Calder Racecourse - A Great Florida Tradition!

Calder Racecourse is a 220-acre horse racecourse located in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Among the marquee events regularly held at Calder Racecourse are the Summit of Speed in July and the Festival of the Sun in October.

Graded stakes races conducted at Calder Racecourse are:

• Memorial Day Handicap - Gr. III
• Princess Rooney Handicap - Gr. I
• Smile Sprint Handicap - Gr. II
• Azalea Breeders' Cup Stakes - Gr. III
• Carry Back Stakes - Gr. II
• Miami Mile Breeders' Cup Handicap - Gr. III
• Calder Derby - Gr. III
• Spend A Buck Handicap - Gr. III

Calder Racecourse also stages many overnight stakes and handicaps, and many ungraded stakes like the Tropical Park Oaks.

Calder Racecourse hosts the Turf Million, a new marquee event that brings together four stakes races to be held on the grass. These are the Calder Derby, the Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint Handicap, the Calder Oaks and the Mairzy Doates Handicap.

Calder Racecourse also plays host to the Florida Stallion Stakes program. Calder Racecourse is also the site of two prestigious horse sales, the Ocala Breeders' Sales and the Fasig-Tipton sales.

Calder Racecourse has become an important launching pad for many of today's biggest jockeys. Calder Racecourse's location in Florida has enabled it to serve as a magnet for talented jockeys from Latin America and the Caribbean. Among the distinguished jockeys who ran stints at Calder Racecourse in their early days are: Javier and Abel Castellano (Venezuela), Eibar Coa (Venezuela), Rene R. Douglas (Panama), Shaun Bridgmohan (Jamaica) and Edgar Prado (Peru).

Calder Racecourse Description

• Calder Racecourse boasts of a one-mile dirt oval and a seven- furlong turf course.

• The track has a seating capacity of about 15,000 people.

• Calder Racecourse contains stalls for 1,800 thoroughbreds on its property.

Calder Racecourse History

• In the 1960s, real estate developer Stephen A. Calder envisioned summertime racing in Florida.

• In 1965, the Florida Legislature approved a bill allowing for horseracing to be held in the State during the summer.

• In 1970, Stephen Calder received a permit for summertime racing but the meet was run at Tropical Park because construction was not complete at Calder Racecourse.

• On May 6 , 1971 Calder Racecourse opened its doors to the public.

• In 1972, horseracing was discontinued at Tropical Park.

• The 1980s ushered an era of expansions and renovations in Calder Racecourse.

• In 1992 the "Festival of the Sun" marquee event was introduced.

• By 1997, simulcasting was introduced (so bets could be placed on Calder races from other tracks and off-track locations). The handle increased significantly; the track increased purses.

• In January 1999, Churchill Downs Incorporated purchased Calder Race Course for approximately $86 million.