Tropical Turf Stakes

The Tropical Turf Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years olds and older at the distance of one mile on the turf held annually in January at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event currently carries a purse of $100,000.

Tropical Turf Stakes

Class	Grade III
Location	Gulfstream Park Hallandale Beach, Florida, United States
Inaugurated	1972 (at Calder Race Track as Christmas Day Handicap)
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing - Turf
Website	Gulfstream Park
Race information
Distance	1 mile
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds and older
Weight	124 lbs with allowances
Purse	$100,000 (since 1994)

History

It was run as the Christmas Day Handicap through 1992.

Open to three-year-old horses and up, it is set at a distance of one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) and currently offers a purse of $100,000.

The Tropical Turf is the last of the four $100,000 stakes races on Gulfstream West's "Grand Slam I program." The My Charmer Handicap is the first, the Three Ring Stakes second, and the Foolish Pleasure Stakes third.

In 2015 this race was run at Gulfstream Park West at one and one-sixteenth mile.

In 2023 the event was downgraded to Listed was not scheduled by Gulfstream Park.^[1]

Records

Speed record:

• 1 mile – 1:32.83 – Tusk (2020)
• 1+1⁄16 miles – 1:42.47 - Lubash (2017)
• 1+1⁄8 miles – 1:44.95 - Carterista (1993)

Margins:

• 7 lengths – Sir Cat (1997)

Most wins by an owner

• 2 - S A Of South Florida (1992, 1993)
• 2 - Joseph J. Sullivan (1994, 1995)
• 2 - Moyglare Stud Farm (1999, 2013)
• 2 - Richard C. Thompson (2006, 2007)
• 2 - Aliyu Ben J Stables (2014, 2016)

Most wins by a jockey

• 3 – Rene R. Douglas (1994, 1999, 2003)
• 3 – Javier Castellano (2008, 2011, 2019)

Most wins by a trainer

• 5 – Christophe Clement (1999, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
At Gulfstream Park – Tropical Turf Stakes
2023	Race not held
2022	Clear Vision	6	Julien Leparoux	Matthew O'Connor	MeB Racing Stables	abt. 1 mile	1:35.36	$100,000	III	[2]
2021	Ride a Comet	6	Tyler Gaffalione	Mark E. Casse	John C. Oxley & My Meadowview Farm	1 mile	1:33.62	$100,000	III	[3]
2020	Tusk	7	Tyler Gaffalione	Saffie A. Joseph Jr.	Jordan V. Wycoff	1 mile	1:32.83	$100,000	III	[4]
2019	Doctor Mounty	6	Javier Castellano	Claude R. McGaughey III	Larry Pratt & Dave Alden	1 mile	1:34.62	$100,000	III	[5]
2018	Race not held due to schedule change
2017	Shakhimat	4	Edgard J. Zayas	Roger L. Attfield	Dan Gale, Roger L. Attfield & William K. Werner	1 mile	1:36.03	$100,000	III	[6]
At Calder/Gulfstream Park West – Tropical Turf Handicap
2016	† Lubash	9	Joe Bravo	Christophe Clement	Aliyu Ben J Stables	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.47	$100,000	III	[7]
2015	Lochte	5	Matthew Rispoli	Marcus J. Vitali	Crossed Sabres Farm	1+1⁄16 miles	1:50.95	$100,000	III	[8]
2014	Lubash	7	Brice Blanc	Christophe Clement	Aliyu Ben J Stables	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.72	$100,000	III	[9]
2013	Speaking of Which (IRE)	4	Joe Bravo	Christophe Clement	Moyglare Stud Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.03	$100,000	III	[10]
2012	Philly Ace	4	Luis Saez	Christophe Clement	Brushwood Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:49.22	$100,000	III	[11]
2011	Silver Medallion	3	Javier Castellano	Todd A. Pletcher	Black Rock Stables	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.84	$100,000	III	[12]
2010	Twilight Meteor	6	Luis Saez	Martin D. Wolfson	Peachtree Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:46.85	$100,000	III	[13]
2009	Race not held
2008	Spice Route (GB)	4	Javier Castellano	Roger L. Attfield	Harlequin Ranches	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.41	$100,000	III	[14]
2007	Ballast (IRE)	6	Kent J. Desormeaux	H. Graham Motion	Richard C. Thompson	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.54	$100,000	III	[15]
2006	Ballast (IRE)	5	Rafael Bejarano	H. Graham Motion	Richard C. Thompson	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.54	$100,000	III	[16]
2005	Silver Tree	5	Jerry D. Bailey	William I. Mott	Peter Vegso	1+1⁄8 miles	1:46.28	$100,000	III	[17]
2004	Host (CHI)	4	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Eugene & Laura Melnyk	1+1⁄8 miles	1:45.74	$100,000	III	[18]
2003	Political Attack	4	Rene R. Douglas	Michael R. Matz	Erdenheim Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:45.81	$100,000	III	[19]
2002	Krieger	4	Eibar Coa	Joe Orseno	Stronach Stables	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.02	$100,000	III	[20]
2001	Band Is Passing	5	Carlos Gonzalez	Stanley M. Ersoff	Stanley M. Ersoff	1+1⁄8 miles	1:46.90	$100,000	III	[21]
2000	Stokosky	4	Carlos Alberto Hernandez	Juan P. Rizo	Santa Cruz Ranch	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.77	$100,000	III	[22]
1999	Hibernian Rhapsody (IRE)	4	Rene R. Douglas	Christophe Clement	Moyglare Stud Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:46.17	$100,000	III	[23]
1998	Unite's Big Red	4	Eduardo O. Nunez	Randy Mills	Break Away Racing Stable & Dream Catcher	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.96	$100,000	III	[24]
1997	Sir Cat	4	Jose Alberto Rivera II	William I. Mott	John R. Murrell	1+1⁄8 miles	1:54.08	$100,000	III	[25]
1996	Mecke	4	Robbie Davis	Emanuel Tortora	James R. Lewis Jr.	1+1⁄8 miles	1:46.51	$100,000	III	[26]
1995	The Vid	5	Herb McCauley	Martin D. Wolfson	Joseph J. Sullivan	1+1⁄8 miles	1:44.99	$100,000	III	[27]
1994	The Vid	4	Rene R. Douglas	Martin D. Wolfson	Joseph J. Sullivan	1+1⁄8 miles	1:49.06	$100,000	III	[28]
1993	Carterista	5	Wigberto S. Ramos	Ronald B. Spatz	S A Of South Florida	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:44.95	$75,000	III	[29]
Christmas Day Handicap
1992	Carterista	4	Michael Andre Lee	Ronald B. Spatz	S A Of South Florida	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:46.35	$50,000	III	Division 1[30]
	Bidding Proud	3	Jose A. Santos	Jimmy Croll	John C. Sessa		1:46.02	$50,000		Division 2[31]
1991	Race not held
1990	Stolen Rolls	4	Pedro A. Rodriguez	Lawrence W. Jennings Jr.	Esquire Farms	abt. 1+1⁄8 miles	1:45.20	$59,500	III	[32]
1989	Vaguely Double	4	Walter Guerra	Edward Plesa Jr.	Elizabeth A. Sessa	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.80	$55,490	III	[33]
1988	Equalize	6	Jose A. Santos	Angel Penna Sr.	Tartan Farms	1+1⁄8 miles	1:45.00	$58,350	III	[34]
1987	Race not held
1986	Arctic Honeymoon	3	Robert Neal Lester	Luis Olivares	Beverly Green	1+1⁄8 miles	1:54.00	$54,250	III	[35]
1985	Ban the Blues	6	Gene St. Leon	William C. Knuck	Harold Kitchen	1+1⁄8 miles	1:53.20	$56,900	III	[36]
1984	Biloxi Indian	3	Bryan Fann	Dianne Carpenter	Dianne Carpenter	1+1⁄8 miles	1:54.00	$61,250	III	[37]
1983	‡ Eminency	5	Pat Day	Claude R. McGaughey III	Happy Valley Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.20	$54,250	III	[38]
1982	Rivalero	6	Jacinto Vasquez	David A. Whitely	Calumet Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:53.60	$55,450	III	[39]
1981	The Liberal Member	6	Jerry D. Bailey	Angel Penna Sr.	Ogden Phipps	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.80	$58,550	III	[40]
1980	Yosi Boy	4	Alfredo Smith Jr.	Jose A. Mendez	Miraflores Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.80	$55,300		[41]
1979	Lot o' Gold	3	Don Brumfield	William E. Adams	Frederick E. Lehmann	1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.60	$55,550		[42]
1976–1978		Race not held
1975	Proud Birdie	2	Jack Fieselman	Rosemary G. Henderson	Thomas Edmondson	1+1⁄16 miles	1:47.00	$31,500		2YOs only[43]
1974	L. Grant Jr.	4	Jimmy Combest	Reed M. Combest	Elkcan Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:45.80	$30,500		[44]
1973	Proud and Bold	3	Robert Woodhouse	John Zarthar	Robert Van Worp Sr.	1+1⁄16 miles	1:45.60	$28,500		[45]
1972	Prince of Truth	4	Jacinto Vasquez	Lawrence W. Jennings	Lucky Irish Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:46.00	$29,500		[46]

Legend:
  Turf   Dirt
Notes:
† In the 2017 running of the event Rose Briar was first past the post but drifted out in the late stretch and was disqualified and placed second. Lubash was declared the winner of the event.
‡ In the 1983 running of the event World Appeal was first past the post was disqualified and placed second. Eminency was declared the winner of the event.

See also

• List of American and Canadian Graded races

External links

• 2020–21 Gulfstream Park Media Guide