Florida's harness racing survivors keep the dream alive

Delray Beach, FL…November 14, 2026…Sunshine Meadows Equestrian Village was the host for the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association Sunshine Stakes on Saturday, November 14.

Six rare “walkover” events featuring what remains of the Florida standardbred breeding program were contested since the signing of the de-coupling bill that crippled harness racing in the Sunshine State and the close of Pompano Park in 2022.

Nevertheless, an excellent crowd gathered for the festivities as drivers Marshall R. Makin had “bragging rights with a training-driving triple, George Birkhold had a training-triple and a driving double and Ted Bookstaver returned to the racing wars with a win of his own.

All walkover purses were $3,000.

The 78-year-old Makin, still enjoying success in this his 50th year in the sport, took Mite B The Life (Muscles For Life) out for a 2:14 stroll in this walkover for two-year-old trotting fillies after carding fractions of :34, 1:07 and 1:42.2 with a :30.3 kick home.

Owned by Makin along with Rebecca Glassford, Mite B The Life has had a very successful first season as she posted her fifth success in 13 starts with her 5-3-2 scorecard good for $45,448 with a mark of 2:05.1 over the Fowlerville, Michigan half-mile oval.

Makin then piloted the three-year-old Lockeeper filly SL Mon Petite to her walkover win in 2:12 with leading fractions of :34, 1:07 and 1:41.1, capping the mile with a :30.4 finale.

After good two-year-old season earning $19,450 and a mark of 2:04.4 here ay Sunshine Meadows last semester, SL Mon Petite came “home” to score her first success, nudging her lifetime bounty to $24,242.

She is also owned by Marshall Makin along with Rebecca Glassford.

Makin completed his triple with It’s Margarita Time in the Sunshine Stake for three-year-old trotting colts/geldings and this altered son of Lockkeeper toured the SsM oval in 2:11.3 with his fractions being :33, 1:07.1 and 1:40.3.

It’s Margareta Time now sports a lifetime scorecard of 27-9-8-6 with lifetime earnings vaulting to $89,581—$35,304 this year—again for the Makin-Glassford duo.

George )Senior) Birkhold’s two-year-old trotting gelding Heza Trottin Gator (Rose Run Nolan), who broke his “maiden” last week with a walkover win last week in 2:31, improved on that with a 2:24.2 walkover mile this week off fractions of :36.1, 1:11 and 1:47.

Hesa Trottin Gator now has $6,170 on his card, $6,000 of that banked in the last seven days at Sunshine Meadows.

The young, husky Birkhold also won with the first time starter Gator By The Sea (Downbytheseaside) in the juvenile filly trot as she was flawless in putting together fractions of :38.2, 1:18.2 and 1:55 in fashioning a 2:31.1 mile, again for the senior Birkhold.

Firehouse Gator, a gelded son of Catch The Fire, gave Birkhold his third training win of the day in the two-year-old pace for thee boys but had Ted Bookstaver handing the lines for owners George C. L. Birkhold and Indigo Racing.

Bookstaver, who came out of “retirement” last season to compete at Sunshine Meadows for the first time since 2006, returned this semester and promptly posted the fastest mile of the day—2:08.3—with fractions of :31.2, 1:03 and 1:36.

Firehouse Gator had been racing in Ohio, with his last start in Delaware, Ohio, and got the taste of success for the first time in this walkover.

Of course, walkover events are nothing new to our sport as many have been contested in both harness racing and thoroughbred racing over the past century—including Spectacular Bid’s win in the prestigious Woodward Stake years ago.

Racing continues next Saturday, November 21, as the FSBOA season concludes with the Championship Finals with post time set for 11:00 a.m.

 

by John Berry for the FSBOA