Gulfstream Park
Thoroughbred Horse Racing: Gulfstream Park hosts year-round live racing, including significant events like the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series and the G1 Florida Derby. You can watch the races from the grandstand or various trackside dining spots.
History
- Initial Opening and Closure (1939): Gulfstream Park originally opened its doors on February 1, 1939, to an enthusiastic crowd of 15,000 racing fans. However, the initial meet was short-lived, and the track went bankrupt and closed after just four days of racing.
- Reopening and Growth (1944-1990s): The track was reopened in December 1944 by James Donn Sr., a creditor from the initial venture. Under the Donn family’s leadership, the track flourished.
- In 1952, the Grade 1 Florida Derby was inaugurated and eventually became a crucial prep race for the Kentucky Derby.
- The track introduced its first turf course in 1959.
- In 1972, Gulfstream was awarded desirable “middle dates” for its racing meets, allowing it to expand its season and compete with other South Florida tracks.
- Gulfstream Park hosted the prestigious Breeders’ Cup for the first time in 1989.
- Ownership Changes and Development (1990s-Present): The track changed ownership several times in the 1990s before being acquired by Magna Entertainment Corporation (MEC), led by Frank Stronach, in 1999.
- After Broward County voters approved slot machines, a casino was opened in 2006.
- A major transformation began around 2010 with the development of “The Village at Gulfstream Park,” an open-air retail, dining, and entertainment complex that replaced a large parking lot.
- A massive, 110-foot-tall bronze statue of Pegasus slaying a dragon was erected on the grounds in 2014 and serves as a landmark.
- In 2017, the track introduced the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, a major new Grade 1 race.
- The Stronach Group, owned by the Stronach family, is the current owner of the park.
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