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FTBOA Offering Over $2.2M To Promote Royal Palm Meet

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA) will devote more than $2.2 million to support the Royal Palm Meeting at Gulfstream Park over the summer months.

Of that amount, $1.4 million is earmarked for the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Series, $375,000 toward purse enhancements for Florida-breds and Florida Sire Stakes-eligible runners in stakes races and $250,000 in FTBOA Florida-bred Incentive Funds (FTBOA FBIF).

“Florida-breds are so important to Gulfstream Park racing and these supplements certainly will make our stakes more attractive,” Gulfstream Park vice president of racing Mike Lakow said.

The FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes for 2-year-olds by registered FTBOA Florida stallions will again highlight the Summer racing program at Gulfstream beginning with the $100,000 Dr. Fager S. and $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies, both at six furlongs, Aug. 6. The lucrative series continues at seven furlongs Sept. 3 with the $200,000 Affirmed S. and $200,000 Susan's Girl S. for fillies before concluding at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on Oct. 1 with the $400,000 In Reality and $400,000 My Dear Girl for fillies.

“The FTBOA is once again pleased to offer numerous economic incentives in terms of either funding entire stakes purses, as is the case with our six FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes races for 2-year-olds and the new Gil Campbell Memorial, or the plethora of bonuses the FTBOA offers ranging from Florida-bred to FSS Eligible Florida-breds throughout the year of which we are offering $375,000 just for the current Royal Palm Meet alone,” FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell said.

He continued, “The FTBOA is also pleased beyond expectations by the incredible growth of the Florida Sire Stakes with a 14% increase in eligible foals compared to the prior year. This is proof as to the popularity and broad awareness of our FSS program and nationally acclaimed signature 2 year-old stakes. The FSS program is working well in terms of providing some of the very highest stakes purse schedules at each track–including the highest for the Royal Palm meet–while putting additional money into the hands of the deserving owners, trainers and breeders of our Florida-breds, which is a very good thing for the entire Florida racing and breeding industries.”

The FTBOA will also supplement 10 maiden special weight races for 2-year-old fillies eligible for the Florida Sire Stakes with a $5,000 supplement for the winners of each and 10 maiden special weight races for 2-year-olds eligible for the Florida Sire Stakes with $5,000 supplement for the winners.

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Jeff Engler Making The Most Of Move To Gulfstream Park

Jeff Engler has turned an unfortunate situation into a very positive career move to Gulfstream Park, where the veteran trainer is scheduled to saddle Lea Farms LLC's Fighting Force for a start in the $75,000 Not Surprising Stakes.

The Cincinnati, Ohio native, like too many trainers in North America, was faced with a long period of inactivity last year due to the emerging Covid-19 pandemic. Taking the threat very seriously, he chose to be proactive and would eventually find his way to Gulfstream, one of the few racetracks able to conduct racing uninterrupted during the early months of the pandemic.

“We were at Fair Grounds, and we shipped out early, because I didn't want to get stuck there – which everybody did. We shipped into Keeneland; we were actually the last truck allowed into Keeneland. We stayed there, but we didn't have anywhere to run,” Engler recalled. “I started calling [Vice President of Racing Operations] Mike [Lakow] here at Gulfstream and after about a month of begging, he let us come down and quarantine in Ocala before coming here. Once we got here, we loved it. We plan on staying.”

Engler, who saddled his first horse at Gulfstream May 22, 2020 after two months of inactivity, has settled in nicely at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. He currently trains a 25-horse stable that includes Willy Boi, the March 6 Hutcheson winner who is invited to compete in the $200,000 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3) on the July 3 Summit of Speed card.

“We love it here; we've been accepted. The racing office has been great. Everyone's been great,” said Engler, whose stable had previously raced on the Fair Grounds-Churchill Downs circuit for eight years. “We've done well. The owners are happy, and we plan on staying.”

Fighting Force is slated to face five other 3-year-olds in the Not Surprising [not including an main-track-only entrant]. The mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds is carded as Race 4 on Saturday's 12-race program that will also feature a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6.

The Kentucky-bred colt, who was privately purchased last winter from the principals of Coolmore, was previously trained by Todd Pletcher, for whom he broke his maiden, finished second in the Dania Beach and finished a close fourth in the Palm Beach during the 2020-2021 Championship Meet.

Fighting Force is winless in his three starts since switching barns after being virtually eliminated at the start of the March 27 Cutler Bay, enduring a five-wide trip to finish fourth in the May 8 English Channel and racing evenly while fourth in a June 4 optional claiming allowance. However, Engler is hopeful that Fighting Force will get a more favorable set-up in the Not Surprising.

“He just hasn't gotten a very good trip the last two or three races. He's been kind of bottled up on the rail. He didn't have anywhere to go [last time out] and when he got loose, he made a run, but it was too late,” Engler said. “I think if he gets a good trip and a good ride, he's going to be right there.”

Samy Camacho is scheduled to ride Fighting Force for the first time Saturday.

Victorias Ranch's King of Dreams, a second son of Air Force Blue in the Not Surprising, has finished ahead of Fighting Force while finishing second in the English Channel and leading from the starting gate to the finish line in the June 4 optional claiming allowance.

Emisael Jaramillo has the return mount aboard the Juan Carlos Avila trainee.

Bell Racing LLC's Fulmini and Gelfenstein Farm LLC's Siglioso enter the Not Surprising after finishing 1-2, respectively, in a June 3 optional claiming allowance for Florida-breds. Registered Florida-breds will be eligible for an additional $25,000 in purse money, with 70 percent going to the winner, 20 percent to the runner-up and 10 percent to the third-place finisher.

Gary Barber and Team Valor International's Bright Devil, a recent optional claiming allowance winner, and Shamrock Highlands Thoroughbreds' Perfect Silent Cat, a maiden, round out the main body of the field. Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Big Thorn, who won the off-the-turf Juvenile Turf stakes for Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park West last fall, is a main-track-only entrant.

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Princess Rooney, Smile Sprint Invitationals Highlight Gulfstream Park Spring/Summer Stakes Schedule

Gulfstream Park announced Monday a $3.5 million Spring/Summer stakes schedule highlighted by the $350,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2) and $200,000 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3) Saturday, July 3, and the lucrative $1.3 million FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series.

The schedule includes 34 stakes with $500,000 in incentives for Florida-bred and Florida-sired horses' courtesy of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA).

The Princess Rooney, a “Win & You're In” Challenge Series race for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), and the Smile, which make-up the Summit of Speed, were moved to September last year after being run in July since its inception 20 years ago at Calder Race Course. The Princess Rooney was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both races will be invitationals this year for the first time.

“This year we focused on bringing back the popular Summit of Speed on July 4 weekend,” said Mike Lakow, Gulfstream's vice president of racing. “The Princess Rooney fits perfectly on the national calendar within the female sprint category. We've increased the purse to $350,000 and have made the race an invitational along with the Smile. The Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint on Sunday, July 4, completes the Independence Day weekend.”

The Sire Stakes will begin on July 31 and culminate Sept. 25 with the $350,000 In Reality and $350,000 My Dear Girl. Florida-bred stakes races will include the $75,000 Big Drama May 1, $75,000 Musical Romance and $75,000 Soldier's Dancer May 29, the $75,000 Ginger Punch June 12, and the $75,000 Benny the Bull August 14.

The stakes schedule begins Saturday, May 1 with the $75,000 Honey Ryder for fillies at 1 1/16 mile on the turf and the Big Drama for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.

“We appreciate the support from Lonny Powell and the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association offering an additional $500,000 to enhance the Spring/Summer stakes schedule with bonuses for Florida Bred and Florida Stallion Sired winners,” Lakow added,

For a complete stakes schedule, go to: http://gulfstreampark.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2021-stakes-spring-summer.pdf

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Gulfstream to Increase Overnight Purses

Gulfstream Park announced it will increase all overnight purses 10%, effective Wednesday, Mar. 3. Mike Lakow, Gulfstream's Vice President of Racing, said the increase is due to the quality of the live program throughout the Championship Meet.

“We are pleased to be in a position to raise purses for horsemen who have been so supportive during this racing season,” he added.

Gulfstream enters the ninth weekend of its Championship Meet with nine stakes (eight graded) Saturday highlighted by the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S., GII Davona Dale S., and GII WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile. The three races will be three of the five graded stakes making up the Rainbow 6. The Late Pick 4 Saturday will include all graded stakes.

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