The Royal Palm Meet at Gulfstream Park begins April 3 highlighted by the third running of the Royal Palm Juvenile and Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies stakes, races that will once again offer automatic berths to one of six juvenile races at the upcoming Royal Ascot meet in England along with a $25,000 travel stipend.
The meeting, which runs through Aug. 31, will include $1.785 million in stakes purses and $910,000 in overnight handicaps. The Royal Palm Meet will run Thursday through Sunday through June 22 before going Friday through Sunday starting June 27. First race post is 12:50 p.m. ET.
The $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile and $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies, both run at five furlongs on the turf May 10, have been productive preps for the Royal Ascot races, with 2023 Juvenile Fillies victor Crimson Advocate winning the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) and 2024 Juvenile winner Gabaldon finishing second in last year's Windsor Castle Stakes.
Thursday's eight-race, opening day program will feature two one-mile turf events and a maiden special weight for 3-year-old fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta.
Stakes action begins Saturday with a $70,000 handicap, the non-black-type Go Cats Go Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up at five furlongs on the turf. The field of 10 will include Xy Speed, a winner in 13 of 26 career starts at the distance, as well as Silks Run Stakes winner Eamonn and runner-up Reef Runner.
The Stanley Cup, won by the Florida Panthers last year, will be at Gulfstream April 5 for fans to take pictures with and enjoy. The Cup will be at Ten Palms beginning at approximately noon for 2 1/2 hours.
Gulfstream was forced to cancel the closing day of its Championship Meet March 30 due to heavy afternoon rains, cancelling the mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6. The popular wager, with a current carryover of $288,488, will now have a mandatory payout April 13.
On May 3, Gulfstream will host a Kentucky Derby Buffet and Watch Party in Ten Palms beginning at 11:30 a.m. Along with live racing at Gulfstream, fans will be able to watch and wager on the Kentucky Derby (G1) while enjoying mint juleps and other Derby favorites.
