Turf Courses Reopen at Gulfstream and Palm Meadows
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson
The turf course at Gulfstream Park
After a 5 1/2-month hiatus, turf racing will return to Gulfstream Park Dec. 1. The turf training course at Palm Meadows reopened last month. The two courses were shut down over the summer and fall months to allow 1/ST Racing's new director of turf surfaces, Leif Dickinson, to get to work renovating the surfaces.
Gulfstream has utilized its synthetic Tapeta surface to accommodate many of its turf runners while grass racing was on hold.
There are three turf races carded for the re-opening of the Gulfstream turf Thursday, and three more Dec. 2. Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association president Joe Orseno has Ha' Penny entered in Friday's feature, a $72,000 allowance optional claiming test going 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass.
"It appears that Gulfstream has hired the right man for this project," Orseno said. "I walk the turf course regularly, and the results are amazing. I hope the horsemen are pleased with the efforts that management has taken to try and give them the best possible turf course to run on."
The Palm Meadows grass reopened Nov. 3, with training hours Thursday-Sunday from 10:00-10:30 a.m. ET.