Florida Derby Florida Derby The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Since 2005, it has been run five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Saturday in May. Thus the Florida Derby is currently run either at the end of March or the beginning of April. Added to the racing schedule in 1952, the Grade I race is run at miles on the dirt for a purse currently set at $1 Million. The Florida Derby was first run in 1952. It has long been
The Downs at Santa Fe but closed it only one year later after heavy losses. Today the property is used as an outdoor event venue for concerts and flea markets. The Downs at Santa Fe The Downs at Santa Fe was a horse racing facility near Santa Fe, New Mexico, running thoroughbred and American quarter horse events. Originally named Santa Fe Downs, the $5.5 million mile oval track opened in June 1971 with a crowd of 11,000 people, causing traffic jams in the area. Although the track enjoyed good attendance and handle, the heavy debt load to build the track became unmanageable when interest rates