Gulfstream Park

In a half-century of stewardship, the Donn family has established Gulfstream Park as one of the East's most important, skillfully managed racetracks, the cumulative product of the careers of founder Jimmy Donn Sr.; his son, Jimmy Donn Jr., and grandson, Doug Donn.

Quality Road pulled away in the stretch, holding off previously unbeaten Dunkirk on Saturday to win the $750,000 Grade I Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, giving the colt his second graded stakes win in as many starts. Next up for Quality Road is the Kentucky Derby on May 2, where he surely will be one of the top choices. "It's a lot of pressure," said trainer Jimmy Jerkens, who is taking a horse from his barn into racing's most famed race for the first time.

The owner of Calder Race Course and a Japanese company have filed an application with state racing officials for a permit to buy Gulfstream Park, representatives said today. Bertram R. Firestone, 57, and Victoria Co. Ltd., a Japanese sporting-goods company, have asked the state Department of Business Regulation's Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering for the permit required of all track owners.

The long awaited debut of Barbaro's full brother, Nicanor, didn't have a fairy tale ending Saturday. Nicanor ran 10th in a field of 12 in a $40,000 one-mile maiden race at Gulfstream Park in Florida. Nicanor, a 3-year-old son of Dynaformer out of La Ville Rouge, made his debut two years and two days after 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was euthanized as a result of complications from shattering his hind leg in the Preakness.

Frank Stronach says there is no rivalry between his racing empire and Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. But what does he know? Last year, Churchill Downs coveted Santa Anita, made a concerted bid for the track and lost out to Stronach, who bought the place for $126 million. Churchill Downs settled for Hollywood Park, which was sold for $140 million after Stronach passed. He said the asking price was too high, adding: "There are other racetracks."

Virgin Michael drove between two horses inside the eighth pole and closed with a rush Sunday to win by 5 1/2 lengths the $40,000 Little Bonny Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the grass at Gulfstream Park.

Explosive Kate, a 13-1 shot, edged past Indian Fashion to win by a neck in the $50,000 Joe Namath Handicap for fillies and mares on the grass at Gulfstream Park. Ridden by Dave Penna, Explosive Kate ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43 1/5 and paid $29.80, $10 and $8. Indian Fashion paid $6 and $5.80, while Belleofbasinstreet paid $16.

Turfah wore down longshot Montubio to win Tuesday's $28,000 Bald Eagle Purse by three-quarters of a length after 1 1/2 miles on the grass at Gulfstream Park. Ridden by Jerry Bailey, Turfah was timed in 2:23 1/5 and paid $5, $3.60 and $2.60. Montubio paid $8.80 and $4.80. Broadway Tommy paid $2.80 to show.

The Breeders' Cup series will be raced at Belmont Park on Oct. 27, 1990, officials of Breeders' Cup Limited announced today. The seven races, worth a total of $10 million, will be run this year on Nov. 4 at Gulfstream Park. The New York Racing Assn. also hosted the series in 1985, when the races were held at Aqueduct.

The 71st running of the Santa Anita Derby is still a week away, but there are a couple of major races taking place today. In the United Arab Emirates at the Nad al Sheba Racecourse will be the $6-million Dubai World Cup, the world's richest horse race. It caps off a seven-race card offering $21.25 million in purses. Horse of the year Curlin heads a field of 13 in the 13th running of the Dubai World Cup and starts from post position 12. Other American contenders in the race are A.P.

Given what happened the last two days in New York and California, trainer Barclay Tagg has much to look forward to in 2007. A little more than 24 hours after his Nobiz Like Shobiz possibly stamped himself the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby with an authoritative win in the Remsen at Aqueduct, Showing Up continued his grass roll with a decisive victory in the $500,000 Hollywood Derby on Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Nobody can ever say Bend A Little has to carry her turf course around with her. The 5-year-old Benny The Dip mare has six wins in her career and each has come at a different track. Making her Hollywood Park debut, Bend A Little, a 9-1 shot, won the $61,800 Hermosa Beach Handicap on Saturday. Owned by Cynthia Knight and trained by Christophe Clement, Bend a Little had won at Calder, Gulfstream Park, Belmont Park, Saratoga and Delaware Park. Ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr.

Jockey Garrett Gomez, who has been riding with great success primarily in New York and Kentucky, is back at Santa Anita and is expected to remain on this circuit through the winter. Gomez, whose agent Ron Anderson incidentally will be also representing Richard Migliore when the veteran begins riding at Hollywood Park next month, has four mounts on today's card as the final week of the Oak Tree meet begins.

A winner of the first 10 starts of his career, Lost In The Fog will be seeking to end a two-race losing streak in the $150,000 Aristides Breeders' Cup Handicap today at Churchill Downs. This will be the first appearance in Louisville for the 4-year-old Lost Soldier colt, who won the Eclipse Award as the nation's top sprinter in 2005 despite his failure in the Breeders' Cup Sprint in October at Belmont Park. However, Lost In The Fog has shown he can adapt to new surfaces.

Since breaking his maiden by nearly three lengths in his career debut June 25 at Calder, The Pharaoh has lost nine in a row. The 3-year-old son of Forest Camp hasn't been able to win on grass or dirt or in sprints or routes. Trying to end the long dry spell, The Pharaoh will be back on the turf in the seventh race today at Hollywood Park. Owned by Charles Cono and trained by Chris Paasch, The Pharaoh was purchased privately after his first two races in Florida.

Request For Parole and Balto Star will put two-race winning streaks on the line when they meet in today's $250,000 Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Handicap in Florida. A Grade I at 1 3/8 miles on the turf, the race lured six others -- Kicken Kris, Man From Wicklow, the defending champion, Magic Mecke, Quest Star, Hard Buck and Slew Valley -- but a lot of the parimutuel attention will be focused on Request For Parole and Balto Star.

If the rest of the meet is anything like opening day, Gulfstream Park is going to be a bettors' delight this year. The average field size for the 10 races today at the Florida track is more than 11 starters and the only contest with fewer than 10 entrants is the feature. Nine 3-year-olds entered the $100,000 Spectacular Bid at six furlongs. The Grade III is the first step on the road to the Florida Derby in March.

Full In ran the best race of his career March 22 at Gulfstream Park, winning by 3 1/2 lengths as the 9-10 favorite in the $40,000 claimer at 1 1/16 miles on turf. The 3-year-old Snuck In gelding will try for another victory today in his Hollywood Park debut and first start for trainer Doug O'Neill. A winner in three of 16 races, Full In has six rivals in the $51,000 optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles as he debuts for O'Neill after winning for trainer Mike Mitchell in Florida.

Five winning streaks of varying lengths will be on the line when the $200,000 Gotham is run today at Aqueduct. Like Now, Putonyerdancinshuz, Achilles Of Troy, Keyed Entry and Sweetnorthernsaint all have won at least two consecutive races entering the Grade III at 1 1/16 miles. The Gotham serves as a prep for next month's Wood Memorial. Two of the 3-year-olds in the Gotham are unbeaten.