Wait a While Kicks Off Gulfstream's Championship Meet

Fittingly this year on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28—just as temperatures across much of the United States are turning cooler, resulting in horses and horsemen headed south—Gulfstream Park opens for its 2024-25 Championship Meet. It’s one of several meets contested at Gulfstream, which operates year-round in South Florida.

The Thursday card includes eight races, topped by the $115,000 Wait a While Stakes, a 7 1/2-furlong turf test for 2-year-old fillies that will go off as the final race, with a post time at 2:40 p.m. ET.

The Wait a While is the first of 66 such black-type races during the meet—30 of them graded—totaling $15.025 million. Highlights of the stakes schedule include the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) on Jan. 25, and the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) on March 29.

Racing will be conducted four days a week (Thursday-Sunday) through December, when a five-day-a-week schedule (Wednesday-Sunday) begins and lasts through March 30.

Irad Ortiz Jr., seeking his sixth Championship Meet title, has the mount on the Brendan Walsh-trained Civetta , a daughter of Into Mischief owned and bred by Godolphin. She is drawn in post 2.

Other jockeys in action Thursday at Gulfstream include Paco Lopez, Joe Bravo, Edwin Gonzalez, and Emisael Jaramillo. More riders will join them when fall racing wraps up in other regions such as New York and Kentucky.

Saffie Joseph Jr., the leading trainer for the past three years at Gulfstream during the Championship Meet, runs Corinne and Bill Heiligbrodt’s Bellavinino in the Wait a While. Drayden Van Dyke, who teamed with Joseph to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) with Soul of an Angel , rides from post 7.

Soul of an Angel is being pointed toward the Dec. 26 Rampart Stakes (G3), a one-turn mile for fillies and mares that could advance her toward the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) Feb. 22. The latter race is at 1 1/8 miles around one turn.

“If we decide to go to the Saudi race, she’ll go in the Rampart. If we change it, she’ll go to the Rampart and then the Madison at Keeneland,” Joseph said. “The key to her is one turn. She’s obviously decent at two turns, but at one turn, she’s a different-quality horse.”

Joseph also trains 2022 Florida Derby winner White Abarrio , who outclassed allowance optional claiming foes in romping by 10 1/4 lengths at Gulfstream Nov. 22. White Abarrio notably took the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) under the care of trainer Rick Dutrow Jr.

The 5-year-old son of Race Day could run next in the Dec. 21 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes (G3), a 1 1/16-mile prep race historically for the Pegasus, or the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) on Dec. 28.

Joseph, who clinched his 11th consecutive title at Gulfstream during the Sunshine Meet, said multiple grade 2 winner Skippylongstocking would also be pointed toward the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher does not have any entrants Thanksgiving at Gulfstream but will have his usual presence over the meet with his powerhouse stable based at Palm Beach Downs.

Four-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown is among those who utilize Payson Park to train horses in Florida during the winter. Brad Cox, who has runners in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Kentucky over the winter, will also train at Payson Park.