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It's little wonder why South Florida has been the winter home of many champions in recent years. Aside from the mild weather, the region also boasts the Palm Meadows training center, a state-of-the-art training grounds that has drawn many of the nation's top stables since its opening in 2002. Palm Meadows is the brainchild of Frank Stronach, whose The Stronach Group owns nearby Gulfstream Park along with Palm Meadows. The facility sprawls across 304 acres of land in Boynton Beach and provides a one-of-a-kind training experience. Among the features of Palm Meadows are 40 state-of-the-art barns, each of which contain 36 stalls and provide full amenities for horses and staff. Included in each barn are multiple tack rooms and bathrooms, washer and dryer hookups and private offices, among other features. Additionally, there are 20 sand-based rings that measure 40-foot wide for horses to roll and play in . Palm Meadows provides trainers with three different tracks to send their horses out for their morning paces. They include a 1 1/8-mile main track, a 7/8-mile turf course, and an L-shaped jogging track that measures one mile. Additionally, Palm Meadows features an extensive system of horse paths in which a horse never need walk on pavement on their way to and from the tracks. Training hours are from 6:30 to 11 a.m. daily. Another perk to horsemen is Palm Meadows provides free horse-shuttle service for horses running at Gulfstream Park. One of the more impressive feature of Palm Meadows are the living quarters for stable employees. At most racetracks, workers generally reside with a roommate in cramped tack rooms with limited bathroom and shower access. But at Palm Meadows, workers are housed in relative luxury. The facility features four, three-story dormitories with 52 rooms in each. Workers have 240 square feet of living space, which has air-conditioning and a heater, and a private bathroom and shower stall. Each room is also fitted with a small refrigerator and microwave. For trainers and assistant trainers, the living amenities are even better. There are 30 fully-furnished efficiency apartments with 480 square feet of living space. With its tranquil setting and excellent training surfaces, Palm Meadows is the winter home of many of the nation's top racehorses. Among those stabled at Palm Meadows this winter are 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Union Rags, the 2011 Champagne Stakes winner and future book favorite for the 2012 Kentucky Derby. Stronach spared no expense in building Palm Meadows and horsemen have responded in kind. For those who would love to train horses but either don’t have the experience or the money, we suggest you get involved with a free, no-download, virtual horse racing game. Imagine being in charge of a stable of Triple Crown contenders. You make the training decisions, you give the jockey instructions. Participating in fantasy racing is not only exciting, but can also be financially rewarding. Win your share of prizes and get your champion horses into our virtual winner’s circle.
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