Sunshine Millions Heavy With Nominations

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Early bird nominations to the inaugural Sunshine Millions closed Dec. 9 with more than 300 applications. The series of races, worth $3.6 million in purse money, will be Jan. 25, with four events at Gulfstream Park in Florida and four at Santa Anita Park in California.

Gulfstream will feature the $1 million Classic for older horses at 1 1/8 miles; the $350,000 Filly & Mare Turf at 1 1/8 miles; the $250,000 Filly & Mare Sprint for fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up at six furlongs; and the $250,000 Dash, for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs.

Santa Anita's four events are the $750,000 Distaff for fillies and mares, 4-years-old and up at 1 1/16 miles; the $500,000 Turf for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on the grass; the $250,000 Sprint for 4-year-olds and up at six furlongs; and the $250,000 Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs.

Leading Florida-bred Classic nominees include 7-year-old Best of the Rest, a winner of nine stakes among his 13 career victories, and the 9-year-old gelding, Sir Bear, who has earned more than $2.5 million during his career, including the Cigar Mile (gr. I), Gulfstream Park Handicap and the Metropolitan Mile (gr. I).

Cal-breds eyeing the Classic are Sharon M. Fitzpatrick's versatile Continental Red, winner of the inaugural Great State Challenge Classic at Sam Houston Race Park on Dec. 7; Grey Memo, winner of the $1 million Godolphin Mile last March; and the promising Tizbud, a full brother to 2000 Horse of the Year Tiznow.

Top Florida-bred nominees to the Filly & Mare Turf include Shiraz, winner of six stakes in 2002, and Stay Forever, undefeated against her own sex this year, while leading Cal-breds for the race include California Cup Distaff Handicap winner Lil Sister Stich and cal Cup Matron victress Super High.

Pointing to the Filly & Mare Sprint are Florida-bred Chipiski, winner of three of her last four starts, and Sugar N Spice, a six-time stakes winner, while Cal-breds with designs on the race include multiple stakes winners Above Perfection and Warren's Whistle.

Leading Florida-bred prospects for the Dash are Jack Price Stakes winner Supah Blitz and Trust N Luck, winner of the $400,000 In Reality division of the Florida Stallion Stakes, while the Cal-bred stalwart is Crackup, winner of the California Cup Juvenile and the Great State Challenge Juvenile.

Dogwood Stable's Smok'N Frolic, a four-time stakes winner for trainer Todd Pletcher, heads the list of Florida-breds for the Distaff, while Cal Cup Distance Handicap winner Nicole's Pursuit is among the Cal-bred contenders.

Arthur Appleton's grade I stakes winner Forbidden Apple tops the Florida-bred eligibles for the Turf, as does Continental Red among the Cal-breds.

Four stakes winners head the list of Florida-breds in the Sprint: Built Up, Tour of the Cat, My Cousin Matt and Royal Lad, while Debonair Joe, 52-1 winner of the Vernon O. Underwood Handicap, Disturbingthepeace, winner of six consecutive stakes races before finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, Men's Exclusive, who turns 10 on Jan. 1, are the leading Cal-breds.

Ivanavinalot, winner of five of her six career starts including three consecutive stakes races, tops the Floridians in the Oaks, while Atlantic Ocean, winner of the Miesque Stakes for The Thoroughbred Corp. and trainer Bob Baffert in her first turf start, tops the California contingent.

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