Share

Frank Stronach chairman of Magna Entertainment

This second annual battle for supremacy between California and Florida with millions of dollars at stake before a national television audience is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 24, at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Parks.

Forty-six horses were entered Monday in the four Sunshine Millions(tm) races to be run at Santa Anita. 39 horses were entered to participate in Gulfstream Park’s four races. The program worth $3.6 million is the richest in history for restricted stakes. The Sunshine Millions is the brainchild of Frank Stronach, whose Magna Entertainment Corporation owns both tracks.

The second annual Sunshine Millions races will be run in 15-minute intervals, rotating between Gulfstream and Santa Anita. The Millions culminates with the $1,000,000 Barretts/CTBA at Santa Anita Park at 2:45 p.m. NBC Sports will televise the Sunshine Millions from 4 to 6 p.m ET. Each track will offer a special $1 Pick Four wager on its four Sunshine Millions(tm) races.

Free past performances for all the Sunshine Millions are available online here.

Santa Anita

Peace Rules is favored in the Sunshine Millions Classic

The Classic drew an overflow field of 12 runners with two horses on the also eligible list. Peace Rules, third in the 2003 Kentucky Derby, is the 9 to 5 morning line favorite with Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey to ride. The 4-year-old Florida-bred races coupled with multiple graded stakes winner Midas Eyes as an Edmund Gann-owned/Bobby Frankel trained entry.

"He's wonderfully talented and an aggressive, speedy type horse," Bailey said of Peace Rules. "He gives you every ounce he's got so you don't have to worry about that aspect of it."

Peace Rules won the Grade I Blue Grass and the Grade I Haskell last year while banking $1,850,000. The Classic will be his first race at Santa Anita since winning the Hill Rise on turf on Dec. 28, 2002.

Another Florida-bred, Southern Image, is the 5-1 second choice on the line. The Halo's Image colt has raced exclusively in California and scored a 13-1 upset in the Grade I Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26. "I'm running here (instead of the $300,000 Strub Stakes on Feb. 7) because $1 million is a factor but the horse is most important," trainer Michael Machowsky said of Southern Image. "If he wasn't doing good I'd wait for the Strub."

Grey Memo and Continental Red, both millionaires, lead the California-breds in the Classic. The stretch-running Grey Memo was third in the 2003 Classic at Gulfstream Park but is winless in 15 starts at Santa Anita. Continental Red also ran in the Classic last year, finishing eighth, and comes off a second in the Grade II San Gabriel Handicap on turf on Dec. 28.

The other Sunshine Millions(tm) races at Santa Anita, in order:

• The $250,000 NATC Dash for 3-year-olds at six furlongs, 1:03 p.m. Ice Wynnd Fire, another Florida-bred from the powerful Frankel stable, is the 2-1 morning line favorite in a field of 10.

• The $300,000 Nextel Filly/Mare Sprint at six furlongs, 1:33 p.m. Bear Fan, a California-bred 5-year-old mare that has won four of seven career starts, is the 5-2 morning line favorite in a field of 11.

• And the $500,000 John Deere Filly/Mare Turf, 2:09 p.m. California-bred Valentine Dancer is the 7-2 morning line choice in an evenly-matched field of 10 that includes Atlantic Ocean, a 4-year-old Florida-bred filly that won last year's Sunshine Millions(tm) Oaks. at Santa Anita.

Gulfstream

Adminniestrator, winner of last year's Sunshine Millions Turf

The two richest events to be run at Gulfstream – the $500,000 Franks Farm Turf and the $500,000 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Distaff – drew full fields of 12, with two horses on the also-eligible list for the Turf.

The $300,000 Padua Stables Sprint will have a field of seven – including the major stakes winners Shake You Down and Valid Video – and six fillies will contest the $250,000 Ocala Stud Oaks. A total of 39 horses were entered in the four Sunshine Millions(tm) races at Gulfstream Park, including an oversubscribed field of 14 in the $500,000 Franks Farm Turf. Defending champion Adminniestrator, a California-bred by Incinderator, will ship East for trainer Nick Canani and owner Michael Gill.

The Florida-bred Proud Man and the California-bred Adminniestrator head a field of 14 entered in the Franks Farm Turf. The race will have 12 starters, with two on the also-eligible list. The mile and an eighth grass events looks wide-open, and several members of the field have already won on the Gulfstream grass.

Adminniestrator won the inaugural Turf last year when it was run at Santa Anita. Stormy Roman, who tired to finish ninth in that race, will be running on his home course this year. On the early wagering line, Gulfstream grass winner Proud Man is the 7-2 favorite, with Florida-bred Miesque’s Approval second choice at 4-1, and Man From Wicklow, a Grade 1 winner on the local turf, at 6-1.

The Sunshine Millions(tm) is the result of collaboration among the Thoroughbred Owners of California ("TOC"), the California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association ("CTBA"), the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association ("FTBOA"), the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, Inc. ("FHBPA"), Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park and MEC. This event is an example of how the horse racing industry can work together to provide racing fans with an exciting and innovative product.

Free past performances for all the Sunshine Millions are available online here. Below are the fields for all the races.

The following races will be run at Gulfstream Park:

Franks Farm Sunshine Millions Turf

PP Horse              Jockey          Wgt  Odds
 1 Western Pride      K Chapman       120   8-1
 2 Silver Tree        E Prado         118  15-1
 3 Adminniestrator    M Pedroza       120  15-1
 4 Ballonenostrikes   J Bravo         118  20-1
 5 Hear No Evil       J Garcia        118  12-1
 6 Stormy Roman       M Aguilar       120  12-1
 7 Magic Mecke        E Coa           118   6-1
 8 Special Matter     T Baze          120  10-1
 9 Bourbon County     L Jauregui      120  20-1
10 Miesque's Approval C Velasquez     120   4-1
11 Proud Man          R Dougls        120   7-2
12 Man From Wicklow   A Solis         120   6-1
Also Eligibles:
13 Music's Storm      J Velazquez     120  15-1
14 Sir Brian's Sword  J Santos        120  15-1

PP Horse              Jockey          Wgt  Odds
 1 Crimson and Roses  J Chavez        118  20-1
 2 Redoubled Miss     R Douglas       120   8-1
 3 Royally Chosen     A Solis         120   6-1
 4 House Party        J Santos        118   3-1
 5 Pesci              M Smith         118  12-1
 6 Scapade            C Velasquez     118   5-1
 7 Cellars Shiraz     M Guidry        120  12-1
 8 Shot Gun Favorite  E Prado         118  15-1
 9 Lindsay Jean       T Baze          120  15-1
10 Smok'n Frolic      J Velazquez     120   4-1
11 Ivanavinalot       J Bravo         118  12-1
12 Secret Request     C Perret        118  20-1

PP Horse              Jockey          Wgt  Odds
 1 Love My Mountain   M Cruz          120  20-1
 2 Pick'em            J Velazquez     119   6-1
 3 Shake You Down     M Luzzi         120   8-5
 4 Hasty Kris         T Baze          120   6-1
 5 Thunder Bullet     M Pedroza       120   8-1
 6 Green Team         J Santos        120   5-1
 7 Valid Video        J Bravo         119   5-2

PP Horse              Jockey          Wgt  Odds
 1 Silent Sighs       D Flores        120   6-5
 2 Dixie High         M Pedroza       120   6-1
 3 Remembrances       T Baze          120   8-1
 4 Potion             J Chavez        120  15-1
 5 Wacky Patty        C Gonzalez      120   5-2
 6 Usual Manner       M Cruz          120   4-1

The following races will be run at Santa Anita:

Barretts/CTBA Sunshine Millions Classic

PP Horse              Jockey          Wgt  Odds
 1 Continental Red    P Valenzuela    122   6-1
 2 Midas Eyes         J Velasquez     120   9-5
 3 Grey Memo          M Garcia        122   8-1
 4 Excessivepleasure  J Court         120  20-1
 5 Standard Setter    R Fogelsonger   120  30-1
 6 Hot Market         J Valdivia Jr   122  20-1
 7 Peace Rules        J Bailey        120   9-5
 8 White Buck         M Smith         120   6-1
 9 Southern Image     V Espinoza      120   5-1
10 Touch the Wire     C Nakatani      120   8-1
11 Excess Summer      G Stevens       120  15-1
12 The Judge Sez Who  K Desormeaux    122  15-1
Also Eligible
Commander's Flag      J Valdivia Jr   122  20-1
Pay the Preacher      A Gorman        122  20-1

PP Horse              Jockey          Wgt  Odds
 1 Valentine Dancer   P Valenzuela    118   7-2
 2 Atlantic Ocean     J Bailey        118   6-1
 3 Smart Lacy         K Desormeaux    120  12-1
 4 All the Honor      E Castro        118  10-1
 5 Bartok's Blithe    E Ramsammy      118  20-1
 6 Fencelineneighbor  V Espinoza      118   8-1
 7 Cozie Advantage    G Stevens       120   5-1
 8 Tucked Away        R Fogelsonger   118  30-1
 9 Lost Appeal        M Smith         120   8-1
10 Summer Wind Dancer C Nakatani      118  10-1
11 Moscow Burning     J Valdivia Jr   118   9-2

PP Horse              Jockey          Wgt  Odds
 1 Princess V.        R Alvarado      119  20-1
 2 Barbara O'Brien    G Stevens       120   4-1
 3 Super High         V Espinoza      120  12-1
 4 Bear Fan           J Bailey        120   5-2
 5 Mooji Moo          C Nakatani      120   8-1
 6 Madame Pietra      P Valenzuela    120   3-1
 7 Icantgoforthat     P Atkinson      120  15-1
 8 Nicole's Pursuit   J Valdivia Jr   120  15-1
 9 Channing Way       G Corbett       120  20-1
10 Vision In Flight   M Smith         120  12-1
11 Bold Roberta       D Nuesch        120  20-1

PP Horse              Jockey          Wgt  Odds
 1 Dad's Lessons      J Valdivia Jr.  119  20-1
 2 Pioneerman         O Berrio        119  20-1
 3 Race for Glory     M Smith         119  10-1
 4 Ice Wynnd Fire     J Bailey        119   2-1
 5 Saint Afleet       K Desormeaux    119   9-2
 6 Badgett's Mandate  G Stevens       119   8-1
 7 Cheiron            V Espinoza      119   8-1
 8 Baronage           E Castro        119  10-1
 9 Score High         R Fogelsonger   119  30-1
10 Don'tsellmeshort   P Valenzuela    119   7-2

From MEC press releases.

Back to Horse-Races.Net main page