulfstream Championship Season
It's my favorite time of the racing year - the Championship Season at Gulfstream Park! To be sure, things have changed at the Hallandale Beach facility, as they have in the racing world in general. Less races, lower quality, and here locally while we still have the big name trainers & riders often our stakes races do not draw the same "world class" fields they once did. And to make the handicapping more difficult there is the synthetic surface as a third track. But despite all that the racing is excellent, the weather is typically "Chamber of Commerce Postcard" perfect and there's still nothing like being AT the races. Each live racing card I'll post my analysis and betting selections. "And they're off!" Check out my handicapping records by clicking my photo at left.
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Gulfstream 2025-26 Key Dates
Dec 20
Ft. Lauderdale Day
Jan 24
Pegasus World Cup Day
Jan 31
Holy Bull Day
Feb 28
Fountain of Youth Day
March 28
Florida Derby Day
Gulfstream 2025-26
Saturday March 14
Virginia Derby Day
Saturday March 21
Louisiana Derby Day
We leave for Paris on March 10th to begin an amazing 17 day adventure that includes nine days on the Viking Longship Idi with our great friends Pam & Bob and Claudia & Gary. I anticipate very little time to spend on handicapping so over the next two weeks I'll only have analysis & selections for the Virginia Derby Day card from Colonial Downs and the following weekend for the Louisiana Derby Day card at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. We arrive home on the evening of March 27th, JUST in time for Florida Derby Day on March 28th! You can follow our adventure in Europe HERE.
Gulfstream Week 15: Tampa Bay Derby Day
We spent the weekend in Orlando, heading up on Wednesday so we could watch our grandson Oliver play in two hockey games - one Wednesday evening and the other Sunday morning before heading back home. We had a great weekend with our son and his family, but from a racing perspective it was a disappointing one. The good news was that I scored twice on both Thursday and Friday and while only 1-for-4 on Sunday I came out on the plus side. But Saturday....only four wins for the day, yikes. And EIGHT, count them, eight runner-up finishes with five additional third place runs. Check out the pics and stories for the weekend, CLICK HERE.
Sat Feb 28: Fountain of Youth Day
Gulfstream Week 14
Well, there isn't anything like being at the track, and especially on a big stakes-filled card. Despite about an hour of rain mid afternoon, the weather was exceptional and there was such a big crowd. The atmosphere was electric. I frame it like this because from 11:30am until 4pm I went a woeful 2-for-17. It was hard to watch as one runner after another ran down my horse who looked like a certain winner, or I failed to catch the winner. And through the first eleven races live at Gulfstream ten of them went to double digit priced winners. But it all ended on such a high note as I scored with six of the last eight races. Those included the last three graded stakes at Gulfstream as well and the final numbers were a good 32% on the day. To see all the pics and read the stories, CLICK HERE.
Gulfstream Week 13: From Ohio
On the first racing day of the week I flew out of FLL on a non stop flight to Columbus via Spirit Airlines to spend five days with my Mom and family. It's typically difficult to find dates that are clear in the winter for a visit what with the racing schedule and in particular the hockey schedule. But this year is an Olympic year so hockey shut down for three weeks. A perfect window for the trip. And on THIS particular Saturday not a single track had a big race, so it was good timing for a getaway. CLICK HERE to see the limited write-up on the less than quality racing and on my adventures both real and virtual!
Gulfstream Week 12
Risen Star Stakes Day at the Fair Grounds
It was a great day to be at the races! While the card at Gulfstream was mediocre at best there was a big crowd on hand making the day feel electric; after just one win from the first seven selections I rallied to post TEN big wins on the day at a near 40% final clip which included a thrilling score with my BEST of the Day at Gulfstream and sweeping the two big Grade 2 stakes at the Fair Grounds on their Risen Star Stakes card. To see all the pics & read the stories, CLICK HERE.
Gulfstream Week 11
Tampa Festival Preview Weekend
It was an amazing Saturday as I went to Gulfstream on a picture perfect Saturday afternoon and began playing the races just after noon.....the last bet of the day at a little after 10pm. And when the dust had settled I had scored in an amazing 14-of-26 races I bet including multiple stakes - three from the big Tampa Preview Day card, the BET of the Weekend from Delta Downs on their Louisiana Premier Night card, and the Gulfstream featured Ladies Turf Sprint. Click HERE for all the photos and stories.
Gulfstream Week 10: Holy Bull Week
It was a VERY good week for many different reasons, especially on Saturday, Holy Bull Day as I hit on EIGHT of fifteen including three Gulfstream stakes, one of which was the featured Gr 3 Holy Bull, and another my BEST Bet. Also got to meet up with long time favorite Western High former student Amanda this week. A BIG week. CLICK HERE to read the stories and see all the pictures.
Gulfstream Week 9
Pegasus Week
Well, unlike last Saturday where I crushed it - and for the week as well with the handicapping picks - this was not a big day for winners on Pegasus Day. But it was a GREAT day for sure. First, to be there at what was so obviously a BIG EVENT, in and of itself was cool. Then, the vast majority of people were in their Derby finest outfits making for great people-watching. Third, right in front of us was a couple we've seen at several of the big racing days over the last several years so we chatted all day and behind us a couple from Colorado were super friendly. For the racing I told several people that I'd not be at all surprised to go 0-for-13 on the day......so to cash FOUR tickets and only lose about $25 was great1 CLICK HERE for the day's pics/stories.
Gulfstream Week 8
Road To The Derby at the Fair Grounds
This week marked several interesting and notable events. First we got a real taste of winter, Florida style when the temperatures on Friday dropped into the mid-40's with "feels like" temps in the 30's. Loved the "coffee in a hoodie" morning on the porch. Secondly, my family arrived on Wednesday and that's always a highlight of the winter. And on Saturday I had a glorious day at the track while playing at the Sunrise Simulcast Center as I hit on 12-of-23 with a solid profit, including eight stakes and the BEST of the Day. CLICK HERE to read this week's stories.
January 10
I've said it before....this time of year, to just be at Gulfstream and enjoy the Florida winter weather at the races, outside all day is enough. To win some races, even better. A winning day is just topping. So, as you can imagine, today was not the latter. But enjoyed the day regardless and did win multiple stakes events. CLICK HERE for the week's highlights.
Gulfstream: Week 6 - Happy New Year
Happy 39th Anniversary!
Unfortunately Kim was away for our anniversary on Saturday, but I celebrated as we had done for many years - a day at the races! The bad news is that the days I played at the Sunrise Simulcast Center I struggled....the good news is that the one day I was AT the track was the BEST day of the week with eight scores from 17 selections, almost 50%! And that included the BET of the Day and the feature at Gulfstream. To see the pics and read the stories, CLICK HERE.
Christmas Week Racing 2025
Gulfstream Week 5: Christmas Week
Racing began on a special holiday card, Christmas Eve Day on the 24th. Then dark for the holiday itself. It is a holiday tradition for Santa Anita to Open on the day after Christmas, but there was so much rain that the multiple stakes laden card was moved to Sunday the 28th. It was a wonderful week as our youngest son Brad, his adorable wife Lauren, and our grandson Oliver came on Tuesday and spent nearly a week with us. So, SO great to enjoy Christmas morning together and then we all went to the hockey game Saturday. CLICK HERE to see this week's photos and read the stories.
Gulfstream Week 4
December 18-21: After our long Euro Christmas Markets adventure it was back home to play the races in the week leading up to Christmas. The Saturday card was the Pegasus Cup Preview with five stakes races. It was also "Road To The Derby Day" at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. The day started with me only going 1-for-11, ouch. Headed to the Panthers game, then watched the remaining races. Rallied with four wins in six races, ALL in stakes events to nearly come back to breaking even on the day! CLICK HERE to see this week's pics.
Viking Rivers: Christmas Along The Elbe
December 5 - 15
Week 3: Christmas On The Elbe, continued.....
The second weekend of racing while we were exploring the German Christmas Markets was a much, MUCH better handicapping endeavor as finished a sparkling 9-for-15 for the week. Like last week I played only the Gulfstream cards. Went a super four for four on Thursday and in the two featured events of the week, the Tropical Park Oaks and Tropical Park Derby, I was a photo finish second in both. You can see the highlights HERE.
Week 2: Christmas Markets On The Elbe
After the two days of racing from the Sunrise Simulcast Center, Kim and I were off to Europe late Friday night. We arrived in Prague on Saturday and were there thru Monday afternoon. Thanks to my son Brad my wagers were online and I was able to see the mixed results on the DRF charts the following day. We have had a great start to our adventure, though the weather is unseasonably warm, which will almost certainly mean no snow thru the next week of racing as we sail along the Elbe River. BUT we are so SO thankful that the water levels are high enough for us to sail! Check out the Week 2 highlights by CLICKING HERE.
Week 1: Opening Week at Gulfstream
Nov 27-30 After "pre-season" racing from the Fair Grounds and Churchill last weekend, we got the winter in South Florida started on Thanksgiving Day and continued through the weekend. After a slow start on Thursday I picked up five stakes wins, hit an amazing $19 winner and won my BEST Bets on Friday & Saturday before finishing the week with a perfect four-for-four Sunday! Four days of racing next week from South Florida.
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CLICK HERE for this week's pics & stories.
Week 0:
Opening Weekend at the Fair Grounds
Nov 20/22 We kicked off the Winter Racing Season on Thursday Nov 20 with the Opening Day card in New Orleans. Got our first winner and our first stakes win of the season which will run thru the end of March, culminating on Florida Derby Day at Gulfstream. Next week is Opening Week at the Hallandale Beach venue and I'll be there for that big event for sure. CLICK HERE to read the stories and see the pics from the first week of the winter racing season for 2025-26.
Gulfstream Championship Season 2024-25
Gulfstream 2024
Florida Derby
Day 2024
What a great way to close out the 2023-24 Winter Season on the biggest day of the meet, Florida Derby Day. We hosted a group of sixteen friends & family for the day at the races, including several first time Derby goers. CLICK HERE for a "virtual Scrapbook" of the day at the race. I played both the Gulfstream Derby card and the Arkansas Derby card in Hot Springs. I provided a detailed analysis in a program for all sixteen guests. It was an exciting day of racing and just THE BEST to catch up and visit with everyone. On the track I WON both the Florida Derby AND the Arkansas Derby. To read all the stories from the final week, CLICK HERE.
Gulfstream 2021-22
Gulfstream 2020-21
