Part of Bet on Sunshine's speed tendency can be attributed to his damsire, In Reality, who is known for passing on such attributes to his progeny. In Reality is the broodmare sire of 140 stakes winners.Bet on Sunshine's second dam, Forty Nine Sunset, was a graded stakes winner of $158,628. She won the Next Move Handicap (gr. III). She produced two stakes winners, Silver Sunsets and Made Glorious.
When you are age nine and have already run third twice in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), let's face it, pedigree at this point is not much of a factor. But, still, it is interesting to know what is behind the 9-year-old wonder known as Bet on Sunshine.After all, it is the genes that have given Bet on Sunshine not only his propensity for sprinting, but also his game character and big heart.Bet on Sunshine is by Bet Big and out of the In Reality mare My Own Sunshine. He is clearly the best offspring of his dam, being the only black-type earner she has had from seven names foals. She has been an inconsistent producer, barren five times since being bred for the first time in 1986.My Own Sunshine won five of 43 races at up to seven furlongs. She also ran second 13 times and finished fourth four times. The daughter of In Reality -- Forty Nine Sunsets, by Sailor, never started in claiming company.My Own Sunshine was bred in Florida by Janet Gomez, as was Bet on Sunshine.Bet on Sunshine is one of 13 stakes winners sired by Bet Big, who like Bet On Sunshine was best at sprint distances. Though he won around two turns, Bet Big's major win was in the seven-furlong Carter Handicap (gr. II). The son of Distinctive won five stakes.Bet Big's top five earners are all males. Besides Bet on Sunshine, he is the sire of Richman, who won nine stakes from two through four including the grade II Illinois Derby in 1991. He also sired Stately Wager, who won the grade II Bay Shore Stakes the same year.Bet Big died in 1995.
