Sunshine Millions Classic 2015 at Gulfstream Park
Las Vegas, NV - Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach Florida will play host to Sunshine Millions Day this Saturday, January 17. The main event on the card is the listed Sunshine Millions Classic. Horses four years old and upward will be after the winner's share of the $250,000 purse when they go 1 1/8 miles on Gulfstream's dirt track.
A field of six will go in the Florida Sunshine Millions Classic - race 10 on Gulfstream's stacked Saturday card. Post time is 5:01 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all six entries for this listed stakes race.
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East Hall - William Kaplan trained gelding has 19 career starts with five wins, three seconds and four third place finishes. He enters off a nice win by two lengths in the minor Millions Classic Preview Stakes at Gulfstream Park West November 8 which followed another good win - in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby October 4 and a disappointing sixth in the Grade 2 Super Derby. Before that was a string of good results in minor stakes action - a win at 9-1 odds in the Ohio Derby in July and consecutive seconds - behind Wildcat Red the Quality Road Stakes and the Sir Bear Stakes - both of which came on this very track. East Hall enters in superb form - three wins and two seconds in his last six starts and has won his last two races on this track. Luis Saez will be in the saddle from post 2.
Wildcat Red - has 13 career starts - five wins, four seconds and two third place finishes - the lone off-the-board finishes were a troubled eighteenth in the Kentucky Derby and a fifth three starts back in the Grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes. Last time out was an OK second behind East Hall in the Millions Classic Preview Stakes which followed a respectable third in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby in September. In July he had an OK third in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational July 27 and a 10 1/4 length win in the minor Quality Road Stakes at Gulfstream June 28. Other notable career results include a good second in the $1 million Grade 1 Florida Derby and a very impressive win streak - in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth February 22 and in the Grade 3 Hutcheson Stakes February 1. Wildcat Red has been competitive every time out and is expected to be again Saturday and if he can channel his early 2014 form, could emerge on a track he has an astounding six wins and two seconds in eight starts. Joel Rosario has been tabbed to ride from post 5.
Sunshine Millions Classic 2015 | Remaining Contenders
Catholic Cowboy - has won three of his last five starts - the minor Jewel Stakes on this track last time out December 6, an Allowance at Saratoga in August and a Starter Allowance at Belmont Park in July. He has some sketchy results sandwiched in there however - a seventh and a sixth respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races at Keeneland in October. Catholic Cowboy has four wins, two seconds and three third place finishes and looks for his second straight listed stakes win on this track - with Paco Lopez in the reins from the outside post.
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Transparent - Kiaran McLaughlin trainee had just two starts last year - an eighth in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct November 29 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score September 18 in track record time at 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park after 10 months away. Before that he failed to hit the board in four starts including a fourth in the 2013 Pennsylvania Derby and a ninth in the Grade 1 Travers a month before that. He has 14 career starts with three wins, a second and a third place finish and looks for his first stakes score Saturday. Javier Castellano gets the call from gate 4 Saturday.
Sr. Quisqueyano - had a couple of minor stakes wins on this track in 2013 - the Quality Road Stakes in October and the Eight Mile East Stakes in July but hasn't been great since. He placed in just four of nine starts in 2014 - a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out followed a win in a similar race at Gulfstream Park West in November, a sixth and three straight seventh place finishes on Florida tracks. He has seven wins, six seconds and three third place finishes in 28 career starts and has placed in his last two starts overall. Edgard Zayas gets the mount from the rail Saturday as Sr. Quisqueyano looks to snap an ugly stakes funk.
I'm Steppin It Up - has 45 career starts with seven wins, four seconds and eight third place finishes. He was fourth in the Millions Classic Preview Stakes at Gulfstream Park West November 8 and followed that with a fifth last time out in an Allowance Optional Claiming here December 26. He won the minor Carl Hanford Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park in July and had a third in the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes at Belmont Park in May so we know that he has the potential. I'm Steppin It Up will look to place for the first time in four months (four races) when he leaves from post 3 with Jose Carabello aboard.