Saturday is Kentucky Derby Day and Gulfstream Park offers a Derby Day buffet, a chance to win betting vouchers, and the second annual Derby Divas & Darlings Hat Contest.
There’s also a contest for the super-degenerates, with a payoff of $100,000. (I’ll get to that at the bottom.)
Fans who purchase a Gulfstream Park program at the south entrance on Derby Day will get an official 143rd Kentucky Derby T-shirt while supplies last from noon to 3 p.m. Ten Palms will offer a Derby buffet for $59. XBRewards@Gulfstream Members may enter to win wagers on Churchill Downs stakes races with the top prize being a $1,500 wager on the Kentucky Derby.
The four leading contenders all raced at Gulfstream and half of the probable field ran at the Hallandale Beach track this season. The favorites include Florida Derby winner Always Dreaming and the first three finishers in the Holy Bull: Irish War Cry, Gunnevera and Classic Empire.
The betting area, called Silks, will open at 9 a.m. Fans can also advance wager on Friday.
The second annual Derby Divas & Darlings Hat Contest will take place at about 3:15 p.m. in the walking ring with special celebrity judge Stephanie Bertini of WTVJ-NBC6. (She does traffic and news reporting; @StephanieNBC6.) Prizes include a $300 bet on the Derby, an Ultimate Fan Experience and a $200 shopping spree. Registration is from noon to 3 p.m.
Categories are “Derby Chic” (sophistication and cohesive from head to toe) and “Derby Distinctive” (spirited, creative and one-of-a-kind). The Derby Chic winner gets an AC Hotel Miami Aventura by Marriott stay, cocktails, tapas and a $300 bet. Second prize is an ”ultimate fan experience” for two plus a $150 bet. The Derby Distinctive winner receives a $250 shopping spree plus a $300 bet on the race. Second is the fan experience for two plus a $150 bet.
Then there are the “Divas in Training” – girls 12 and under. The winner gets a $100 Charming Charlie gift card; second is a $50 card.
There’s also selfie contest: tag #DerbyDivasContest to @GulfstreamPark and whoever gets the most likes wins a $50 gift card. Go to Gulfstream Park.com.
Now, about that $100K: Tropical Racing, a South Florida based thoroughbred partnership group, has an online contest inviting people to pick not the only the winner of the race, and not only the top three. They want you to select the finishing order of horses. No. 1 through 20. It’s free and requires only a valid email address. Go to https://tropicalracing.com/kentucky-derby.html.
