Edited Press Release
The board of the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association met to discuss the recent statements made by Keith Brackpool on behalf of the Stronach Group, 1/ST Racing, and Gulfstream Park. According to the press release sent Friday, all discussions with Gulfstream to date had been premised on continued racing, not shutting down Gulfstream Park with or without decoupling.
The statement continues that when representatives of Gulfstream Park approached the FTHA last summer, they proposed how to best save racing in South Florida as part of an overall plan. Closing Gulfstream in 2025, or at the end of 2028, was never mentioned or suggested, nor is that consistent with saving racing in South Florida.
As a result, the FTHA will immediately undertake steps to do the following:
- Reassess the agreement entered with Gulfstream Park given the recent statements.
- Conduct a comprehensive analysis of all alternatives for continued racing in South Florida.
- Closely monitor all legislative or other steps that could put long-term racing in Florida at risk.
The FTHA has already reached out to Gulfstream to have further dialogue. The organization is planning another general meeting in the near future and will announce details soon.
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