Gulfstream’s Date Changes a Blow to Hialeah

The feud among South Florida’s three thoroughbred tracks intensified when Gulfstream Park made a last-minute switch in its racing dates for 1990-91.

The change, which came just before Monday’s deadline for South Florida’s three tracks to submit their dates, defeated Hialeah Park’s plan to race unopposed at least one day a week.

“It’s despicable,” said John Brunetti Sr., owner of financially troubled Hialeah Park. “I think it’s a slap in the face.”

Hialeah, which closed abruptly Dec. 18 under the duress caused by declines in wagering and attendance, submitted an application calling for three-day-a-week racing--Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays--from Dec. 22 to April 8. The idea was that while Hialeah would compete on the weekend dates, it would have Mondays to itself.

Mondays traditionally are off days at Gulfstream and Calder Race Course.

But Gulfstream officials adjusted their weekly racing schedule for next year so that Wednesdays, not Mondays, would be the off days, at least until April.

“It’s a deliberate effort on their part to make any possibility of our being economically successful fail at the outset,” Brunetti said. “No matter what days or dates we asked for, they would continue to take every opportunity to do whatever they possibly could do to squelch Hialeah’s chances for a successful meeting.”

Hialeah is scheduled to open in the midst of Calder’s meeting, which starts May 5 and runs through Jan. 13. Gulfstream will then open and race until it is Calder’s turn again.

Hialeah has no time just to itself.

“From a business and competitive standpoint,” Gulfstream attorney David Romanik said, “it did not make sense for us to compete with Hialeah on our two best days (Saturday and Sunday) and then allow Hialeah to operate uncontested on Mondays.”