As the 2020 Gulfstream Park West meet winds down in South Florida, anticipation for the start of the 2020-2021 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park continues to build.
Eighty-four days of world class racing at the historic Hallandale Beach racetrack will be kicked off next Wednesday, Dec. 2, but two days of racing remain at Gulfstream Park West with programs scheduled for Friday and Saturday following a day off for Thanksgiving.
Saturday's closing-day program at Gulfstream Park West will feature a mandatory 20-cent Rainbow 6 payout. The carryover jackpot stands at $309,455.81 entering the card on Friday, but the jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $450,000.
A 10-race program is scheduled at Gulfstream Park West for Friday, when Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained Itsmyluckycharm will try to recapture her 3-year-old form in the Race 4 feature, a mile optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares. The 4-year-old daughter of Itsmyluckyday, who captured three stakes (one on turf) during her sophomore campaign, will make her second start off an eight-month layoff. Friday's Rainbow 6 sequence (Races 5-10) will follow.
Races 8 and 9 will also be included in Friday's Stronach 5, which will offer a carryover of $94,481.74 heading into betting on the popular Pick 5 wager that will also include Races 7, 8 and 9 at Laurel Park.
There will also be a Super Hi-5 carryover of $3,149.69 heading into Friday's card.
On Saturday's closing day program featuring a mandatory payout, the Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 5-10.
The GPW jockey and trainer title races have been contentious throughout the meet. Although he pulled into a dead heat with defending champion Edgard Zayas with a four-win day Sunday, Miguel Vasquez had already scheduled to take off the remainder of the meet, forgoing an opportunity to win his first South Florida title. Zayas moved back into the lead with his 40th winner of the meet Wednesday when he scored aboard Honorable ($3.40) in Race 3. Emisael Jaramillo rode three winners on Wednesday's card to sit just three wins behind Zayas heading into Friday's program.
Entering Friday's card Rohan Crichton holds a 17-15 edge over both defending champion Saffie Joseph Jr. and Antonio Sano.
Following the conclusion of the Gulfstream Park West meet Saturday, live racing in South Florida will return at Gulfstream Park next Wednesday with the start of the Championship Meet. The stakes schedule will be kicked off Saturday, Dec. 5 with the Claiming Crown, a program of nine stakes restricted to horses that have raced for a claiming price at least once during the past two years. Jesus's Team, the runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) last time out, and Math Wizard, the 2019 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner, are scheduled to clash in the featured $150,000 Jewel.
A total of 75 stakes are scheduled for the Championship Meet, highlighted by 35 graded stakes, including the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) on Jan. 23, as well as the $750,000 Florida Derby (G1) March 27.
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