Royal Palm Meet resumes - Bet Gulfstream Park with OTB

Premier Turf racing will return to Gulfstream Park on Friday, July 3 when the Royal Palm Meet resumes to kick off an Independence Day holiday weekend filled with stakes, special events and giveaways.

Four races are scheduled for the grass Friday, bookending the nine-race program with a one-mile claiming event for maidens 3 and up in the opener and another for 3-year-olds and up which have never won two races going 1 1/16 miles in the finale, both drawing 10-horse fields. First race post time is 12:20 p.m.

Race 4 is a 7 ½-furlong maiden special weight on the turf for 2-year-old fillies where the 2-1 program favorite is Crystal River, a first time starter by Golden Pal that fetched $150,000 as a yearling last fall trained and co-owned by Patrick Biancone and showing three sharp works at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, for her debut.

Trainer Nicholas Palmer will send out the duo of Iolana, returning from making her debut against the boys in the Royal Palm Juvenile sprinting five furlongs on the Gulfstream turf May 9, and Grant Me Peace, who adds blinkers after closing to be fourth in a five-furlong maiden special weight over the all-weather Tapeta course June 21. The other horses all exit dirt starts including the pair of Mumbet and Straight to Jail for trainer Heather Smullen, a winner with eight of her last 25 starters (32 percent).

Eight Florida-bred fillies and mares 3 and up will go five furlongs on the grass in a Race 7 allowance led by 3-year-old Cajun Breeze filly Ifyousaidso, a winner on both the dirt and turf at Gulfstream, the latter at odds of 37-1 Jan. 8 for previous trainer Michael Yates. Now with Jose D'Angelo, she was most recently a troubled seventh in the 5 ½-furlong Mamzelle (G3) on the grass April 30 at Churchill Downs.

From the rail is Love Like Lucy, who was determined when crossing the wire first in the six-furlong Game Face over Gulfstream's main track May 23 but disqualified to second for interference. The sophomore Win Win Win filly placed in both the Desert Vixen and Susan's Girl divisions of the Florida Sire Series last fall and is scheduled to try turf for the first time.

Co-headlining Friday's program are the $100,000 Sharp Susan for 2-year-old fillies sprinting 5 ½ furlongs in Race 6 and the $70,000 Wildcat Red overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile in Race 8, both on the main track.

The Sharp Susan is led by Elegante Miz, who drew Post 4 in a field of eight and adds blinkers following a rallying neck triumph in a five-furlong maiden special weight on the Tapeta June 6. Boots, entered but scratched from the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies May 9 on the Gulfstream turf, makes her first start since a decisive 3 ½-length debut victory going 4 ½ furlongs April 16 in Gulfstream's first juvenile race of 2026.

Grade 2 winner Steal Sunshine and Grade 3-placed stablemate Back Em Up, with 13 wins and more than $1.1 million in purse earnings behind them, are major contenders among 10 horses in the Wildcat Red. Among the main rivals is Grade 2-placed Lightning Tones, back-to-back winner of the Sunshine Classic for Florida-breds in 2025 and 2026.

The 20-cent Rainbow 6, which yielded multiple $5,172 mandatory jackpot payouts on the last live race day June 28, spans Races 4-9.

Eleven races are on tap Saturday including the $100,000 Smile Sprint for 3-year-olds going six furlongs and the $100,000 Soldier's Dancer Handicap for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the grass.

Holiday racing concludes with a 10-race program Sunday featuring the $100,000 Proud Man for 2-year-olds sprinting 5 ½ furlongs and $70,000 Pay Any Price overnight handicap, a five-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for the turf.

Bet Gulfstream Park online with OffTrackBetting.com - US Legal Florida horse betting on your phone and computer. Available to horseplayers across the United States via web browser or by downloadable OTB App, OTB features both Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing from major racing venues in the US as well as top international racing from Europe, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong.