Older horses take the spotlight in the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), a long-standing early-season feature for horses hoping to make a splash in the one-mile or even the handicap division as the year goes on. Given its early position in the year, it is often used to begin a campaign and help trainers figure out where to target their good horses.

Winners of the Gulfstream Park Mile have included Triple Crown winner Armed (1947), all-time greats Kelso (1963) and Forego (1974), the dominant Cigar (1995), and more recently, Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man (2012) and Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice (2014).

The race is open to horses aged four and up, and drew a field of eight, though only seven are expected to run with the early scratch of Castle Chaos. Leaders include the versatile Wit, Grade 1-placed Il Miracolo, and last-out Fred W. Hooper (G3) winner Tumbarumba.

2024 Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes Information

• Race Date: Saturday, March 2, 2024
• Track: Gulfstream Park
• Post Time: 5:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 1/16 miles
• Age/Sex: three-year-old fillies
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

Gulfstream Park Mile Odds

This is the field for the 2024 Gulfstream Park Mile, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for each horse.

Gulfstream Park Mile Prep Results

Half of the field for the Gulfstream Park Mile comes in from the Fred W. Hooper (G3) on the Pegasus World Cup undercard. Two of the top three horses from the tight front ranks return in this spot: Tumbarumba won by a nose over Castle Chaos, who scratched from this race, with Steal Sunshine three-quarters of a length back in third. Gilmore, a well-beaten seventh in the Hooper, hopes to improve his fortunes in this spot.

Two other horses come out of different stakes races. Il Miracolo was a few lengths off the torrid pace in the Pegasus World Cup before fading to sixth; he cuts back in distance for this. Wit has been on the bench since finishing third in the Belmont Turf Sprint, a race that was contested over a sloppy dirt track in October due to wet weather.

The two other entrants come out of allowance-level wins at Gulfstream Park. Ticking stalked and pounced to win a conditioned allowance at seven furlongs on January 20. Shaq Diesel, who found his bearing in his last few starts after some tries on the Kentucky Derby trail last spring, comes into the Gulfstream Park Mile off of a first-level allowance win going a mile.

Gulfstream Park Mile Contenders

These are the runners in the 2024 Gulfstream Park Mile, in post position order:

Castle Chaos: He has been scratched from the race.

Wit: This son of Practical Joke, a half-brother to Barkley (a Grade 3 winner at a mile), has won stakes races on both dirt and grass. He has shown he can come back well off a lay, a common thing for a Todd Pletcher trainee to do. The biggest question is pace; he tends to do his best work when he has pace to rally into, and on paper, this race has little speed.

Steal Sunshine: He rallied from last to finish a close third in the Hooper (G3) last out. That running style will do him no favors in this, though he was able to adapt and rally from closer to the pace when it was slower three back, in an allowance win. All of his recent local form has been fast enough to make him a factor in this, and he would be no surprise to see in the frame.

Il Miracolo: Hailing from the barn of local trainer Antonio Sano, he dials back to one turn for the first time since an allowance win last May over the same course and distance. That race, as well as his forward trips in both the Smarty Jones (G3) and the Curlin last summer, suggest that he has the versatility to overcome the lack of pace. The class drop from the Pegasus should help him along, too.

Tumbarumba: A consistent type, he has hit the board in seven of his last eight races, with the only misfire coming when he had to deal with a sloppy track. His close-stalking style should play well in a race without a lot of early gas, as should the presence of aggressive jockey Luis Saez. It also helps that he does so much of his best work at extended one-turn trips.

Shaq Diesel: Attempts in Kentucky Derby trail races like the Florida Derby (G1) and Risen Star (G2) went poorly last year, but ever since he moved to the barn of David Fawkes and dialed back in both distance and class, he has been a new horse. He still needs to run back to his career-best to be a factor in this, but his ability to sit close to the pace and his penchant for running well over elongated one-turn trips give him some upside for exotics.

Ticking: He steps into graded company for the first time after winning an allowance at seven furlongs at Gulfstream on January 20. He isn’t without upside, but demands a price for several reasons. Though dirt appears to be his best surface, he has yet to try a stakes race on it. Furthermore, his recent speed figures appear on the slow side, though he was able to run a surprisingly fast race when breaking his maiden, in a race without much front-end gas. So, he could benefit from the pace.

Gilmore: His form has been on and off, though one of his better races puts him in the running here. He has back class at extended one-turn trips: he was third in both the Woody Stephens (G1) and Pat Day Mile (G2) last year. And, though he came up flat in the Fred Hooper last out, he was second to Group 1 winner Sibelius in the Mr. Prospector (G3) two back. A big question for him is pace, as he usually comes on late, though he won with an uncharacteristically forward trip in an allowance at Saratoga last summer.

Gulfstream Park Mile Past Winners Past Performances

Six of the last ten winners of the Gulfstream Park Mile come out of races at Gulfstream. The last two, Endorsed (2023) and Speaker’s Corner (2022), come out of wins in the Fred W. Hooper over the same course and distance. Two other recent winners came out of the Hal’s Hope (G3); though the race is now known as the Ghostzapper and run at 1 ⅛ miles, it used to be a one-mile dirt race in mid-January. Prince Lucky (2019) won it, and Conquest Big E (2018) finished fourth in it before winning the Gulfstream Park Mile. Mr Freeze (2020) turned back in trip after a second-place effort in the Pegasus World Cup (G1). Blofeld is the only recent winner to come out of a Gulfstream race that was not at stakes level; he had most recently run fourth in an allowance-optional claiming race, though he was already a multiple Grade 2 stakes winner.

The other four winners over the last ten years come from disparate spots, all late in the year before. Honor Code (2015) had most recently won an allowance-optional claiming race in November, but was already a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed. Sharp Azteca (2017) was second in the Malibu, Palace Malice (2014) was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and Fearless (2021) was sixth in the Stephen Foster (G2).

Gulfstream Park Mile Card

The Gulfstream Park Mile is the 11th of 14 races on the Saturday card at Gulfstream, one of the most significant race days of its championship meet. The nine stakes on the card include Kentucky Derby prospects in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth, the final race on the card, as well as Kentucky Oaks hopefuls in the $200,000 Davona Dale (G2).

Other stakes on the card include the $200,000 Mac Diarmida (G2) for older turf routers, the $150,000 Honey Fox (G3) for turf mile mares, the $200,000 Herecomesthebride (G3) for three-year-old turf mile fillies, the $150,000 Canadian Turf (G3) for older middle-distance turf horses, the $150,000 Very One (G3) for older turf route mares, and the $200,000 Colonel Liam for three-year-old turf milers.

With classy racing and big fields all day long, make sure to stay tuned to Gulfstream Park on FanDuel TV and to bet the card through FanDuel and TVG!

Gulfstream Park

Gulfstream Park is the historic racetrack that hosts this race each year. It is the only American racetrack that offers all three racing surfaces: conventional dirt, turf, and a synthetic Tapeta surface. The outer track is a dirt course measuring one and one-eighth miles around, complete with a chute that allows for classic one-turn dirt mile races. The next track inward is a one-mile and seventy-yard Tapeta track that opened in 2021. The inner course is a seven-furlong turf track.

Gulfstream Park has hosted many major races over the years, including the Breeders’ Cup in 1989, 1992, and 1999. In 2017, the race ran the rich Pegasus World Cup for the first time, which was at one time the world’s richest horse race. But the Gulfstream Park Mile, run along the road to the Kentucky Derby, remains Gulfstream Park’s most established and famous race.

Gulfstream Park Mile FAQ

Q: When is the Gulfstream Park Mile?

A: The 2024 Gulfstream Park Mile will be run on Saturday, March 2 at 4:20 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The race is carded as the 11th of 14 on the Gulfstream card.

Q: Where is the Gulfstream Park Mile?

A: It takes place at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Gulfstream Park Mile?

A: Todd Pletcher leads all trainers with five wins in the Gulfstream Park Mile. His winners include Harlington (2006), Discreet Dancer (2013), Palace Malice (2014), Blofeld (2016), and Prince Lucky (2019). He can extend his record if Wit wins in 2024.

Q: Who is the favorite for the 2024 Gulfstream Park Mile?

A: Off his victory in the Hooper, Tumbarumba is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the Gulfstream Park Mile. However, it would be no surprise to see wagering action on in-form Steal Sunshine (5-2 morning line), the returning Wit (3-1 morning line), or even the hard-trying and classy Il Miracolo (9-2 morning line).

Q: Who is the best Gulfstream Park Mile jockey?

A: Jockey Jerry Bailey won the Gulfstream Park Mile seven times between 1977 and 1998; he is now retired from the saddle. Among riders with a call in the 2024 edition, Javier Castellano leads with four wins, most recently in 2015 with Honor Code. He rides Il Miracolo in the 2024 edition. John Velazquez, who is just behind with three wins, had been named on Castle Chaos, who has since been scratched.

Q: Who won the 2023 Gulfstream Park Mile?

A: Endorsed won the 2023 Gulfstream Park Mile for trainer Mike Maker and jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Maker did not enter a horse this year, though Gaffalione rides Gilmore for Brendan Walsh.

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