The Sunshine Meet at Gulfstream Park, a precursor to the Championship Meet, begins Friday with a nine-race program and a stakes schedule highlighted by the $225,000 Princess Rooney (G3), a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).
A total of 14 stakes worth $1.925 million in purses - including $250,000 from the Florida-Bred Incentive Fund - are scheduled during the Sunshine Meet, which previews the prestigious 2026-2027 Championship Meet set to get under way on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26.
In its 40th year, the seven-furlong Princess Rooney for fillies and mares 3 and up will be run Saturday, Sept. 12 along with the $100,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint, a five-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up, and $100,000 Ginger Punch for fillies and mares 3 and older at one mile on the grass.
The $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, also at seven furlongs, is Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
Saffie Joseph Jr. will attempt to win an unprecedented 17th consecutive Gulfstream meet title beginning Friday. Joseph has four horses entered including two maidens making their debut. Epic Ray is a $150,000 juvenile filly by Epicenter going in Race 6 while Daily Prayer, a 3-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy who brought $200,000 at auction, is entered in Race 4.
Looking ahead to the Princess Rooney, Joseph became the first trainer to win three consecutive editions of the Princess Rooney in 2025 with Haulin Ice. A 12-time winner with nearly $1.3 million in purse earnings, making her the richest Arkansas-bred in history, Haulin Ice went on to run sixth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
In 2024, three-time graded-stakes winning millionaire Soul of an Angel used the Princess Rooney as a springboard to victory in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and was voted the Eclipse Award as champion female sprinter. Three Witches won the 2023 Princess Rooney for Joseph and went on to run third at the Breeders' Cup.
Joseph nominated six to the Princess Rooney including Haulin Ice.
Since 2009, 13 of the last 15 Princess Rooney winners have gone on to run in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint including Musical Romance, the 2012 Princess Rooney winner who finished second in 2011 but that fall captured the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and was named female sprint champion for late trainer Bill Kaplan.
Jockey Diego Herrera will attempt to continue riding the wave that brought him his first jockey title at the recently concluded Royal Palm Meet. The 22-year-old is named in 24 races over opening weekend including seven on Friday.
The Sunshine Meet stakes schedule begins Saturday, Sept. 5 with a pair of $150,000 events for Florida-breds, the FHBPA Three Ring for 2-year-old fillies and FHBPA Express Tour for 2-year-olds, each sprinting seven furlongs on the main track. Following the Princess Rooney program is the $100,000 Hollywood Beach, a five-furlong open turf dash for 2-year-olds Saturday, Sept. 26.
Florida-bred juveniles will again be in the spotlight Saturday, Oct. 3 in the $250,000 Awesome Feather for fillies and $250,000 Three Rules, both going a one-turn mile on the main track.
Breeders' Cup weekend at Gulfstream will feature a quartet of turf stakes - the $100,000 Cellars Shiraz for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles and $100,000 Our Dear Peggy for 2-year-old fillies going one mile Friday Oct. 30 and the $100,000 Armed Forces for 2-year-olds at one mile and $100,000 Showing Up for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles Saturday, Oct. 31.
The $100,000 Juvenile Fillies Sprint Saturday, Nov. 7 and $100,000 Juvenile Sprint Saturday, Nov. 14, both going six furlongs, wrap up the Sunshine Meet stakes schedule.
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