(From Santa Anita notes)
The entry of Peace Rules and Midas Eyes was installed the 9-5 morning line favorite by odds maker Jeff Tufts for Saturday's $1 million Barretts/CTBA Classic, marquee event on Sunshine Millions Day at Santa Anita Park. Four races each exclusively for California-breds and Florida-bred will be decided at Santa Anita and its sister track, Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida.Peace Rules, a multiple grade I winner conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel for long-time client Edmund Gann, will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey. The second annual Sunshine Millions will be televised live by NBC Sports from 1 to 3 p.m. (PT). The eight races matching Florida-breds against California-breds will have total purses of $3.6 million, with the four events at Gulfstream worth $1.55 million, and the Santa Anita Park races worth $2.05 million. Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park are both owned by Magna Entertainment.On Sunday, Frankel said he was pointing Midas Eyes to the $300,000 Strub Stakes on Feb. 7, so there is a likelihood the son of Touch Gold would be scratched from the Classic."I'm really excited that Bobby asked me to ride him back," Bailey said of Peace Rules, a 4-year-old Florida-bred son of Jules Bailey rode to a second-place finish behind Ten Most Wanted in last year's Travers Stakes (gr. I)."He's wonderfully talented and an aggressive, speedy type horse," Bailey said. "He gives you every ounce he's got so you don't have to worry about that aspect of it. I haven't handicapped the race yet but the one time I rode him he broke very aggressively and put himself into the race. He can rate but he's going to be forward no matter what."Malibu Stakes (gr. I) winner Southern Image is the 5-1 second choice in the 1 1/8-mile Classic, which drew a full field of 14, including two horses on the also-eligible list.Excess Summer is yet another speed horse coming off a 7 ½-furlong race and will be one of several horses that figure to contest the pace in the Classic.Trainer Jeff Mullins figures it's a fait accompli as far as strategy goes for the 4-year-old California-bred gelding."There's a lot of speed in the race and he'll be one of them," Mullins said. "He'll be wherever he's going to be and they'll be running his pace. We can't change anything now. We'll just line 'em up and let 'em go and see what happens."Excess Summer won the 7 ½-furlong On Trust Handicap last Dec. 13 and stretched his speed over the "about" nine furlongs of the Pomona Derby at Fairplex Park last Sept. 27. But the son of In Excess will be tackling a different bunch of horses in the Sunshine Millions.Excess Summer has a 6-2-0 record from 10 starts, with earnings of $294,261 for owners Michael Convoy of Azusa, James McClanahan of Toledo, Washington and Jan Wineman of Irvine. The other Sunshine Millions 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 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. --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 Oaks at Santa Anita. Barretts/CTBA Sunshine Millions Classic S., 1 1/8 miles, $1,000,000, 4-year-olds and up, Florida-bred or California-bred
PP -- Horse, Weight, Jockey
1--Continental Red, Pat Valenzuela, 122, 6-1
2--(a)-Midas Eyes, John Velazquez, 120, 9-5
4--Grey Memo, Matt Garcia, 122, 8-1
5--Excessivepleasure, Jon Court, 120, 20-1
6--Standard Setter, Ryan Fogelsonger, 120, 30-1
7--Hot Market, Jose Valdivia Jr., 122, 20-1
8 -- (a)-Peace Rules, Bailey, 120, 9-5
9--White Buck, Mike Smith, 120, 6-1
10--Southern Image, Espinoza, 120, 5-1
11--Touch The Wire, Corey Nakatani, 120, 8-1
12--Excess Summer, Gary Stevens, 120, 15-1
13--The Judge Sez Who, Kent Desormeaux, 122, 5-1.
(AE)--Commander's Flag, Jose Valdivia, Jr. (second call), 122
(AE)--Pay The Preacher, Alan Gorman, 122
(a)--Entry
NATC Sunshine Millions Dash, $250,000, 6 Furlongs, 3-year-olds, Florida-bred or California-bred
PP -- Horse, Weight, Jockey
1--Dad's Lessons, 119 Jose Valdivia, Jr.
2--Pioneerman, 119, Omar A. Berrio
3--Race For Glory, 119, Mike E. Smith
4--Ice Wynnd Fire, 119, Jerry D. Bailey
5--Saint Afleet, 119, Kent J. Desormeaux
6--Badgett's Mandate, 119, Gary L. Stevens
7 -- Cheiron, 119, Victor Espinoza
8 -- Baronage, 119, Eddie Castro
9--Score High, 119, Ryan Fogelsonger
10--Don'tsellmeshort, 119, Patrick A. ValenzuelaNextel Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint, $300,000, 6 Furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, Florida-bred or California-bred
PP -- Horse, Weight, Jockey
1--Princess V., 119, Frank T. Alvarado
2--Barbara O'brien, 120, Gary L. Stevens Gary L.
3--Super High, 120, Victor Espinoza
4--Bear Fan, 120, Jerry D. Bailey
5--Mooji Moo, 120, Corey S. Nakatani
6--Madame Pietra, 120, Patrick A. Valenzuela
7 -- Icantgoforthat, 120, Paul Atkinson
8--Nicole's Pursuit, 120, Jose Valdivia, Jr.
9--Channing Way, 120 , Glenn W. Corbett
10--Vision In Flight, 120, Mike E. Smith
11--Bold Roberta, 120, David C. NueschJohn Deere Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf, $500,000, 1 1/8 Mile Turf, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, Florida-bred or California-bred
PP -- Horse, Weight, Jockey
1--Valentine Dancer, 118, Patrick A. Valenzuela
2--Atlantic Ocean, 118, Jerry D. Bailey
3--Smart Lacy, 120, Kent J. Desormeaux
4--All The Honor, 118, Eddie Castro
5--Bartok's Blithe, 118, Emile Ramsammy
6 -- Fencelineneighbor, 118, Victor Espinoza
7--Cozie Advantage, 120, Gary L. Stevens
8--Tucked Away , 118, Ryan Fogelsonger
9--Lost Appeal, 120, Mike E. Smith
10--Summer Wind Dancer, 118, Corey S. Nakatani
11--Moscow Burning, 118, Jose Valdivia, Jr.
Peace Rules, winning the Haskell Invitational.
Equi-Photo