HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gulfstream Park officially ushered in the Tapeta era when opening the newly installed course for training shortly before 10 a.m. on Friday. More than a dozen horses galloped over the Tapeta surface with no official workouts permitted at this time. All horses training on the Tapeta must enter at the same gap used for turf works at Gulfstream Park, located near the five-furlong marker on the main track. Each must transition from the main track to the Tapeta course over matting designed to keep the horses from tracking the regular dirt surface onto the Tapeta. Among the first horses to try the Tapeta was the Joe Orseno-trained Timmy M, who galloped once around the seven-furlong oval under former rider Aaron Gryder, now an official for 1/ST Racing, which operates Gulfstream Park. :: Bet the races with confidence on DRF Bets. You're one click away from the only top-rated betting platform fully integrated with exclusive data, analytics, and expert picks. “Aaron thought it was really soft and fluffy and had good bounce to it,” Orseno said afterward. “I thought my horse got over it fine for what we were able to do today. The one thing I noticed watching five or six horses gallop this morning was that I couldn’t hear them coming [down the stretch]. It was so quiet. I think this is a great concept, a welcome addition, and that it will be easier on the horses. I’m looking forward to running some horses over it. In fact, I already entered one this morning for the first Tapeta race.” The first Tapeta race is scheduled to be run here Thursday. The Tapeta course will be a welcome addition locally, especially over the next two months, with the turf course scheduled to get a much-needed rest to regenerate prior to the opening of the Championship meet that begins later this fall. Traditionally, turf racing had remained ongoing on the local circuit during the fall at Gulfstream Park West, which closed permanently at the conclusion of its 2020 season. “Everyone we talked to this morning said their horses loved it,” said Bill Badgett, executive director of Florida racing operations for 1/ST Racing. “And everything on and off the gap went really well. Initially, we’ll keep the track open for training every day at this time with workouts eventually being allowed once we get the people in to survey the course and put the poles up over the next several days. Ultimately, I think most of the trainers will realize they’d rather run over it then train on it, so ultimately we’ll probably wind up having the course opening for training only three days a week.” Badgett said the Tapeta surface, which was installed over the outer turf course, can accommodate 12-horse fields at distances of five furlongs, 5 1/2 furlongs, and at a mile and 70 yards and beyond.