Horse racing is in full swing during the winter season in south Florida! The top two tracks in the area, Gulfstream Park and Hialeah Park, host winter racing schedules. Gulfstream’s thoroughbred-racing season runs through April, while Hialeah hosts quarter-horse racing into March.
Quarter-horse racing is a sprint, with the classic distance set at ¼-mile. In contrast, thoroughbred racing involves distances between ¾-mile and two miles.
Calder Race Course hosts a short winter meet for thoroughbreds, one that runs from November through early January. Calder also fields a summer thoroughbred schedule, with races held May through September. The fourth track in the region, Pompano Park, hosts harness racing from September through May.
All the tracks have casinos attached, and all feature simulcast wagering. In south Florida, horse racing occurs at:
Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach
Races are held from December through April at Gulfstream, the premier thoroughbred track in south Florida. The park features both a dirt track and a turf track. The rails on the turf track, which is 170-feet wide, can be placed on the inside or the outside of the path. Finish-line suites and luxury boxes are available, as well as a trackside restaurant. The park includes a shopping-and-dining area, The Villages at Gulfstream Park, that includes 15 dining options. The casino features slot machines and a poker room. Post time is 12:40 p.m.
History: Though opening day attracted an estimated 15,000 spectators, the original Gulfstream Park operated for just four days in February 1939. Five years later, in 1944, a group led by Florida land baron James Dunn opened the race course for good. The track’s first grandstand was built in 1952, the same year the Florida Derby was introduced. A turf course was added in 1959, and the grandstand and clubhouse were rebuilt in the early 1980’s.
Hialeah Park, Hialeah
Listed on the National Register of Historical Places, Hialeah features quarter-horse racing. Quarter-horse races, which begin from a running start, are straight, with no turns. Admission and parking is free. The park holds four restaurants, the Turf Club and three cafes. The casino offers slot machines and a poker room. Race days are Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Post time is 12:35 p.m.
History: Hialeah Park opened for thoroughbred-horse racing on January 15, 1925. Damaged in the hurricane of 1926, the park was sold and then re-opened on January 14, 1932. The redesigned complex, with many of the same features of the best European courses, also added a turf track and 20 pink flamingoes from Cuba. Another 100 flamingoes were added in 1940. An aviary and an aquarium were built in 1942. Thoroughbred racing at the park ended in 2001. Quarter-horse racing was introduced in 2009, and casino gambling came in a year later.
Calder Race Course, Miami Gardens
The summer race meeting at Calder from May to November emphasizes 2-year old racing and Florida-bred horses. The more prestigious meet is the “Tropical at Calder” meet held from November to early January. It takes advantage of the incoming winter tourists and still marks the beginning of the winter thoroughbred season. Three dining options are available at the track, including a tavern and a buffet. Slot machines are available for play in the casino. Post time is 12:55 p.m.
History: Summer thoroughbred racing debuted at Miami’s Tropical Park in 1970, as Calder Race Course had not been completed. Calder Race Course officially opened for business on May 1, 1971. The next year, Tropical Park closed and its winter racing dates were assigned to Calder Race Course. The Florida horse-racing schedule was de-regulated in 1989, allowing race tracks to set their own dates. Churchill Downs has owned the track since 1999, when simulcast racing was instituted.
Pompano Park, Pompano Beach
Billed as the “Winter Home of Harness Racing,” this south Florida track offers live harness racing from October through June. The park also simulcasts horse racing, greyhound racing and jai alai. The grounds also offers six dining options, including a steak house and a buffet. The casino has electronic table games, slots, video poker and a poker room. Post time is 7:30 p.m.
History: The original Pompano Park, built in 1926, hosted exactly four days of racing before it was mothballed. For years, it only hosted auto races and polo matches. The dormant track was purchased in 1954 by Frederick van Lennep, a successful advertising agent and horse breeder. He fought for 10 years to get pari-mutual wagering approved in Florida, achieving success in 1964 when the track was opened. The park’s biggest night occurred in 1980, when more than 18,000 fans crowed the grandstand to see the great pacer Niatros.