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  • Unlimited Budget is expected to face males in Belmont Stakes 2013. Posted 1 day ago
  • Verrazano will make his next start in the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth on 6-16. Posted 1 day ago
  • Dreaming of Julia will make her next start in the Mother Goose at Belmont on 6-22. Posted 1 day ago
  • Game On Dude worked 4f in :50.60 (28/36) at Santa Anita on 5-20. Posted 1 day ago
  • Overanalyze, breezing for Belmont Stakes 2013, went 4f in :47.50 (3/34) at Belmont (dirt training) on 5-19.Posted 2 days ago
  • 2013 Belmont Stakes hopeful Palace Malice breezed 4f in :47.49 (2/34) at Belmont Park (dirt training) on 5-19. Posted 2 days ago
  • Coffee Clique romps in the Selene Stakes!Posted 2 days ago
  • Royal Delta breezed 4f in :52.03 (15/23) at Belmont Park on 5-19. Posted 2 days ago
  • Oxbow and Gary Stevens wire the Preakness!Posted 3 days ago
  • Skyring goes all the way in the Dixie! Posted 3 days ago

Gulfstream Park Revamps Stakes Schedule

In honor of a couple new events, Gulfstream Park announced this week that their stakes schedule had undergone some changes for the 2012-2013 meet which begins December 1. More stakes races have been added this year for a record 61 overall, 33 of them graded, worth $10.1 million. This year, the stakes action kicks off on opening day with the 14th running of the Claiming Crown, an event being held at Gulfstream for the very first time. The Claiming Crown consists of 7 stakes races worth a total of $850,000 designed to honor the sport’s bread-and-butter runners, the claimers. Another event Gulfstream will play host to is this year’s annual Eclipse Awards. In honor of the sport’s biggest day, Gulfstream Park moved its Sunshine Millions series up from the last weekend in January to January 17 so that the series can serve as a prelude to the ceremonies later that evening.
 
 
New Year’s Day racing will also look a little different this year due to the inaugural running of the Sophomore Soiree. The card that day will feature four stakes races for 3-year olds, including the second running of the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Derby, a race won in its inaugural running by Reveron. Additionally, the G3 Holy Bull Stakes, carded for January 26, will be stretched out to a 1 1/16 mile from the flat mile at which it was run this past meet.
 
 
There is plenty of variety to be had with races available on the turf and on the dirt for horses of all ages and genders. The focus is still on the 3-year olds, of course, but most winter meets are since that is the time when the pretenders begin to be separated from the contenders. Everything culminates for the 3-year olds on March 30, also known as Florida Derby day. Last year’s Derby undercard was just as exciting as the Derby itself, so there will be plenty to look forward to that day. 
 
 

 

I personally look forward to the Gulfstream meet every year, but this year’s meet looks like it will shape up to be one of the best yet. The large and varied stakes purses will prove lucrative for horsemen, which will continue to ensure that Gulfstream provides a competitive meet. The Claiming Crown and the Eclipse Awards add extra luster to an already star-studded and exciting affair. I am not a big advocate of change, but for once I am not going to argue. Even though the shuffling caused some divergence from the typical schedule, aside from some potential minor inconvenience, there are no drawbacks to this. The only problem I see in all of this is I am going to have a really hard time choosing a weekend to go down to Gulfstream! Last meet I said I would wait and go down on Florida Derby day, but the Eclipse Awards coupled with the Sunshine Millions Series are awfully enticing. Who knows? Maybe the “finance committee” will allow me to do both! 

 

What the Nation is saying about Gulfstream Park Revamps Stakes Schedule...

Mary Z., if my understanding of the points system is spot on, both the Holy Bull and the FOY will fall under the 10-4-2-1 "Kentucky Derby Prep Season" portion. Brian, which dates are you eyeing?
I like that the Holy Bull will be 8.5 f, to, since there's the GP Derby at 1m., but now there's two 8.5 preps with $400.000 purses, but the Holy Bull is a grade 3 and the F.O.Y. is a grade 2, a month later. Are they worth the same points on that Derby qualifying system?
Hoping to make my first trip down to GP in years this winter, Ashley ... now I can plan my dates.
Something tells me that the new Derby system had a lot to do with the Holy Bull decision, Dark Horse. But like I said, that's not a bad thing!
Nice work Crank! I like the fact that they stretched out the Holy Bull an extra 1/16 for two turns! Looks like I'll have to add another track to watch closely!
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Meet Ashley Tamulonis
 
Growing up, I cannot remember a time when I did not love horses. I also loved reading, so it was only a matter of time before my two obsessions combined into one; I have my mom to thank for that one. Knowing how much I loved horses, when she stumbled upon the book Ashleigh’s Diary by Joanna Campbell, she bought it and brought it home to me. After reading the book, I was hooked. Though horse racing was not mentioned in that book, which was a super edition chronicling events that happened before the main character and her family became involved in the sport, it was what the series was all about. Additionally, thanks to the series, I actually wanted to become a jockey.
 
The Thoroughbred book series kick started what would become a lifelong passion. Unfortunately, Georgia is not exactly big on horse racing, so I have never actually been to a live race. However, I watched every race that was shown on TV; and now, as an adult, I follow the races closer than ever, handicapping, betting on, and blogging about them.
 
I am in the process of earning my B.A. in History at Macon State College, in Macon, Georgia. Along with reading, I have always loved writing. Once I was done with the bulk of my college career and had the time to write for pleasure, I started my own blog, Wired with Ashley Paige, which you can read here. When I was offered the chance to write for Horse Racing Nation, I jumped at the chance. Though I did not pursue a journalism degree in college, I would love nothing more than to pursue a career in writing, especially if it means I can combine my love of writing with my passion for horse racing.