Best winter training centers

[Stan durbread]

Southern Oaks is by far the best. Big grass paddocks and nice clay mile track. Sunshine Meadows is over priced these days but only option in South Florida. Spring Garden has been through multiple owners last 15 years. Still got barns with the roof falling off from a hurricane 15 years ago. For mid south training centers Pinehurst is by far the best. Only place that doesn’t have shedrow barns and it has a nice mile clay track with a 1/2 mile clay/sand track and a 5/8 sand track.

[rainman2]

Excellent first post considering Spring is right around the corner!   

Always spring in south florida. 

[rainman2]

I've been to all of them and hit almost every one of them each winter. Which is the best? If you're looking at the track, it depends on what your beliefs are---clay, sand, mile, 5/8ths, straight-aways, etc.

Just an FYI, Burke bought the Winter Miles Training Center in Astor, FL. Here's a thought provoking question.....name a top trainer, other than Burke, who winter trains there? Things that make you go, Hhhmmmmm. LOL. Southern Oaks used to be the Simpson family, until Pinske bought it. Brian died two years later, so the stable really downsized and it became a lot more of a public training center. Sunshine Meadows is a quality facility, but they became the only game in town when South Florida Trotting Center began its decline. Spring Garden Ranch is a bit off the radar, underrated, etc., for a variety of reasons. I don't know if they are long for the game.

That said, simply looking at track(s), track conditions, how maintained, and facilities.....th e best FL training center I've seen is.....Palema Trotting.

Correct on Sunshine Meadows.  About 400/month to stable here and you have to add a few dollars as you are shipping farther both coming and going back too! 

You also have the equistrians at Sunshine Meadows too.  The rich people and their expensive horses

[PineHurstPacer]

Looking into both of those now thanks.  Can’t help but notice your username Pinehurstpacer? Do you not recommend Pinehurst?

Yes I do, we take a 3 day golf outing there every year.

The track is fine, it's just not far enough South

[The Exporter]

You also have Aiken, South Carolina and Hawkinsville , Ga. Aiken track is a great surface both 1 mile and 1/2 mile tracks. They also have remnants of their 7/8 sand track.
 The barn area and over all condition is poor. Hawkinsville has a an outstanding 1 mile red clay oval , Barns are much better than those at Aiken.
Hawkinsville is owned by the city and well maintained. The town of Hawkinsville is a dud. Aiken on the other hand is much , much better and a 30 min. drive to Augusta, Ga for the Masters.

[doublegaited]

Great advice thanks.  Leaning towards Southern Oaks for sure.  One of my owners wanted to take a look at Pinehurst as it is closer to home base and golfing lol.  Went to Pinehurst for a week back in mid-January and again first of February tracks were either frozen over and horses were punching through and or just sloppy.   
Hear hooves hitting the ground like on concrete all three tracks or sloshing around.  Guess new track guy there and they do not work the tracks overnight.  Some unhappy trainers and very cold.  Write up in USTA stated 20% increase at Pinehurst over last year (which is some of why we wanted to take a look) but we were told well over 20 riding and retired horses occupy stalls this winter mixed training center.  Hence the increase lol.  We all agreed its off the list.   

[Parked]

I was surprised at the width of the track at Spring Garden Ranch. Some barns have roof problems but not any that are at use around tracks.  Barns I visited were in very good shape.  Little or no grass in the paddocks. Good quarters for grooms if needed.  Rates less than Southern Oaks which is a close second on my list.  Many of the trainers at SGR have homes in the area.  Don’t know about SO. 
SO has always looked nice, well maintained.  SGR has really shaped up this year.  See they are remodeling the restaurant. 
To each his own. 

[Stan durbread]

I was surprised at the width of the track at Spring Garden Ranch. Some barns have roof problems but not any that are at use around tracks.  Barns I visited were in very good shape.  Little or no grass in the paddocks. Good quarters for grooms if needed.  Rates less than Southern Oaks which is a close second on my list.  Many of the trainers at SGR have homes in the area.  Don’t know about SO. 
SO has always looked nice, well maintained.  SGR has really shaped up this year.  See they are remodeling the restaurant. 
To each his own.

Good to hear SPR is making improvements. The options for southern winter training are getting slim. SO is still the best overall IMO. Between the track,barns and paddocks it it better than most year round training centers