The cool morning air carried a sense of renewal as Turf & FTBOA Sire Stakes week opened Gulfstream Park’s Championship Meet on Thanksgiving Thursday. Riders tightened girths with quiet confidence, grooms leaned into their horses with calming hands, and trainers mingled with families arriving for holiday traditions under bright late-autumn skies. It felt like more than an Opening Day — it felt like the beginning of winter racing’s most anticipated stretch, where young talent meets seasoned class, and new storylines take shape one race at a time.
The curtain lifted with 2-year-old fillies contesting the featured $100,000 Wait a While Stakes over 7½ furlongs on turf, a fitting stage for promising juveniles stepping into the spotlight. The afternoon marked the return of leading horsemen too — Saffie Joseph Jr. beginning his bid for a fifth training title, while Irad Ortiz Jr. resumed his charge toward a fourth riding crown. First post went to the barriers at 11:15 a.m., opening a meet expected to deliver quality fields and compelling seasonal form.
Turf & FTBOA Sire Stakes continues into Friday and beyond
Day Two on Friday shifts the focus to the $100,000 Pulpit Stakes for 2-year-olds over the same 7½ furlong turf trip. An early-season juvenile turf test like this often reveals runners capable of developing into headline-level competitors as the meet progresses.
Saturday brings one of the most anticipated afternoons of the opening week, closing out the Florida Sire Stakes series with the $300,000 In Reality for colts and geldings, and the $300,000 My Dear Girl for fillies. Few arrivals will be watched more closely than Arindel’s Mythical — brilliant last out when she shattered the clock and won the Susan’s Girl division by 12¾ lengths. Her task now is to carry that brilliance around two turns for the first time. Jose D’Angelo is expected to saddle major contenders in the In Reality, including Khozalite and Prost, while Brad Cox ships in The Town to add depth and intrigue to the lineup.
The weekend atmosphere is supported by family-day energy, a fuller grandstand, and the kind of pre-winter turf form racegoers look forward to studying. The final day of the opening week arrives Sunday with a 10-race program beginning at 12:20 p.m., headlined by the $100,000 Islamorada, complemented by three maiden special weight events — two scheduled for turf — ideal for spotting future improvers before they climb the ranks.
As the Championship Meet moves deeper into its schedule, the sense is clear: the season is young, the fields are strong, and early running already hints at a winter rich with stories.
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