Heavy Rains Flood Temporary Stalls at Gulfstream Park West

Paulick Report

Many of the 350 horses recently moved into temporary stalls from barns on the former Calder race course backstretch were standing in water Tuesday morning after a torrential rainstorm hit South Florida Monday night.

Phil Combest, president of the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, said a pump is being used and another is on the way to move standing water out of the area where tents and temporary stalls were put up after a Dec. 31 order from track owner Churchill Downs Inc. for horses to vacate sections of the backstretch that were not leased to The Stronach Group, which has taken over the racing dates and some stabling of the track now known as Gulfstream Park West.

“There is some flooding,” said Combest, estimating that some of the horses were standing in 10 inches of water before they were moved out of their stalls so they could be cleaned out and new shavings brought in by Gulfstream Park. “Everyone is working like crazy. It’s clean-up time, though the forecast calls for more rain.”

About half of the temporary stalls are on asphalt parking lots, which won’t drain quickly without water pumps.

“We had over two inches of rain in one night,” said Combest. “This is the dry season. To have this kind of rain in January is not normal.”

The Stronach Group leased 440 permanent stalls as part of the agreement that transferred racing operations at Calder to Gulfstream Park on July 1, 2014. By contract, other sections of the stable area were to be vacated by Jan. 1, requiring at least 500 horses to find new homes. Temporary stalls were put up in late December, with the last of the horses leaving the non-leased part of the Calder backstretch on Jan 9. Gulfstream Park officials had hoped to keep those parts of the stable area open until April 1, when many horses leave South Florida but negotiations with Churchill Downs failed to produce an agreement. Approximately 350 horses are in temporary stalls.