Horse racing continues to be one of the most well supported sports across the globe, with millions tuning in to watch huge events on the television.
Following an exciting edition of the Breeders’ Cup, all eyes will now be on the high stakes action that takes place in 2025, with the early season events once again shaped around the Kentucky Derby.
However, before the season kicks into full gear, there are notable tracks around Miami that will host compete action on track in the first part of 2025. But, where are the best places in the region to watch racing action and engage in horse betting in person?
Hialeah Race Track
One of the most prestigious locations for horse racing in the Florida region can be found at Hialeah Race Track. This location covers 40 square bocks of the central-east side of Hialeah, ranging from East 4th Avenue to East 22nd Street.
It is one of the most iconic venues in the sport, having opened its doors to the public back in 1922. The location was primarily used for greyhound racing, before the launch of the Miami Jockey Club in 1925.
Hialeah has survived major scares throughout history, including a hurricane in 1926. As well as the competitive racing on track, it was also synonymous for visitors due to the wildlife that can be seen, with Hialeah becoming incredibly popular due to the fact that it was a sanctuary for the American Flamingo in the 1930s.
Hialeah has also featured in Hollywood, with the 1987 flick ‘Let It Ride’ being filmed on location. The track was also featured in Public Enemies and The Champ. Racing at the track was ended in May 2001, but it was reopened to visitors in 2013. It offers a look back through time at the sport in the region, and is a must-visit for all racing fans in the Florida region.
Gulfstream Park
Nowadays, there is only one place to see live horse racing action in the Florida region, but there are few more scenic tracks in the United States than Gulfstream Park. Located at Hallandale Beach, Gulfstream has been welcoming racing fans throughout the year since 1939.
Top-quality stakes action is staged on a range of surfaces at Gulfstream throughout the year, with an all-weather, dirt, and turf course all found at the track. Nowadays, the venue is owned by The Stronach Group, and racing is held throughout the year in the forms of three major meets.
The Champions Meet runs between December and March, before the Royal Palm Meet gets underway in April. The final meet on the calendar annually is the Flamingo Festival, which runs between October and November.
Renovations to the course were completed in 2021, which replaced the outer track with a brand new Tapeta surface for evening racing.
Historic Moments in Florida Racing
Many of the biggest horse racing moments in Florida have been staged at Gulfstream Park. The lucrative Gulfstream Park Handicap was first run in 1946, with the Florida Derby added to the calendar just six years later.
It continues to be a notable race in preparation for the Kentucky Derby. World class jockeys have always competed at Gulfstream Park, with Angel Cordero Jr setting a meeting record with 60 victories in 1980.
The track’s reputation as one of the finest in North America was fully deserved in the 1980s, and Gulfstream Park was handed the illustrious honour of hosting the 1989 edition of the Breeders’ Cup.
It would be a memorable first staging of the event, with Kentucky Derby and Preakness victor Sunday Silence colliding with Belmont Stakes winner Easy Goer in the Classic. Gulfstream would host a second Breeders’ Cup in 1992.
Horses To Have Won The Kentucky Derby
As mentioned, Gulfstream Park regularly hosts one of the most important Kentucky Derby prep races, with the Florida Derby staked annually just five weeks before the opening race of the Triple Crown.
It has been a Grade One contest since 1952, and the purse has been set at $1 million since 2022. The race has constantly thrown up Triple Crown winners, with 21 previous winners of the Florida Derby landing victory in at least one of the season-defining races during the season.
Overall, there has been 15 winners to follow up in the Kentucky Derby, including the most recent victor in the form of Always Dreaming in 2017. Maximum Security did cross the line first in the Derby after winning in Florida, but he was subsequently disqualified.
Barbaro remains one of the most famous winners of the Florida Derby, with the shock Triple Crown hero winning the Kentucky Derby at huge odds in 2006. Such was his importance to the sport, the legendary runner was honoured with a statue outside of the main entrance at Churchill Downs.
