The network's tentative plan calls for televising three races live--two from Florida's Gulfstream Park and one from Santa Anita, outside Los Angeles. The most likely candidates for live television are the $1 million Classic at 1 1/8 miles for 4-yer-olds and up and one of the pair of $250,000 sprint contests from Gulfstream, and either the $750,000 Distaff or the $500,000 Turf from Santa Anita.
NBC and Magna Entertainment are expected to announce around the first of the year that the network will televise several of the Sunshine Millions races from Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park Jan. 25.The eight-race Sunshine Millions program was developed by Magna as a competition between California- and Florida-bred horses, and various horsemen's organizations in the two states, as well as Magna, have put up serious money for the event, which will hand out $3.6 million in purse money. Four races will be run at each of the tracks, both of which are owned by Frank Stronach's Magna Entertainment.
