Sunshine Millions Day Top Contenders

by Bodog Racebook | Jan 24 2011

Saturday, Jan. 29 is Sunshine Millions Day, a six-race event hosted by Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park simultaneously. With some of the best racehorses from each state vying for purses totaling $1.8M, Sunshine Millions Day is a must-watch event.

Here are the top contenders for the $200,000 Sprint, the $300,000 Distaff and the $300,000 Turf, hosted by Santa Anita Park:

$200,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint, 6 furlongs on dirt

California-bred Cost of Freedom will be making his 2011 debut in the Sprint. The venerable 8-year-old gelding, trained by John Sadler, managed to salvage his 2010 campaign with three straight victories after a string of losses: his most significant win came on Nov. 25 in the Gr. 3 Vernon O Underwood Stakes at Hollywood Park. David Fawkes stablemates Apriority (a recent allowance race winner) and Wildcat Frankie (eighth in the Pelican Stakes on Jan. 8) are also expected.

$300,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff, 1 1/16 miles on dirt

James Cassidy’s two-time grade 1 winner Evening Jewel will be looking to bounce back in the Distaff from a fifth-place disappointment in the Gr. 3 Monrovia Handicap on Jan. 2 at Santa Anita Park. Florida-bred shipper Joanie’s Catch, a 4-year-old First Tour daughter trained by Barry Rose, is also pointing to this race.

$300,000 Sunshine Millions Turf, 1 1/8 miles

California-breds will have strong representation in the Turf with the likes of Caracortado, The Usual Q.T. and Soul Candy all expected to line up. Recent allowance optional claimer winner Caracortado should do well with a return to grass, while multiple graded stakes winner The Usual Q.T. will be looking to break a three-race losing streak. And Patrick Gallagher’s Soul Candy is still seeking his first graded stakes win but has shown flashes of potential, especially in his California Cup Classic win on Oct. 30.

Here are the top contenders for the $200,000 Filly & Mare Sprint, the $300,000 Filly & Mare Turf and the $500,000 Classic, hosted by Gulfstream Park:

$200,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint, 6 furlongs on dirt

Rick Sacco trainee Feel That Fire, a recent allowance race winner, is slated to make her stakes-race debut in the Filly & Mare Sprint. And Rick Dutrow, Jr.’s Florida-bred Amen Hallelujah, unraced since her runner-up finish in the Gr. 1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park in June, will be making this her comeback race; she has won two grade 2 races in her career.

$300,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf, 1 1/8 miles

Rick Sacco has another Sunshine Millions Day starter in Unbridled Essence, a 5-year-old daughter of Essence of Dubai, for the Filly & Mare Turf; she had a two-race win streak snapped in her last outing, the Revidere Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sept. 9.

$500,000 Sunshine Millions Classic, 1 1/8 miles on dirt

The highlight of Sunshine Millions Day is the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Classic, and this year’s race has the potential to be a thriller. Winner of four of his last five races is Tackleberry, a Florida-bred son of Montbrook trained by Luis Olivares. David Fawkes trains the always competitive 5-year-old Duke of Mischief, winner of the Gr. 3 Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park on Aug. 21. Overdue for a trip to the winner’s circle and back at his preferred distance of 1 1/8 miles is Florida-bred First Dude, who is trained by Dale Romans. And back on dirt where he has enjoyed most of his success is the Barclay Tagg-trained Dry Martini, an 8-year-old gelding coming off a third-place finish in the Mad Hatter Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 20.

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