HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Gulfstream Park and The Gulfstream Park Thoroughbred Aftercare Program will hold their inaugural Holiday Thoroughbred Festival at Plantation Equestrian Center Saturday, Dec. 8.
The Thoroughbred Festival will be hosted by the Heritage Horse Show and Gulfstream Park and sponsored by John Deere through their partnership with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
Retired Thoroughbreds will compete in several different classes of Pleasure, Hunter and Jumper divisions. There will be prizes and awards in each division.
The Holiday Thoroughbred Festival will also be part of the Gulfstream Thoroughbred Challenge, which is an ongoing, season-long series for retired Thoroughbreds held during selected shows at Plantation Equestrian Center. Competitors in the Thoroughbred Challenge will earn double points during the Holiday Thoroughbred Festival.
"This is another wonderful opportunity to showcase the Thoroughbred," said Gulfstream Park President Tim Ritvo. "Thoroughbreds are born athletes and they have the heart and intelligence to excel at second careers. The Stronach Group has a long history of retraining, rehabilitating and caring for retired Thoroughbreds, so we're delighted to showcase our remarkable equine athletes in the Holiday Thoroughbred Festival and delighted to partner with John Deere and the Heritage Horse Show."
Plantation Equestrian Center is one of the finest equestrian facilities in South Florida. It includes a lighted main ring, two additional show rings, two stables, two practice rings (one lighted), turn-out paddock areas, bleachers, a concession area and ample parking.
For more information on the Gulfstream Park Holiday Thoroughbred Festival, contact Heritage Horse Show at Heritagehorsesho@aol.com or call Butch Medlin at 954.347.1799.
The Gulfstream Park Aftercare Program was founded in 2011 by Mr. Frank Stronach to ensure retired Thoroughbreds are matched with loving owners who will make a lifelong commitment to their health, safety and well being. Working with several retirement organizations, including the Florida Thoroughbred Retirement & Adoptive Care Program (TRAC), The Gulfstream Park Thoroughbred Aftercare Program insures retired Thoroughbreds are properly evaluated once they leave the track. Mr. Stronach, Chairman of The Stronach Group, parent company of Gulfstream Park, and his family have been industry leaders in the retraining and rehabilitation of Thoroughbred race horses and an advocates and supporters of several retirement programs throughout North America.
GULFSTREAM PARK is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; XpressBet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets.The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horseracing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry. For more information contact David Joseph at david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com or call 954.457.6451
