Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes

The Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (formerly known as the Gulfstream Park Handicap) is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Gulfstream Park each year. The race is open to horses age four and up, willing to race one mile on the dirt. A Grade II event run in early March, it currently offers a purse of $200,000.

History

The Gulfstream Park Handicap was first run in 1946. It was won the next year in track record time by Armed, dubbed "the greatest attraction ever offered at his young seaside course" by the New York Times.^[3] In 1948 Rampart became the first female horse to win the race, defeating Armed at odds of 26–1.^[4]

Graded stakes race status:

Grade II : 1973–1974, 2003–present
Grade 1 : 1975–2002

In 1997, Barbara Minshall became the first female trainer to win the race in its fifty-two-year history.

As part of his record seven wins of this race, Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey won this race four times in a row from 1995 through 1998.

The distance of the race was set at one mile in 2009. It was run at 1+3⁄16 miles from 2005 to 2008, and at 1+1⁄4 miles before that time.

Records

Speed record:

1 mile – 1:33.80 – Palace Malice (2014)
1+3⁄16 miles – 1:54.74 – Eddington (2005)
1+1⁄4 miles – 1:59.00 – Mat-Boy (1984)

Most wins:

2 – Crafty Admiral (1952, 1953)
2 – Skip Trial (1986, 1987)
2 – Behrens (1999, 2000)

Most wins by a jockey:

7 – Jerry Bailey (1977, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998)

Most wins by a trainer:

5 – Todd Pletcher (2006, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021)

Winners

* In 1962, Yorky won the race but was disqualified and set back to second place.

References

^ "Chart of the 2020 Gulfstream Park Mile". Equibase. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
^ "Stakes profile". Equibase. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
^ "Armed, 3-5, Breaks Gulfstream Park record". The New York Times. 23 March 1947. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
^ "Rampart Defeats Armed by Head in $27,050 Gulfstream Handicap". The New York Times. 16 January 1948. Retrieved 5 June 2020.

External links